Refurb stairs

[con1_uk]

Hello,

We have a very stubborn Sausage dog who don’t like getting her feet wet when it rains and would sooner pee on our stairs carpet, after a few new carpets I have officially given up with that idea and I’m exploring our options and we are looking at leaving it as wood.

Pictures show as it is now with the carpet and a few grippers removed, the tread is pine I think and the riser looks to be ply (not sure).

questions

I am ok at DIY
Is it possible to sand the treads and risers down so they can be finished with a clear or light varnish/finish? What would you recommend for stairs please? Would this look good or will the risers need a covering?

would also consider stripping the wood at the sides (currently White gloss) is there a good product for this? Is it worth it?

just look8ng for a fresh clean finish that don’t need too much ongoing maintenance please.

 

[RandomGrinch]

If anyone didn't know it was a thing...
...Porch Potty?

https://www.porchpotty.co.uk/

Sorry!

 

[Deleted member 174758]

It's a little difficult to tell from the photos, but I get the impression that the stairs have been finished with something in the past (?) or maybe had something glued to them at some point in time. Anything which seeps into the grain of the wood can affect its' ability to take stain as well as [
possibly leaving obvious marks if clear lacquer finioshed. Before foing the whole hog, I'd suggest sanding one tread and one riser only, then coating them with a good quality floor lacquer (sometimes called floor varnish) from a reputable make such as Morrells, Osmo or Bona. Avoid oil finishes as they may come out patchy on a refinished surface, and in any case they aren't durable. Also, avoid waxes or any other finish which increases the risk of slips. Doing a single step should allow you to gauge the effect of clear lacquering before committing yourself

Personally I think you'll be refinishing a staircase without a carpet every 6 to 12 months and that you'll get fed up of the increased noise level from a bare stairs (as will your neighbours if yours is a terrace house). Instead, have considered adding a scent to the stair which he dislikes? Dogs have a very sensitive nose and they dislike acetic acid, citric acid and ammonia, so maybe dosing the affected area with vinegar and water, or lemon juice or ammonia and water solution for a few weeks may dissuade him from using it as a toilet. Also, has he been to the vet recently? Just wondering if it is worth checcking whether he has a urinary tract infection

 

[foxhole]

Dogs still going to pee on the stairs as the urine soaks in and a dogs nose is 500 times better than yours so will always be able to smell where it’s toilet is.
A stair gate would be a simpler solution.

 

[RandomGrinch]

A stair gate would be a simpler solution

It doesn't even need to be a stairgate for a dachsy!
But having had two in the past, I feel the OP's pain - they are tenacious and absolutely stuborn, but also loving and loyal!

BTW, just found:

Awwwwwww!

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Dogs have a very sensitive nose and they dislike acetic acid, citric acid and ammonia, so maybe dosing the affected area with vinegar and water, or lemon juice or ammonia and water solution for a few weeks may dissuade him from using it as a toilet. Also, has he been to the vet recently? Just wondering if it is worth checcking whether he has a urinary tract infection

Normally, I would agree with you but not true for our dog. She loves a little orange, or lemon. Loves her fish and chips with vinegar and especially my crepes with golden syrup and a squirt of lemon.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Worked for our Airedale a number of years back - the advice came from our vet at the time

 

[opps]

If you dog goes up and down the stairs, a lack of carpet could be lethal (no traction).

BTW, there are enzyme based cleaners that will break down the uric acid in the urine (most regular products cannot remove the pee smell). She wot frowns at me and I used to import pet supplements/products from the USA, one of our best sellers was an enzyme based cleaner.

Here are some available on amazon.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=enzyme...ix=enzyme+,pets,182&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_5_7

When we used to have a retail stand at places like Crufts, there used to be a stand near us that only sold one product, an enzyme based cleaner in 5L tubs (concentrate), I would guess that 80% of their customers were breeders.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I'm no dog trainer, but we have never had a problem with any of our dogs, of this sort - ever. I don't know if it's because we have a rather large, well enclosed garden, where we can always just let them out? All I ever did from them being pups, was to take them out very often for a wonder round the garden. They always got the idea very quickly and eventually would ask to go out night or day. The only exception has been when the have been feeling sick and we haven't been quick enough to the door.

 

[con1_uk]

Hi, thanks for all the replies and advice so far. We live in a detached so the noise isn’t a problem, I have cleaned the bottom 2 steps with WD40 and got all the residue off, just need to sand them now.

what is the best sander to buy please that will get into the corners as that’s where the gloss has overran in the past, (not by me I hate the stuff ).

TIA

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

what is the best sander to buy please that will get into the corners as that’s where the gloss has overran in the past, (not by me I hate the stuff ).

TIA

A mouse sander, they have a plate similar to a small clothes iron and you can get the pointy end right in.