Painting primed wood with a stain

Discussion in 'Painters' Talk' started by Andrew Wall, Nov 9, 2020.

  1. Andrew Wall

    Andrew Wall Member

    Hi,

    I'm just on renovating my stairs and have replaced the base rail, handrails and spindles. I bought pre-primed pine as I thought it would save me time. It certainly will with the base rail and the spindles which I'm planning on painting satinwood white. However, I'm planning to do the hand rail and newel caps in a walnut brown.
    Should it look OK if I use an opaque walnut paint? Everything I look for mentions using it on decking, and I just wanted to gauge what people thought?
    Will an opaque paint be OK, or would stain still work, even though there's no grain?

    Cheers!
     
  2. Astramax

    Astramax Super Member

    Opaque paint will be fine to use however a solvent gloss will be more durable and wont show any yellowing due to the darkness of walnut. 40 years ago did a similar finish using Dulux Silthane gloss in a colour called Conker on my own stairs hand rail and newell post and finishing the hand rail in a high gloss varnish.
     
    Andrew Wall likes this.
  3. Astramax

    Astramax Super Member

    If your wood is all primed stain will not work at all well.
     
  4. Andrew Wall

    Andrew Wall Member

    Just to check, should I look for a gloss and then paint over that with a layer of clear varnish?
    Cheers
     
  5. Astramax

    Astramax Super Member

    No, gloss is a finish I used the varnish over a stain. Sorry didn't write the previous reply very well the newell post was glossed and the hand rail was stained.
     
  6. Andrew Wall

    Andrew Wall Member

    Thanks for that. I'll have a look for some gloss. I think the contrast of gloss will look nice against the satin wood spindles. Cheers
     
    Astramax likes this.
  7. Astramax

    Astramax Super Member

    Yes it certainly will, top tip for a high gloss is to apply two coats....let the first one fully dry first though. ;)
     
  8. Red Star Boats

    Red Star Boats Active Member

    Surely opaque wood stain over primed timber will just look like brown paint, or am I missing something?
     
  9. Astramax

    Astramax Super Member

    Opaque not transparent. Look at Dulux Ultimate Opaque.
     
  10. Red Star Boats

    Red Star Boats Active Member

    Astramax,
    Exactly, opaque ie solid colour, I’ve used this before in dark grey, several times on garden buildings, surely in walnut it will just look like dark brown paint. I took it that the op wanted painted spindles and a polished dark wood hand rail. I may have misunderstood. I come at this more from a furniture finishing background, where stains and dyes change the colour of the wood but don’t obscure the grain in the same way as this type of opaque “woodstain” but then require a clear protection coat added, normally lacquer or varnish of some description.
     
    Astramax likes this.
  11. Andrew Wall

    Andrew Wall Member

    I'm planning on a white satin finish for the spindles, then I guess a high shine brown for the handrail. I'm not entirely sure how it'll turn out with opaque or a gloss finish. I was thinking perhaps a solid brown colour might look OK? What do you think?
     
  12. Astramax

    Astramax Super Member

    Opaque and stain are both mentioned by the o/p, advice is freely given based on information received and some difficulty in translation from what we know and what the o/p is seeking can often be a misunderstanding.
     
  13. Astramax

    Astramax Super Member

    How is the handrail finished at present and what wood is it made from?
     
  14. Red Star Boats

    Red Star Boats Active Member

    Hi Astramax, please don’t take my comments as having a dig at you in anyway, I was not. My comment re brown paint was aimed at the op.
    In answer to the op’s question would a solid brown colour look nice, beauty is in the eye of the beholder my friend but personally I don’t think so.
    What exactly are you trying to achieve? Painted newels and spindles with a dark polished hardwood handrail can look really classy when done well.
    To my mind if the grain in the handrail is to be totally obscured then any colour paint is suitable, and if the seventies was your time then why not brown? Could always paint the spindles orange too!
     
  15. Astramax

    Astramax Super Member

    I never thought you were.:)
     
  16. Andrew Wall

    Andrew Wall Member

    What I'm hoping for is a colour that looks like a walnut stain, but without the presence of the grain through it. When I say a solid brown paint, I don't mean like matt, I just mean to look like a stained wood.
     
  17. Astramax

    Astramax Super Member

    A solid brown paint is far different from a stained wood look. A painted finish will blind the grain whereas a stained finish will not. If the handrail is pre primed apart from stripping the primer off you have little option but to paint it with a solid paint.
     
  18. Andrew Wall

    Andrew Wall Member

    If I strip the primer, what's the best method of staining afterwards? 1 coat of stain then a clear varnish?
     
  19. Astramax

    Astramax Super Member

    You mentioned decking in an earlier post....what stain product are you referring too?
     
  20. Andrew Wall

    Andrew Wall Member

    I was referencing opaque paint. When looking for Opaque paint it constantly references for exterior use on decking. I was asking if it can be used internally on wood.
     

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