Varnish for stairs/steps?

[morg]

hi there

I would like to varnish my stair steps, but someone said your more likely to fall down it without carpet.

This is exactly what I want: http://www.martinconstructioninc.com/images/Lot_83_Staircase.JPG

What sort of varnish would I need to ensure a non-slippery surface? But smooth like this one?

any help please

 

[joe-90]

Any decent polyurethane varnish will do, but they will always be more slippery than carpet will. If you've got kids in socks I'd give it a miss if I were you.

 

[morg]

Any decent polyurethane varnish will do, but they will always be more slippery than carpet will. If you've got kids in socks I'd give it a miss if I were you.

no kids live here, just adults (in socks)

thanks for the recommendation

 

[Bespoke]

Hi

Polyurethane varnish will turn yellow / honey colour in a very short space of time and water based varnish will turn a milky colour if you put to many coats on. A precat lacquer is the best thing it is almost light fast ( no yellowing ) and is extremely hard wearing but as Joe -90 says what ever finish will be slipery under foot compared with carpet. You may consider leaving the bottom tread polished timber ( lacquer ) and have carpet fitted to the rest like an old fashioned stair runner that way you will have the safety of carpet with the beauty of wood. The best of both worlds so to say.