In many people’s homes, their stairs are situated in the hallway, meaning it is one of the first things people will see when visiting your property. In addition to this, your stairs will normally have one of the highest levels of footfall within your home, meaning it is subject to a lot of wear and tear.
On a more positive note, staircases can provide a great deal of character to your home, (particularly period staircases) so they are well worth the time and trouble of some TLC and restoration, especially if they’ve been neglected in the past.
It’s fair to say that staircases are often covered in layers upon layers of paint as it’s the quickest way to spruce up and the entrance of your home. Prolonged and repeated repainting does become noticeable after a while and can impact the design details of the stairs.
Please note, if your house was built in or before the 1960s, there is a reasonable chance that lead will be present in the earlier coats of paint. If you decide to take this restoration project on yourself, please ensure that you use a respirator and wear disposable coveralls and gloves during the project to make sure that the task is carried out safely.
Wood stairs restoration is a much trickier task than a normal wood floor restoration project for a number of reasons. You are working with numerous small sections of wood, bannisters and railings are rounded, often with intricate detailing and you are working in a more confined area at height.
The process involved in restoring wood stairs is similar to our wood floor sanding, namely:
Step 1: If your stairs are carpeted, remove the carpet runner and pull out the staples. Be warned, there can often be many, many staples!
Step 2: Fill all holes with a stainable wood filler
Step 3: Sand the entire staircase, check for any new flaws that have been exposed and fill if necessary before sanding again.
Step 4: Wipe down your staircase with damp rags and then vacuum, it’s important to remove all detritus from the area. Otherwise, you run the risk of painting or staining over this in the next step.
Step 5: Decide whether you want a natural wood finish, or paint, or a combination of natural wood and paint.
Step 6: Paint and/or apply the desired wood treatment (stain, varnish, wax or oil)
Of course, there is another option available to you, call in the professionals! We have the crews, the experience and the professional equipment to do the work for you quickly, cleanly and for less than you might think!
If you have any questions on this topic or would like to discuss your own wood flooring, please don’t hesitate to call us today on 087-6268100 or email us at info@rhwoodfloors.ie You can view our collection of 5-star reviews here and also watch some of our customer’s testimonial videos here. RH Wood Floors offer a free home visit to discuss your plans, measure up and provide a personalised quote just for you, all backed up by full certification from The National Wood Flooring Association. Thank you for considering RH Wood Floors.
