How to Redo Wood Banisters

Use wood filler to repair dents and chips in your wooden banister.

A dented, faded wooden banister running up the staircase of your home does not necessarily need to be replaced. If you have the right tools, and are comfortable working with wood, you can easily refinish the banister to give it an updated, fresh look that will belie its age. This job is straightforward on smooth banisters and gets more difficult on those with intricate carvings or significant damage.

Things You'll Need

• Sandpaper
• Random-orbit sander
• Wood filler
• Putty knife
• Wood stain
• Rag
• Paint
• Paintbrush

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Instructions

1. Sand the entire surface of the wood banister roughly with 80-grit sandpaper, either by hand or using a random-orbit sander. If the banister is smooth, a random-orbit sander is an effective tool to use. If the banister has numerous grooves and is intricately patterned, sanding it by hand is more effective.

2. Fill any holes or cracks in the banister with wood filler. Dip a putty knife in a jar of wood filler and rub the filler thoroughly into the blemishes in the wood. Scrape off the excess wood filler with the knife, and allow the filler to dry for the length of time specified on the jar.

3. Give the banister a second sanding application, this time with a 150- or 180-grit sandpaper. The 80-grit sanding will leave the banister's wooden finish rough; the second sanding will make it smoother and allow you to sand the excess wood filler off smoothly.

4. Finish the wood banister in the type of finishing application you prefer. If you wish to stain the banister, dip a rag in a can of stain and rub the wood until it takes the color of the stain. Repeat this process until the entire banister is covered, then allow the stain to dry and apply additional coats, as needed. If you wish to paint the banister, select an appropriately colored paint and apply it carefully with a paintbrush.

Tips & Warnings

• To avoid getting stain or paint on the rungs below the banister, tape them off with painter's tape prior to finishing the banister.

References

• Lowe's: How to Refinish Wood Furniture
• Valspar at Lowe's: How to Refinish Wood Furniture
• House-Painting-Info: Wood Refinishing

Resources

• WoodZone.com: Sandpaper 101
• Apartment Therapy: Refinish or Repaint: The Great Wood Makeover Debate