Staircase sanding and varnishing in Cambridge
Staircase sanding and varnishing is for people who want to see the wood. Our decorators strip old paint or yellowed varnish from the treads, risers, spindles, handrail and newel posts, sand everything back to clean timber, then stain and varnish it or oil it. Graham looks at the staircase first and tells you honestly whether the timber underneath is worth showing.
If you'd rather have a painted staircase, that is a different job with different preparation, and it has its own page on staircase painting.
What's under the carpet and the paint
Lifting a stair carpet usually reveals a painted margin down each side of the treads, tack holes, carpet gripper and patches of glue. Softwood treads that were always meant to be covered can still look good sanded and varnished, though the nail holes and wear will show and are part of the character.
Some staircases are built from mixed materials, such as pine treads with MDF risers, or hardwood handrails on softwood spindles. MDF can't be stained to look like timber, so a common answer is natural treads and handrail with painted risers. We'll point out the mix at the visit.
Stripping a staircase back to bare wood
Flat surfaces such as treads, risers and strings are sanded. We use Mirka dust-free sanders, which pull the dust into an extractor as they work, so the hall, landing and rooms around the stairs stay far cleaner than with an ordinary sander.
Turned spindles and moulded handrails can't be machine-sanded without flattening the detail. Paint there is usually removed with a chemical stripper and scraped out of the beads and hollows, then finished by hand. On pine, old paint sometimes sits deep in the grain and won't fully come out; if that would spoil a clear finish, we'll tell you before stripping every spindle.
Stairs in older houses may have paint containing lead, especially layers put on before the 1960s. It should be tested before work starts. If lead is present, it is never dry sanded or burnt off; it's removed with chemical strippers and wet methods, and the area is cleaned thoroughly afterwards.
Stain and varnish, or oil?
Staining
Stain changes the colour of the timber, for example to bring pale pine closer to oak, or to darken new treads to match an old handrail. We test it on an offcut or a hidden face first, because the same stain looks quite different on pine, oak and hemlock.
Staircase varnishing
Varnish gives the toughest finish for treads. A floor-grade varnish is used on anything walked on, in satin or matt rather than gloss, which is slippery underfoot in socks. Water-based varnish keeps pale timber close to its natural colour, while solvent-based varnish adds a warm amber tone that some people like on pine.
Hardwax oil
Osmo Polyx oil soaks into the wood rather than sitting on top, giving a natural, low-sheen look. Worn treads can be cleaned and re-oiled without stripping the whole staircase. We used Osmo on the exposed beams and worktops at the Old Telephone Exchange in Fulbourn, and the same family of oils suits stairs. Wax is another traditional option for handrails and spindles, though it is too soft for treads.
Oak stair restoration and other details
Oak is rich in tannin, and tiny fragments of steel wool left in the grain react with it and leave black spots under the finish. On oak staircases we use abrasive pads instead. Water-based products can also raise oak's grain, so there's a light sanding between coats.
Pine has its own quirks. Knots can stay darker than the surrounding wood and sometimes weep resin, and different boards of the same staircase may have yellowed by different amounts. Sanding back evenly, then judging the colour on the bare timber before choosing a stain, avoids surprises.
Living with the stairs while we work
Varnish and oil need time between coats, so we plan the work in stages with you. One common approach is to finish one half of each tread width first, leaving a dry strip to walk on, then do the other half once the first has dried. Another is to time the final coat late in the day so it dries overnight while the household uses another route or keeps off the stairs.
Children, pets and early starts all change the plan, so tell Graham who needs to get up and down and when.
What changes the cost of a staircase refurbishment
Graham sets these out in a written quotation after seeing the stairs.
- What has to come off: paint takes far longer than varnish
- Number and style of spindles, square or turned
- Lead testing, and stripping by wet methods if needed
- Stain plus varnish, or a clear or tinted oil
- Repairs to creaking treads or loose spindles by our carpenter
- Painted risers or strings alongside natural treads
Booking your staircase restoration
Get in touch and Graham will visit, lift a corner of carpet or test a hidden patch of paint if you're happy for him to, and talk through the finishes. The quotation usually follows by email. In Fordham, Valter and Denes stained a staircase and doors for Mrs M Turner, and you can read her comments on our reviews page.
Stairs are often done with the rest of the hall. Our page on decorating the hall, stairs and landing covers the walls, and if the hall floor is parquet, Chris can restore it in the same project. Our main woodwork staining and varnishing page covers doors and other timber. When the last coat has hardened, we walk the stairs with you, and you don't pay until you're happy with the finished work.
