How to Refinish Your Stair Handrail

Sticky fingers can take their toll on a wood staircase handrail.

Of all the components of a staircase, the stair treads and handrail often take the most abuse. Hands can carry sticky, dirty substances that degrade the finish, but even clean hands running over a rail will eventually wear it down. There is little difference between refinishing a stair handrail and refinishing any other wood in your home. Prepare the area before you begin to help produce a cleaner result, and don't be in a rush. In 24 hours, your handrail will have a renewed appearance that will last for several years.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Sponge
• All-purpose cleaner
• Rags
• Painter's tape
• Utility knife
• Newspaper
• Dust mask
• Sandpaper, medium, fine and ultra-fine
• Handheld power sander
• Wood stain
• 2 paint stir sticks
• Rubber gloves
• Polyurethane
• Fine-bristle sealer brush

1. Dampen a sponge with premixed all-purpose cleaner. Wipe the rail with the sponge. Rinse the sponge with plain water and wipe the rail again. Dry it with a rag or let it dry naturally.

2. Apply painter's tape around the newel post and baluster connections and any other surface that contacts the handrail. If you cannot curve the tape to fit around a shapely rail, tape the area well and trim the excess with a utility knife to conform to the curves.

3. Lay newspaper on the stair treads to guard against drips.

4. Put on a dust mask or tie a bandanna to cover your mouth and nose.

5. Attach a sheet of medium-grit sandpaper to a handheld sander. Sand the rail following the grain of the wood until the finish wears away, revealing the bare wood. Sand it again using fine grit.

6. Sand the rail by hand with a sheet of ultra-fine sandpaper until it develops a smooth sheen.

7. Wipe down the handrail with a clean rag to remove sanding dust.

8. Check the tape and replace any areas where sanding lifted or moved it.

9. Shake a new, unopened can of stain vigorously, or open it and stir it with a paint stir stick to blend in the residue on the bottom of the can.

10. Put on rubber or chemical-resistant gloves. Dip a rag into the stain and squeeze it until it stops dripping. Wipe the stain along the rail following the wood grain. When the rag starts to dry, reload it with stain and continue until the rail is coated.

11. Wipe the stain off the rail with a clean rag, beginning at the point where you started applying it. Let the stain dry, and apply another coat to deepen the color if you like.

12. Open the polyurethane and stir it gently with a paint stir stick.

13. Dip a fine-bristle sealer brush into the polyurethane. Brush it onto the rail in long, slow strokes to prevent bubbles. Let it dry, and apply at least one more coat. Let the last coat of polyurethane dry at least 24 hours.

14. Peel the painter's tape off the newel posts and balusters.

Tips & Warnings

• If your handrail is fastened to a wall, tape newspaper to the wall behind the rail, tape off the bracket hardware and refinish the rail following the same steps.

• Stain can permanently discolor painted surfaces and clothing.

References

• True Value: Refinish Your Wood Furniture