Need a sealer for external metal stair treads

EvilBetty

Well-Known Member
Sep 7, 2012
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anybody ever done something like this? I have an old fixer upper I constantly work on. the exterior stair rail is steel with 1/8" diamond plate treads. clearly haven't been resealed in 40+ years. I pressure washed the entire thing, and 95% of the primer remained intact and probably 50% of the paint. The treads at some point has some sort of rubberized coating that pealed off with the pressure washer.

These things were built poorly and are in kind of rough shape to to how it was constructed. I will have to go over a small amount of rust and existing paint/primer/rubberized coating (still remains in nooks.

Thoughts? heavy duty exterior paint?
truck bed liner?
 

BWRhasnoAC

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Apr 10, 2013
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Dez Moy Nez
Get a good quality epoxy. Sherwin Williams has stuff called DTM - Direct to metal. They also have this pre catalyzed stuff that works too.
 
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lewis0111

New Member
Jul 15, 2025
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For metal stair treads, a heavy-duty exterior rust-inhibiting primer followed by a durable topcoat like truck bed liner or industrial-grade paint works well. Truck bed liner adds grip and toughness, making it a great option for worn stair surfaces.