Replace Balustrade on 1950's Plasterboarded Stairs

[DaveFix]

I would like to improve the appearance of this 1950's ex-council staircase.



I've explored beneath the plasterboard but there's nothing of beauty hiding there. So I want to rip it all out and replace with an elegant varnished wood.

It looks like I can only run a handrail and spindles up as far as the ground floor ceiling. I would prefer to run them all the way up to the top newel post - how would that be possible here?

Also, I wouldn't want to keep the stringers painted. If I replaced them with varnished wood, is it usually difficult to find the right size (spacing of steps)?

EDIT: Just discovered stringers are structural, so will probably not remove them.

 

[Tigercubrider]

If you are reasonably competent at DIY it’s quite satisfying. The question of the bend can be sorted with two very short 90° bends that will jink the rail over by pretty much the handrail width. Probably best to see the components in person to get an idea. You obviously wouldn’t have the spindles and the stairs would be narrowed a bit where the handrail tucks in. Wall brackets are available.

there are kits of hardwood and glorified laminate to clad the existing stair risers and treads. Or strip off any paint and stain the wood if it looks ok

 

[martygturner]

You can shove anything in there just use a Newel post anchor kit, we use a demountable one and canted one's each end of the handrail so we can get beds and furniture up our tight stairs, just make the spindles in a box so you can lift them out ie fix the spindles to a rail top and bottom so they are a one piece.

https://www.stairpartsuk.com/stair-...olts/newel-post-fastener-newel-post-bolt.html

 

[Deleted member 174758]

It looks like I can only run a handrail and spindles up as far as the ground floor ceiling. I would prefer to run them all the way up to the top newel post - how would that be possible here?

Dog leg the handrail part way down (two mitre joints, preferably at obtuse angles to avoid a sharp edge)

EDIT: Just discovered stringers are structural, so will probably not remove them.

Probably? You CAN'T remove them! The treads and risers are fixed into ther stringers using wedges - without the risers you have no stairs! The best way to get a polished wooden stair the way you want is to replace the stairs.

You might want to consider overcladding with laminate or engineered wood (for the treads and risers). Making hardwood cover slips and top cappings for the stringers is possible, but it is a skilled and time-consuming job which can easily go wrong

 

[DaveFix]

I found this on Rightmove from an identically-built house up the road which was renovated and sold a few years ago.

I'm not sure what they did with the handrail where it meets the half newel post, looks like it was notched?

Image quality is not great, but the posts look a slightly out of alignment. Would that look okay, or is it a big no-no?

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Not notched, possibly the handrail finishes into a housing (recess) in the newel post, although they may just have moved the handrail over to the right side of the stairs only and dispensed with one on the left.

When introducing a newel post the bottom of the new newel post is generally halving jointed onto the adjacent joist or trimmer tland bolted in place which resists any tendency to twist.

I can't see the floor, but I suspect that there might possibly be a single, full size "step" (a quarter landing) at the top of the stairs which might explain why the newel post is offset

 

[DaveFix]

That house was a clone of mine, so it doesn't have a quarter landing.

I bought these newel posts and a box of 40 spindles several years ago.

So I will need to find a matching half newel. I'm guessing the wood is pine? Can good results be achieved by staining pine to look more of a light oak? I think I will give this project a go.

 

[martygturner]

Its pine , like any wood you can do whatever you want to it, matt it, lime wash it, gloss it, stain it , burn it etc etc. But pls for the love of god strip back the stairs first to see what you have , carpet up, sides off... then go an buy what fits not what you think fits...measure twice do once. ?

 

[Deleted member 174758]

The wood is pine. Staining doesn't change the grain of the wood, only the colour.

 

[DaveFix]

Had to delay this a while due to the Homes 4 Ukraine program, but I'm on the case again.

I've decided on an oak and glass balustrade.

Tested part of a stringer with several rounds of paint remover, uncovering at least 6 shades so far. I'd prefer to give up with that and cover the stringers in a roll of oak veneer - by cutting the veneer triangularly at the points shown in the photo. Then removing that old 90° beading strip and capping the stringer with something wider in real oak.

I've worked out I'll need a 3m roll of 250mm wide costing around £45 for the two stringers. I appreciate the oak veneer won't look great split into sections - mainly due to the grain not being consistent. Has anyone done this before - did it look okay and was it worth it?

 

[DaveFix]

I've removed the plasterboard panels. Unfortunately it doesn't have any newel posts.

I'll be adding 115mm posts. Will it be rigid enough if I just cut a slot in the base of the post to sandwich the stringer, or will I also need to cut a square slot in the first step and push the post through?

 

[Tigercubrider]

I replaced the cut down newel inherited when the previous owner thought "handrails are for sissies".
It was only about 12" high.

Certainly at that time my DIY woodwork skills were minimal, and I had way fewer tools but managed to hand cut a slot to install the newel over the stringer. It was a mix of drilled holes with a spade bit, chiselling and luck. As I wanted to hide all the screws I cut some dowels out of the newel base off cut by basic whittling and also made a couple of pegs to sandwich the newel to the stringer.

It is still as solid as a rock.

By the sound of it you have better skills than me, and probably better tools like a router or plunge saw so it's possible;

 

[DaveFix]

Thanks Tiger, though my limited experience working with wood has always been something where I can fill and paint over the end result. This will be my first time working with natural woodgrain so it's a bit daunting and need to go slowly.

I'm planning to have two large glass panels which will be extremely heavy. So think I'll need to cut through the first step, then drill through the concrete floor below, and bed the newel in fresh concrete or epoxy resin?

 

[DaveFix]

I've noticed each step has a 90° beading strip under the lip. I'd like to remove these because I have light strips to go there after the carpet is laid. Were these strips usually done to reduce creaking - or just for aesthetics reasons?

 

[IJWS15]

What is supporting the end of the stringer?

Suggest you strip out everything underneath the stairs bar the stairs themselves so you can see what you have, the stringers are the load bearing structure so should really be sat on the floor. When you can see how the stairs themselves are constructed it will tell you what you need to do.

We did ours a few years ago and replaced all the newels but that was done by taking the stairs out completely which you may not be able to do.