How to Scrape a Staircase

Heat the paint or clear-coat finish on the stair tread with a heat gun, starting at the top of the staircase. Wave the heat gun over the surface until the paint bubbles and lifts.

Place a four-edge blade scraper or pull scraper on the stair tread. Grip the knob on the four-edge blade scraper or the pull scraper's handle, press down on the device and pull it back and forth over the stair tread to scrape away paint. Scrape the stair tread until no paint remains on the tread.

Wave the heat gun over the stair riser until the paint lifts away from it. Position the scraper on the stair riser and move the scraper back and forth over the riser's surface. Continue to scrape the paint until the riser is free of paint.

Heat the paint on the stair stringer with the heat gun. Place the scraper on the stringer, move the scraper back and forth over the surface and scrape the paint off the surface. Move the heat gun to the stringer on the opposite side of the tread until the paint lifts. Scrape the paint away with the scraper.

Sweep the paint and debris into a dustpan and discard.

Move to the next stair tread. Heat the paint with the heat gun until it loosens. Scrape the surface with the scraper until no paint remains. Heat the paint on the riser with the heat gun. Scrape the riser until you scrape the paint off the surface. Continue to work your way down the stairs, heating and then scraping the treads, risers and stringers until you scrape the paint or clear-coat off all the staircase surfaces.

Examine the stairs for leftover paint in corners and on moldings. Heat the paint in the corners and on moldings with the heat gun and then scrape the moldings and corners with a shave hook, beginning at the top of the stairs. Move down the stairs. Continue to heat the paint with the heat gun, and then scrape the paint or clear-coat from the trim and corners until no paint remains.