| Mar 7, 2006 @ 10:07 PM |
Home Renovations
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WickedWench
Posts: 1,613
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I'm not sure where this thread would fit but I'm hopeful the moderators would find a home for it.
I'm a single female doing quite a few home reno projects which I really love...most of the time.
My current one is refinishing 3 sets of stairs which were previously carpetted. I had the carpeting ripped out and am now starting the prep work on it. There are about 5 kazillion carpenter staples in it that I have to remove before I can start filling in the holes. I've counter sunk the nails and am planning on filling them with stainable filler. The steps are raw pine and the risers are chipboard. I'm going to paint the risers white and stain the pine pecan with gloss varathane.
My question is: Is there an easier way to get those blasted *LJOIJOIAESF* carpenter staples out of the pine step and chipboard riser? Currently I'm using pliers, cutting pliers, an awl, etc and I'm just wondering if there is a tool out there that I can use? My hands are taking a huge beating not to mention my back is killing me from bending over so much.
HELP!!!!!  
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| Mar 7, 2006 @ 10:33 PM |
Home Renovations |
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Jankia
Posts: 11,891
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Take a small screwdriver and jamb it under the staple,wedge the staple out.It will probaly only come out on one side so then you take your pliers and pull.
Thats how i do it.
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| Mar 7, 2006 @ 10:37 PM |
Home Renovations
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Hiwayman54
Posts: 95
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Usa a pair of needlenose pliers but back up the tip of the pliers with a small block of wood to you dont ding the risers.
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| Mar 8, 2006 @ 12:36 AM |
Home Renovations |
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WickedWench
Posts: 1,613
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Hey Jankia
I tried a very small flathead but the staples are about 1/4 inch in width so that didn't work.
I've been using the needlenose pliers along with a pair of wire cutters which seems to grab the upper bar part but WOW...
this is brutal!!!
Not to mention the stairs have seperated from the risers in some spots. I can get in behind the staircase and drive a couple of nails in but there are other spots where the underside of the stair case isn't accessible.
This is awesome guys/gals!!
Thanks so much.
*sore back sore butt sore hands*
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| Mar 8, 2006 @ 1:35 AM |
Home Renovations
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Silvertongue62
Posts: 6,932
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Take a small screwdriver and jamb it under the staple,wedge the staple out.It will probaly only come out on one side so then you take your pliers and pull.
Thats how i do it.
If you use this method make sure you put a scraper or some other hard flat surface under the screw driver because you dont want to create more work for yourself by niccing or denting the wood. This would leave you in worse shape.
After reading your response i would say get a larger set of pliers so you will have more leverage and less strian on the back, knees, butt, and arms. The other thing is once you get all the staples out make sure you finish the stairs in this order. Stain/paint/polyurethane. The reason I say this is to keep you from doing any of them twice. When applying the stain make sure you wipe between each coat to wipe away the excess. This will keep the stain nice and uniform. After applying th first coat make sure you sand the wood after it dries because you will raise the grain of the wood in the first application. Then proceed to applying for consistentcy and color. After you have come to the desired shade make sure you wipe as much of the excess off as possible. When applying the polyurethane, make sure you lightly sand between every coat. The more coats the more transparent it will become. When sanding, because you have to do it by hand make sure you use 220 grit. Most important to make sure you vacuum all the dust up and wipe with a damp cloth to ensure very little if any trash is present in finished product. i hope this was helpful.
PS - Make sure you test your stain and polyurethane with a peice of scrap wood because the vanish will darken the stain. All of this depends on if you are using oil based or water based. Water based is enviromentally friendly but oil is not. if you use water base you will have to apply more coats to get desired results. Like I said i hope this helps.
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| Mar 8, 2006 @ 1:56 AM |
Home Renovations |
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Wulfchyld
Posts: 459
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Get an upholsterers staple remover. It is very fine toothed and wont scar the wood. It will curl out broken legs and you can put a small piece of leather or heavy cloth under it when curling staples out. It works fast and bites real well.
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| Mar 8, 2006 @ 9:38 AM |
Home Renovations
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WickedWench
Posts: 1,613
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I KNEW IT.....I KNEW IT..... I KNEW IT .......I KNEW!!!!!
*stomps her feet stubbornly* 
Wulf I KNEW there had to be a tool out there to DO THIS so now I'm going to go off in search of said tool. Grrrr..my palms are sooo swollen and sore this morning.. Guess that French manicure will have to wait til I finish this particular project. (Yup you can be still 100% woman and STILL get grungy lol)
Silver!! Wow!.. awesome advice... so much work. I've never taken on a project this size and I know that if it's done correctly it will increase the value of my house. Not to mention stairs done in this manner looks soooooooo awesome!
Can I get your permission to print that off so I don't have a "blonde" moment?
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| Mar 8, 2006 @ 9:41 AM |
Home Renovations |
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WickedWench
Posts: 1,613
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I forgot.....MODS pls don't delete this post?
I want the steps to be fairly dark and durable. Pine is a very soft wood so I was thinking I would have to put at least 2 coats of varathane on it.
Any ideas?
Am trying hard not to  and do it right the first time. These steps are killing me LOL
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| Mar 8, 2006 @ 10:53 AM |
Home Renovations
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Silvertongue62
Posts: 6,932
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Print away baby. But understand this the stair renovation will not increase the value all that much. It will only be valuable to wood floor lovers. In the raleigh /durham area I have 316 single family homes, condos and townhomes. Most of them I bought several years after they were built and I became either the second or third owner. When I bought them they were what we call builder specials. The amenities were sparse and few. To increase the value I concentrated my efforts on the kitchens and baths. These are the two rooms that are like no other. Every other room in the house is the same. Four walls and a window. The kitchen and baths will sell a home and increase it's value if done right. The best way to find out what will increase the value of your home is to consult a real estate agent that does volume. They will clearly tell you that if the kitchens and bathrooms are more than pleasing to the wife the husband has no choice in the matter.
Another thing that makes a difference are the exterior lights that hang on the garage and near the front door along with the locksets on both the front and rear entrance. Curtains and draperies dont do anything for the value of the house because they are personal preferences. I hope I was able to put another spin on this for you without confusing you. Be patient and take your time and maybe you will have some good memories from the whole process.
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| Mar 8, 2006 @ 11:22 AM |
Home Renovations |
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mangolover60
Posts: 635
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I want the steps to be fairly dark and durable. Pine is a very soft wood so I was thinking I would have to put at least 2 coats of varathane on it.
I have a 120 year old victorian house with hardwood floors on first floor, but pine steps from the first landing to the second floor which is all beautiful long board pine flooring, absolutely stunning.
The thing you state, "pine is a very soft wood" and any amount of poly-urethane you put on it that doesn't look silly isn't really going to change that. Put enough on to protect the finish and get a good shine, but the dents and wear will come, but that's part of the charm.
Don't overdo it. 2 *thin* coats is precisely enough.
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| Mar 8, 2006 @ 11:32 AM |
Home Renovations
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Loreli
Posts: 25,398
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Wicked-here's an idea!
1. cook a bunch of food,
2. Buy a keg of beer
3. Invite all the guys from MD to help!
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| Mar 8, 2006 @ 11:34 AM |
Home Renovations |
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WickedWench
Posts: 1,613
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Great info Silver. Thank you.
This place? I bought because of the physical space and lay out and true enough the main bathroom had brass faucet and taps which I loved!
The kitchen is on my "To Do" list next. Typically I wait until I'm "inspired" with a particular look and then start piecing it together.
I'll lay some of it out and any feedback is welcome. The kitchen itself is a style known as "Galley Kitchen" ..basically only good to either cook or "other" (wink) in. It is directly adjacent to the dining room with an "open look" connecting the two rooms.The cabinet doors are plywood painted white. The countertops are standard wood grain melamine.-damaged by a hot pot in one area so it's gotta go There isn't much of a backsplash or wall area. Fairly big window in the middle of it right above a double sink.
GamePlan: Veneer the cabinet frame in pine. Replace cabinet doors in pine-new hardware. New hardware in antique color brass. Stain/varathane all the pine. Backsplash-either a black marble (one of the bigger home reno places up here has a huge sale on right now and I love marble!) OR a tile incorporating some of the rusty/pumpkin colors of the dining room. Stays with the flow of the natural colors textures etc. The whole wall area/backsplash I would like to do this way. It's a relatively small area and I know putting marble on a counter top is not practical. For the counter top a darkish green or blue or black granite..or ..I'm having a senior's moment...cant remember the other counter top materials.
Flooring: The dining room is a wood laminate of the gold pecan variety and before I had a water leak ( still can't find it even though I've left the laminate off the kitchen floor for 3 months) I had that laminate down there and it "continued" the look of the dining room. Furniture in the dining room is all dark stained solid pine.
So.......am open to ideas here guys/gals..
I just refinished the guest bathroom in a black/brown leather like wallpaper with antique gold fixtures and black cabinets/shelving. Replaced the light fixture with something you might see in an old home. Flooring is wood. Looks great
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| Mar 8, 2006 @ 11:37 AM |
Home Renovations
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WickedWench
Posts: 1,613
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LMAO' 
I hope you're including yourself in that invite Loreli! You'd be more than welcome
Makes sense Mango. Thanks dude! 
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| Mar 8, 2006 @ 12:07 PM |
Home Renovations |
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Silvertongue62
Posts: 6,932
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Well if you need any other advice from experience give me a holla. Now I have to go to another room before Loreli makes me pick up a hammer. Lmao...............
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| Mar 8, 2006 @ 9:49 PM |
Home Renovations
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sealacamp
Posts: 3,681
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For very small staples, such as you describe, a metal workers scribe or a sharp pointed awl will get under them and allow you to pull them up. In my experience about half of them will break off and you have to hammer the remnants in the wood below what will be sanded off. The very small piece that is left will not be noticable after you stain and finish it. Now about that OSB backing. Have you considered putting a nice veneer over it instead of paint? It would look a lot better and be about the same amount of work.
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| Mar 9, 2006 @ 9:41 PM |
Home Renovations |
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WickedWench
Posts: 1,613
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Alrighty! Staples are gone. 
The remaining stairs were'nt nearly as bad as the set I was working on so I just perservered with the cutters. And I'm sure the scrapes and nics on my hands will heal with minimal scarring LOL
The chipboard is in fair shape but there are some superficial holes. I've got two types of filler. The "Wood filler" kind and spackling. I want to use the wood filler for the pine........but....can I use the spackling on the chipboard? Will it "schtick" to it without falling off? Any comments?
^^ is for my next set of days off
sealacamp: I have seen the veneers you're talking about but I really have my heart set on painting the risers white and the pine step a pecan color. The white will give continuity with the baseboards (Although the pecan stain I bought and tried on a piece of pine was wayyyyyyy too light to use. I'd be staining for the rest of my life LOL)
Not so sore back/butt..... 
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| Apr 30, 2006 @ 2:26 PM |
Home Renovations
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RareQuestor
Posts: 2,650
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Update please! How is the renovation going, Wench? 
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| Apr 30, 2006 @ 2:30 PM |
Home Renovations |
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RareQuestor
Posts: 2,650
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By the way, I am thinking of creating a special group in MD later this summer where we can all bitch about our home renovation projects. Among other things, I have to replace the shingles on my father's roof, install a few banisters, replace the window sills and frames and paint the barn. My back hurts just thinking about it.
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| Apr 30, 2006 @ 3:48 PM |
Home Renovations
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paperchase417
Posts: 101
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Wood filler is hell on earth to sand smooth, so be sure not to be wreckless or you'll spend a good deal of time sanding the crap down. Its better to pack the holes too tight then have the putty sink and have to reapply than too use too much and bust your butt sanding it down later.
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| Apr 30, 2006 @ 5:04 PM |
Home Renovations |
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grumblebear
Posts: 10,559
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I hadn't seen this thread before... I took the carpet off the stairs at my Dad's house... and found them to be all particle board... (new construction about 10 years ago)... so I ordered up some oak risers and treads... stained and Varnished to match the railings... removed and replaced those items... I was amazed to find that neither staircase was anchored at the bottom or sides... only at the very top....
the way they build new houses is ki8nd of scary....
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