stairs

I want to paint my mahogonny staircase white.
What preparation work do i need to do before i can use the undercoat?

wash it with sugar soap, lightly sand it - and you are set to paint undercoat.

remember the better the surface you start with the better the finish so take some care

Daivid P

Thank you for your reply. When i sand the surface should I wipe it with white spirits before undercoating?

there is no real need to do that - most primers are balanced to work directly on a clean dry surface. if you were to wipe with white spirit it would be as a degreaser (and actually white spirit leaves a residue so meths would be better).

Ive just noticed that you said "undercoat" - the proper way of doing it is to use a primer to seal the wood, then an undercoat to give a good flat surface and colour base - undercoat should be sanded till is is flat and smooth, but this is a real purists issue.
if all you want is a reasonably painted staircase - get some primer/undercoat (a single product) and follow the instructions.

mahogany isnt a problem to paint - it is a bit oily but nothing a good oil based primer cant handle - It is also an illegal wood now so i hope (and doubt) that it is a new staircase - if it is then chances are the wood is one of the millions of far eastern equivalents such as ramin. if it really is an old mahogany staircase look after it because it could be a feature that'll add value to your house.

wait. I dont know what on earth i was thinking of when i said that mahogany is an illegal wood. it must have been late. It is of course Teak that is no longer an importable wood, mahogany is still available if only at a price.