Hi. I have oak stair treads that once had carpet and padding stapled to them. What is the best way to prepare these babies for a nice finish? Is there anyway to remove or clean up the black staple hole marks? Should I sand away or look toward an alternative stripping solution? I also have to detail around the baulasters which will not be refinished.

Thanks,
Troy

What color are you going for? If you plan to go natural,the stains will remain noticeable. The darker you go,the more you can get away with.

A scraper is faster than a sander around ballusters and such. You will still want a detail sander for the tight spots.

Do I simply use a standard paint-type scrapper? What is the best tool for this job that I can buy at Home Depot or Menards. Scraping also sounds less messy than sanding. I'm going for a shade darker than natural - more like a honey oak or butterscotch. Any way to bleach the staple holes or anything like that?

After scrapping, should I simply sand with coarse sandpaper or try and smooth out with 220 prior to staining and top coating. I was thinking of using a one-step polyshade and do a couple coats until the color is dark enough.