We tag along with paint expert Mauro Henrique as he helps a homeowner upgrade his staircase with a fresh coat of paint. The two work together to prep the stairs and handrails with an oil-based paint to promote adhesion before finishing the job with durable railing and floor paint that can stand up to the dogs and traffic.
Next, we head back to the shop with host Kevin O’Connor to talk tools with the guys. Master carpenter Nathan Gilbert brought a scribing tool while mason Mark McCullough showed off his high-tech ear protection and landscape contractor Lee Gilliam explained the value of his stand-up sod cutter.
Finally, master electrician Heath Eastman takes us on a house call to help a homeowner install sconces over their mantle. Discovering that there was once a set of sconces, Heath comes up with a plan to find power in the basement, install a new switch, and run wires to the new sconce locations. He even shows the homeowner some handy tricks along the way.
How to Paint Stair Treads
High-traffic areas take a lot of abuse. When it’s a staircase, the traffic is condensed to an even smaller area. When that traffic is caused by two big dogs, the abuse can be intense. When a homeowner grew tired of his dogs gouging and scratching his steps, it was time for an upgrade. Mauro Henrique helped prep and paint the steps and handrails so they could withstand years of traffic.
Where to find it?
The stair treads and handrails worked on were unfinished wood. The stair treads had a lot of scratches and marks, so Mauro used a 120-grit sandpaper on a power sander connected to a HEPA vacuum. 220–320 grit sandpaper was used all over afterwards. The same grit sandpaper was also used on the handrails. N95 masks and safety glasses were worn while sanding. And before every coat of primer and paint, the area should be lightly sanded with 220 to 320 grit sandpaper and vacuumed.
Drop cloths were used to protect the floor and stair treads when they were not being worked on. Painter’s tape can be used to protect the balusters, risers, and skirtboards.
Mauro used a quart of an oil-based primer for both the treads and handrail. Oil-based primers are ideal for untreated wood.
For the handrail and post, Mauro used a semi-gloss white paint that is good for high-traffic areas. Paints made for trim, cabinets, and doors work well for something like a handrail that will be touched a lot. Glossier finishes are easier to clean and are more durable than flat finishes.
For the stair treads, Mauro used a high gloss white floor interior and exterior paint. A floor paint made for interior and exterior uses is ideal for stairs. Especially for the stairs Mauro worked on that are right next to the front door and in a home with two large dogs that will be constantly using the stairs after being outside.
Tool Talk | Scribe Tool, Hearing Protection, Sod Cutter
Every contractor or builder has their favorite trade-specific tool. Host Kevin O’Connor brought master carpenter Nathan Gilbert, mason Mark McCullough, and landscape contractor Lee Gilliam together back at the shop to talk about theirs.
Where to find it?
Nathan has been into using a center scriber tool. It’s designed for precise marking and finding the center of a workpiece.
Mark has over the ear protection with a noise cancellation feature. They block out the potentially harmful sounds of some power tools but allow for low level sounds.
Lee says recently he’s been leaning heavily on his standing sod cutters. The long handles allow for Lee to stand and make perfect cuts without straining his back.
How to Install Wall Sconces
After noticing his neighbors’ living rooms were brighter than his own, a homeowner decided to install a set of sconces over his fireplace mantle. With the help of master electrician Heath Eastman, the two were able to install a new light switch and a set of new sconces to brighten things up.
Where to find it?
Sconces Installed: Modern 1-Light Brass Gold Wall Sconce with Open Cylinder Clear Glass
Lightbulbs: 40-Watt Candelabra Dim White Filament Clear Glass LED 2700K
Heath used a Tempo 508S-G wire finder to locate the dead wire and old light box behind the wall.
To find the access point for the sconce wires from the basement, Heath took a metal
insulation support wire, cut to a sharp point. He used that to drill a small hole in the crevice of the baseboard to find the baseboard’s location from the basement ceiling. Wax putty can be used to fill in the hole and it will be completely unnoticeable.
Heath used a power drill with a wood spade bit to drill access holes from the basement ceiling for the wires. A steel fish tape was used to confirm that the access point went all the way through to the sconce light location and to pull the wire to the light box locations. For wire Heath used 14/2 NM-B wire. He used plastic insulated staples to secure the wire to the joists.
To cut out the drywall, Heath used an oscillating tool with a drywall bit. A dust collector attached to a HEPA vacuum was used to collect debris.
Heath installed a Lutron LED dimmer light switch.
Original Air Date: Feb 20, 2025, Season 23; Ep. 16 25:45
Products and services from this episode
- Nathan’s featured tool: Center scribe tool
- Mark’s featured tool: Ear protection with noise cancellation
- Lee’s featured tool: Long handled sod cutters
- Sconces installed: Modern 1-Light Brass Gold Wall Sconce with Open Cylinder Clear Glass
- Lightbulbs: 40-Watt Candelabra Dim White Filament Clear Glass LED 2700K
- Wire finder: Tempo 508S-G wire finder
- Dimmer switch: Lutron LED dimmer light switch
