Renovating Old Wooden Stairs Handrails

Renovating old wooden stairs handrails is easy if you can remove them...

I tried paint stripper but I soon realised it would take ages, I'd use up a lot of paint stripper, it was really messy and I'd need to do lots of sanding afterwards anyway. 

Then I tried sanding the paint off, but that wasn't much better.

In the end, I realised the paint was so thick and badly adhered to the wood that it would scratch off easily. I'm using a metal file in the video above but the edge of a chisel would work well too. I stripped the entire handrail using this method in about twenty minutes, it cost nothing to do it, it used up no materials, no chemicals were involved and the mess was easy to brush up.

My kind of DIY job!

Renovating Old Wooden Stairs Handrails 

This is the handrail put back in place in the attic. Instead of using a brush to apply the varnish, I used my hand. That way there's less risk of getting varnish on the wall, there's no brush to wash afterwards and you can easily reach all the way around the handrail.

Renovating Old Wooden Stairs Handrails 

This is the wooden handrail on the first flight of stairs, having been stripped down. This handrail was much more difficult as it wasn't possible to remove it and, therefore, I couldn't scratch the paint off. I tried using paint stripper but it took ages so I switched to a hot air gun. This, also, too ages but was marginally faster than the paint stripper. It was, however, hard work and stank the house out with the smell of burnt paint and was tiring as I had to balance on our very steep stairs and regularly reposition the extension reel. It took a whole day, more or less.

Once I'd removed the majority of the paint with the hot air gun, I went over it all with paint stripper and wire wool. This process leaves a silky finish, so there's no need for any sanding.

I wanted to make the pine wood look a bit more colourful so that it would match the warmer plywood in the kitchen. I used a little trick I've discovered.....painting on strong coffee. It works every time and you can apply more coats until you achieve the colour you like. Plus, it doesn't involve any chemicals, it's almost free to do and it's not at all messy.

Renovating Old Wooden Stairs Handrails 

Renovating Old Wooden Stairs Handrails 

This is the downstairs handrail, all finished.

I applied a few coats of water-based colourless vanish.

Renovating Old Wooden Stairs Handrails 

Renovating Old Wooden Stairs Handrails 

Having grown up in a Victorian house with lots of stripped down wood, I wanted to recreate a similar look, so stripped down this shelf on the stairs and the wood at the bottom of the wall over the stairs. I know the Victorians would never have left pine uncovered as it was a cheap wood and not something to show off, but I don't mind it being cheap.

I also stripped down the tops of the stairs skirtings....but the stairs are for another post!

Renovating our old wooden stairs handrails was not pleasant job and I'm very pleased it's over.

One more job done!