Service

Stair Refinishing

Stairs are the most-touched wood in a house and the least forgiving to refinish. Nearly all of it is hand work.

Refinished oak stair treads with painted white risers and a stained handrail

There is no machine that refinishes a staircase. Every tread is sanded by hand into corners a sander cannot reach, and every nosing has to be shaped back without losing its profile.

It is slow, quiet work, and it changes the feel of an entryway more than almost anything else you can do to a house.

What this includes

  • Treads

    Sanded flat, edges and corners worked by hand, and finished with a system rated for the heaviest traffic in the home.

  • Risers

    Stripped and refinished natural, or prepped and painted for the classic white-riser look.

  • Nosings and returns

    Profiles preserved rather than rounded off, including mitered returns on open stringers.

  • Handrails and balusters

    Handrails stripped and refinished, balusters and newels refinished or painted as the design calls for.

How the work goes

  1. 01

    Assess the staircase

    Tread thickness, prior finishes, carpet damage, staple holes, loose treads, and squeaks.

  2. 02

    Tighten first

    Structural movement is corrected before any finish work begins.

  3. 03

    Hand sand

    Progressive grits by hand and with detail sanders, working corners and profiles carefully.

  4. 04

    Sample the color

    Stairs frequently need a slightly different stain than the adjoining floor to read as a match.

  5. 05

    Finish in stages

    We schedule coats so the household keeps access — usually alternating treads.

In-home consultations

Ready to Transform Your Hardwood Floors?

Whether you're restoring original hardwoods, installing new flooring, or simply exploring your options, we'd love to help.