Reviving an Interior Staircase

What to do when your staircase starts showing wear and tear

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It doesn’t take long for an interior staircase to start showing signs of wear and tear. The first sign of trouble usually appears at the nosing, the half-round edge of each tread, where the finish wears through to bare wood. Next, worn spots develop on the top surface of the treads, and scuff marks appear on the risers. And over time, handrails will collect dirt that will dull the finish and create dark smudges.

Fortunately, refinishing a staircase to like-new condition is relatively easy. Here we’ll show how to revive a tired, worn staircase and fortify a wobbly baluster. The key is to tackle these minor fixes before they become major repairs.

Renewing worn stair treads
Take a close look at each tread and you’ll likely find that some are more worn than others. For those that are merely scuffed, stained and lightly scratched, you can often get by with a good cleaning. Treads that are worn through to the bare wood must be sanded and refinished.

To clean treads, start by putting on a pair of heavy-duty rubber gloves, and pour a small amount of paint thinner (mineral spirits) onto the tread. Dip a 0000-grade steel wool pad into the thinner and gently scrub the tread clean (Photo 1). Wipe the surface dry and repeat, if necessary, to remove remaining stains. If you see spots of bare wood, apply a coat of polyurethane varnish.

If a tread is beyond cleaning and needs to be refinished, sand the surface with a random-orbit sander fitted with an 80-grit abrasive disc. Once you’ve removed all of the old finish, vacuum up the dust and wipe the tread clean with a tack cloth or damp rag. Replace the 80-grit disc with a finer 100-grit disc and sand the surface of the tread again.

To remove the finish from the tread’s rounded nosing, use a profile sander equipped with a concave pad and 100-grit sandpaper (Photo 2). If you don’t own a profile sander, use a flexible sponge sander.

To refinish scuffed risers, use the same procedure described above: Clean with steel wool and paint thinner; then sand the surface smooth if necessary. However, instead of using a random-orbit sander, use a quarter-sheet orbital sander (Photo 3); it’s much easier to control on the vertical surface of the risers.

Once you’ve cleaned and sanded the treads and risers, apply a coat of polyurethane varnish to all surfaces with a 3-in.-wide foam brush (Photo 4). Let the finish dry; then lightly hand-sand with 180-grit sandpaper, wipe off the dust and apply a second coat.

Refinishing handrails
The simplest way to refinish a wooden handrail is with a sponge sander, which easily conforms to the shape of the railing. Start by sanding the top of the railing, compressing the sponge to fit the rounded handrail (Photo 5). Next sand the sides of the railing, again using enough pressure to form the sponge to the contoured shape.

After sanding, wipe the handrail with a tack cloth or damp rag. Use a 2-in.-wide foam brush to apply a coat of polyurethane varnish (Photo 6). Wait for the finish to dry; then hand-sand with 180-grit sandpaper, wipe off the dust and brush on a second coat.

Fortifying a wobbly newel post
The newel post anchors the balustrade at the bottom of the staircase. If the post becomes wobbly, it can weaken the handrail and create a dangerous situation. To strengthen a newel post, start by using a 7/8-in.-dia. spade bit to drill a ¾-in.-deep counterbore in the base of the post. Next, drill a ¼-in.-dia. hole into the counterbore and through the post (Photo 7).

Put a washer on a ¼-in.-dia. x 5-in.-long lag screw and insert it into the hole bored in the post (Photo 8). Drive in the screw with a ratchet wrench and 7/16-in. socket. Conceal the screwhead with a ¼-in.-thick plug cut from a 7/8-in.-dia. wooden dowel.

Securing a loose baluster
Handrail balusters (spindles) are typically set into mortises cut in the treads and handrail. Here’s how to fix one that has become loose: Bore a 3/32-in.-dia. pilot hole at an angle through the base of the baluster (Photo 9). Then tap in a 2-in. (6d) finishing nail. Use a nail set to drive the nailhead below the surface (Photo 10).

If the baluster is still a bit loose, drive a second finishing nail through the upper end of the baluster and into the underside of the handrail. Again, be sure to bore a pilot hole first.

Bolstering a baluster
When the upper end of a handrail butts against a wall, there’s usually an oversize wooden mounting plate attached to the end of the railing. Over time, this plate — and the railing — can pull away from the wall. Here’s how to permanently reattach it:

Drill a 1/2-in.-dia. x 1/2-in.-deep counterbore into the mounting plate. Then drill a ¼-in.-dia. screw-shank clearance hole through the plate. Fasten the plate to the wall with a 3-in.-long No. 10 wood screw (Photo 11). Hide the screwhead by gluing a decorative wood button into the hole (Photo 12). Finish the button to match the mounting plate.