How do I find a fast-drying stain and sealer for my pine treads?
by
Louise
+10
I pulled up my carpet a while back and am finally ready to stain and then seal my inside stair treads. I have cats who will need to stay off this while in progress so I'd like to find the fastest drying products possible to limit the time the cats and I will have to stay off the stairs. A quart of each will be enough for the stairs, so I don't want to buy a gallon. For stain, I want something close to golden oak and I want satin sealer. Who here has experience with this who can give me good advice?
Hi Louise,
Here is a tutorial to stain the floor/stairs with recommendations for a product as well.
Use a water based stain. Should dry in 24 hours. Water based polyurethane dries much faster then oil based. Use Minwax stain and three coats of Minwax water based fast drying polyurethane. Each coat of poly should take about an hour to dry. So you can put down hree coats in about three hours. I prefer Minwax products.
Hi there,
If these steps are in constant use, why not do every other one so you still maintain access. Then when dry, do the others..............
Minwax Polycrylic
https://www.google.com/search?ei=f4QrXOC8B8_KsQXA5LugDw&q=minwax+polycrylic&oq=minwax+&gs_l=psy-ab.1.2.0i67j0l9.11719.13604..16124...0.0..0.109.1081.11j1....1..0....1..gws-wiz.......0i71.ToY5RAjMeYA
I agree with William; these products dry quickly. Just a couple other things to add. Use a wood preconditioned so the stain comes out nice and even (Minwax has one.) Direct a fan over the stairs and circulate the air so products dry faster.
Cats do complicate things since they don't know to use every other stair. Laughing because they supervise all projects- many feets in paint.
See if you can board the cats with someone while you do the stairs. Fur flies and will get stuck in the stain/poly while it dries and you will have a mess. DO NOT use a fan as suggested above, because it will blow fur around. I don't care how good a housekeeper you are, there is lint and fur you don't see in a house with multiple animals.
Not sealing would speed up wear and tear. Wax would need to be periodically stripped and redone. I only use Minwax products. Have use polycrylic on floors for years with no problems. Don't use oil based poly because it has a yellow tinge, does yellow over time and can take 6 to 24 hours for each coat to dry.