Refinishing your staircase can change the entire look and feel of your home. Whether it’s replacing the balusters from wood to wrought iron or a simple upgrade from stained wood to painted and bright can have a huge impact on the look and value of your home. With that said stairway refinishing is no easy DIY project it requires the right tools, knowledge, and products.
When just doing a color change on your staircase the proper prep and materials are of utmost importance. You must first identify the species of wood that was used to build the staircase to ensure you use the correct process and materials. The wood must be completely sanded down, and free of all contaminates before any coating is applied. Using the proper tools is pivotal in this step as any amount of contaminates will give you the feel of sandpaper rather than a smooth finished wood.
If you are looking for a bigger impact and want to replace your spindles and change the color of the handrail the process is much more in depth. Safety is the most important step in this process as there will be no spindles or balusters on your stairway for a short period of time. The existing spindles will be properly removed before the sanding and cleaning process begins. Once the area is sanded, cleaned and the spindles are removed the process of staining or painting the wood can begin. The wood must be stained with the proper product to ensure a smooth finish and a topcoat must be applied before any new spindles or balusters can be installed. Once the new color and topcoat are applied and properly cured the magic can begin with the installation of your new spindles. Updated spindles are often wrought iron or intricate wood and must be installed properly to ensure they do not come loose or fall off your staircase causing a safety hazard.
