Staining staircases and doors in Waterbeach
Mrs M Turner in Fordham had Valter and Denes stain her staircase and doors, and when she wrote to us afterwards it was the staining she picked out. We follow the same approach on stairs in Waterbeach: treads, handrails and spindles sanded evenly so the colour takes without blotches, then a clear protective coat where hands and feet wear it.
Panelled doors are stained panels first, then rails and stiles, so there are no dark overlaps where wet edges meet.
Older joinery and painted woodwork
Denny Abbey and its refectory, both Grade I, and the Grade II* Church of St John are among the 21 listed buildings in the parish. The village's 170 or so pre-1900 houses can still have deep skirtings and panelled doors buried under layers of gloss.
We sand back old runs, fill opened joints and finish in gloss, satin or eggshell. Bare pine is primed with Zinsser first so knots don't bleed through, as we did on the frames in this Farrow & Ball redecoration. See our staining and varnishing page for beams and oiled timber.
Waterbeach at a glance
- 1 milesby road from our Landbeach base, about 2 minutesOSRM routing
- 8%of properties were built before 1919VOA Council Tax stock
- 4%date from 1919 to 1939VOA Council Tax stock
- 86%are houses rather than flatsCensus 2021
- 21listed buildingsHistoric England
- 64%of homes are owner-occupiedCensus 2021
How we approach woodwork staining & varnishing
Stain is tested on a hidden area first, such as the back of a door or the underside of a tread, so you approve the colour. Old varnish is sanded off evenly to avoid pale patches. Painted woodwork is cleaned, keyed and lightly sanded between coats, and beams or worktops can be oiled with Osmo. The full method, products and FAQs are on our woodwork staining & varnishing page.