Robert LaChance
09-16-2013, 6:43 PM
Hello all,
I am a novice at wood and finishing, so please be gentle with me!
My wife and I have undertaken to redo our staircase. It was covered in carpet, but we have stripped that and have already sanded, pre-treated, and stained the existing steps. They appear to be southern yellow pine. Specifically, we have been following this blog as our "blueprint."
http://inmyownstyle.com/2011/01/my-foyer-staircase-reveal.html
We used oil-based Minwax regular stain. Which leads me to our next step: what to use for the finish? I did not just want to blindly follow the above blog and use the Zinsser poly. Instead, I would like to hear from you experts what would make the most sense for finishing these steps. Factors that are important to me: cost, performance, time, and smell. And by smell, I just mean the smell from oil-based products. I still can't use my oven or dryer because when I use them, a kerosene-like smell is created. The gas guy (and google) said that the oil vapors in the air (from all the staining) have caused this, and it will take a long time for it to go away. But if oil-based is the best way, then so be it... we'll find a way to make it work!
Thanks in advance for your thoughtful insight, and remember I have very little knowledge, so if you use too much industry-speak, I likely will not know what you are talking about! :)
--Robert
I am a novice at wood and finishing, so please be gentle with me!
My wife and I have undertaken to redo our staircase. It was covered in carpet, but we have stripped that and have already sanded, pre-treated, and stained the existing steps. They appear to be southern yellow pine. Specifically, we have been following this blog as our "blueprint."
http://inmyownstyle.com/2011/01/my-foyer-staircase-reveal.html
We used oil-based Minwax regular stain. Which leads me to our next step: what to use for the finish? I did not just want to blindly follow the above blog and use the Zinsser poly. Instead, I would like to hear from you experts what would make the most sense for finishing these steps. Factors that are important to me: cost, performance, time, and smell. And by smell, I just mean the smell from oil-based products. I still can't use my oven or dryer because when I use them, a kerosene-like smell is created. The gas guy (and google) said that the oil vapors in the air (from all the staining) have caused this, and it will take a long time for it to go away. But if oil-based is the best way, then so be it... we'll find a way to make it work!
Thanks in advance for your thoughtful insight, and remember I have very little knowledge, so if you use too much industry-speak, I likely will not know what you are talking about! :)
--Robert