Can you apply a coat of gloss paint directly onto a varnish surface?

Question

I would like to paint directly onto the varnish pine stair case.

Answer 1

Yes.  You CAN APPLY PAINT TO ANYTHING YOU WANT.

Answer 2

No, at the very least undercoat first.

It is poor paint practise to paint over varnish. The varnish is so hard that paint has a tendency to chip off when it is banged. When varnish has been applied properly it will have soaked deep into the wood so even when you strip it the surface is usually still sealed and a wood primer cannot soak in. Hence it is poor painting practice. (Ever seen an old white painted staircases with brown chips where the gloss has knocked off)

People do it. (though I never have) Ideally you take all or as much as the varnish off as possible, but that is hard work. But at least make sure you have rubbed them down enough to have keyed/scuffed the entire surface. This is important as your paint is not going to properly adhere to varnish and needs those scratches to get some kind of grip.

You could try a specialist primer first like prime-it -plus or Bullseye 123. These primers try to glue themselves to the non-absorbant surface rather than relying on soaking into it as traditional primers do.

Answer 3

Since all the above answers are  a step in the right direction, I would only add your finish coat will actually survive foot traffic if the primer coat is "thinned" enough to actually soak into the wood surface.... It will stick well if the varnish is etched either chemically or mechanically. The primer should be oil based (mineral spirits) or pigmented shellac (denatured alcohol) Then follow up with your gloss coat(s)!

Answer 4

You can yet it won't hold up very well.

Best thing to do is wash the surfaces down with ammonia (I use the instructions for floor wax removal, since some polish residue may be present) I use nylon pads for wood refinishing to scrub the surfaces with, wipe off the residue then rinse well. This method combines cleaning & sanding in one step.

Once dry use an universal acylic primer/sealer/bond coat that doesn't require prior sanding (becuase these will stick to glossy surfaces). The best I've used are BIN's Bullseye water-base and Benjamin Moore's Freshstart. Both are low oder, cover great (get these tinted to the finish coat)and are easily brushed out. I alway apply two coats and let dry overnite before caulking any cracks and gaps.

AS for the finish paint use a quality acrylic enamel, since these dry faster and smell better, plus are easier to touch-up later on since acrylics don't "yellow " with age like alkyds.

If you paint the treads & risers then give those 2 coats of a clear acrylic-urathane after 3 days. Kelly-Moore & others have this for gym floors, cabinets, fauxed surfaces, etc. This will protect the paint from scuffs and stronger cleaners.

Answer 5

I wouldn't apply gloss paint to any surface that I hadn't first sanded down and undercoated.

It might sound like a lot of hard work but you will get a much better finish and the paint won't flake or line.

Answer 6

probably but it depends on the varnish type and the gloss type. Sand down the varnish lightly to give a "key" then you can paint a small area to test.

Gloss paint is not very opaque so I would put a coat of undercoat on 1st to cover the wood colour, then you can apply the gloss.

If the gloss is strong colour you may get away with 2 coats of it, but 1 will definately not cover.

Answer 7

i guess it depends on the varish oil based would not work well. but any other would be fine, you might want to prime it anyways, so that the color turns out the same as you expect it.

Answer 8

yea you can after you rough it up a little.

Heres the easy way. Buy a can of LIQUID SANDPAPER at the paint store.  You rub this over the varnish. Then paint over it. You are done.