# How to Repaint Basement Stair Treads
Things You'll Need
- Medium grit sandpaper
- Palm sander
- Extension cord (optional)
- Dust mask
- Safety glasses
- Vacuum
- Painter’s tape
- 5-gallon bucket
- Epoxy-based paint
- Silica sand or slip-resistant additive
- Paint stirrer
- Paint tray
- Paint roller
Instructions
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1
Install a piece of medium-grit sandpaper onto a palm sander and plug the sander into an electrical outlet. You may need an extension cord to sand the entire length of the staircase. Don safety glasses and a dust mask and sand the entire surface of the basement stair treads to remove any old paint or varnish from them.
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2
Vacuum the basement stairs thoroughly to remove all of the sanding dust.
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3
Apply painter's tape to any areas of the stairs, such as the risers, that you do not wish to paint.
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4
Open a 1-gallon can of epoxy-based paint in your chosen color and pour it into a 5-gallon bucket. Open a packet of slip-resistant additive and add it to the bucket. Stir the paint thoroughly using a paint stirrer. You can also use about 1 cut of sterile silica sand instead.
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5
Pour out some of the paint into a paint tray and then insert a paint roller into the paint until it's saturated.
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6
Roll the paint onto the treads of the basement stairs starting at the bottom step and working your way up. If the basement has an external door, you can work from the top down. Continue painting each tread until the entire staircase is painted.
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7
Wait at least two full days before walking on the basement stairs to ensure the paint is dry. Remove the painter’s tape and throw it away.
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