Staining a Burwell staircase
In nearby Fordham, Mrs M Turner thanked Valter and Denes for the staining on her staircase and doors. A job like that starts with sanding the timber evenly, because patchy sanding shows as pale areas under stain. We test the colour on a hidden spot, then varnish the treads and handrail where they take the most wear.
Our staircase painting page covers painted stairs, and we can keep one side usable while the other dries.
Older joinery and Burwell's listed buildings
About 510 homes in the village predate 1939, by Council Tax records, and those tend to have deeper skirtings, panelled doors and more layers of old paint. We sand back drips and runs, fill dents and prime bare wood, using Zinsser on knotty pine to stop resin bleeding through. In Burwell's 59 listed buildings, original joinery is part of what's protected, so ask the council before stripping or replacing it.
Beams and other bare timber can be oiled with Osmo, which soaks in and can be topped up later.
Burwell at a glance
- 13 milesby road from our Landbeach base, about 22 minutesOSRM routing
- 12%of properties were built before 1919VOA Council Tax stock
- 6%date from 1919 to 1939VOA Council Tax stock
- 93%are houses rather than flatsCensus 2021
- 59listed buildingsHistoric England
- 76%of homes are owner-occupiedCensus 2021
How we approach woodwork staining & varnishing
We'd clean grease from door edges and around handles, key existing gloss and fill before any new coat. For stain, the timber is sanded uniformly and the colour tried on an offcut or hidden face. Varnish goes on in thin coats with a light sand between, and our Mirka dust-free sanders stop dust drifting into other rooms. The full method, products and FAQs are on our woodwork staining & varnishing page.