Furniture, Wood and Cabinetry Finishing - Using Varathane on stairs

I have an oak stairway that is starting to look really dull. I have tounge oiled it in the past but it has probably been 15years. If I finish it varathane, will that make the stairs slick? Don't want anybody falling down my stairs.

Thanks,
darrellx

Varathane makes many kinds of finish. Their product guide recommends the following for use on stairs:

Professional oil-based polyurethane
Interior water-based polyurethane
Interior oil-based polyurethane
water-based Floor finish
oil-based Floor finish

The last two would be the best product to use as they have excellent resistance to foot traffic.

Regarding slippage, while it's true that non-finished wood will obviously provide more traction than finished wood that has a smooth surface, ordinary conditions would not make a person slip on finished stairs any more than non-finished stairs. That is, unless you leave clothes laying around on the stairs, have a throw rug at the bottom of the stairs, or leave banana peels and roller skates anywhere near the stairs. :eek:

I recently bought this home and pulled off nasty carpet in the upstairs bedroom and also the stairs going up there. It is pine, not oak, but they refinished very nicely and they put 3 coats of oil-based polyurethane on them. (semi gloss). I don't go up and down there everyday (it's a guest room up there) but I have never felt like they were the least bit slippery.