Wood effect paint (NOT stain)..?

RainbowsInTheSpray

I have an old set of stairs which has old bits of deeply-entrenched gloss paint of various shades scattered around it. It would take an age to sand and prepare properly for varnishing, not to say a small fortune as OH and I are not up to it.

Is there any kind of paint/coating available with which I could cover the whole shebang fairly quickly - and which would give a reasonable impression of a natural wood effect?

Would appreciate any words from the wise... apart from telling me to do the thing I've just said I'm not going to!

Owain_Moneysaver

Not really - to get a woodgrain effect you have to paint on a base coat and then apply the graining in one or more coats. 
You can get laminate staircase sets which fit over the existing treads and risers - about £40 a step from a quick glance. That won't do the stringers (side bits) or bannister etc though. 

RainbowsInTheSpray

I don't need the 'woodgrain effect'. I don't need the stringers or bannisters. I just need something which could be taken for natural wood at a distance. Probably talking colour more than anything.

Emmia

I think unless you're willing to pay someone, or put effort in yourself then it's probably not doable - to get a good finish needs prep, whether you paint or varnish.

FreeBear

Maybe give this a go - https://www.livingetc.com/news/wood-grain-paint-effect

housebuyer143

Lots of people use Frenchic paint and have made wonderful wood effects. There is a Facebook group for Frenchic hacks. If you post of there you will get lots of examples and tips. 

ThisIsWeird

RitS, would you like to post some photos of your stairs? See if folk can come up with alternative ideas?
And/or try Pinterest and Google images for, I dunno, 'painted staircases' or similar. There are some stunning looks out there that might make you consider alternatives to simulated wood.
Or, you can use a dark coloured varnish that will nicely obliterate mixed wood finishes to make it look even, but still translucent enough to show it is 'wood'.
I originally used a medium oak stain on new floorboards on our upstairs bedroom and en-suite, but got really tired of it a few years later. I wanted to keep the bare boards, but didn't fancy sanding them! So I used Dulux exterior wood stain in ebony to overcoat the existing med/dark finish - including many scratches - and really like it - the physical grain texture shows through. And when the sun hits it, it glows with the dark browns underneath. It might seem at first glance to be a 'solid' colour, but it has something extra going on which shows it isn't. I then used it in a downstairs room that used to be the garage, and that included the steps and balustrade that leads into the room. Again, I think it works well. Of course, you'd have to like near-black, but it works for me. When the sun hits it, you can see the variation of wood colour that's through it.
I guess you could use a 'normal' wood shade too, but it would presumably have to be darker that what you currently have.

RainbowsInTheSpray

Thanks for the thoughts, everyone. I'll chew it over. Nothing needs doing immediately as these stairs are not my main ones and are not often used.