Using a stainless steel or brass brush, scrub back and forth to get the varnish out of the crevices and grooves in the moulding, just be sure to brush with the grain of the wood. The first time I did this on a 4 poster bed that had a lot of carving, I was so worried that this would scratch the wood surface, but it does not! Brushing back and forth with the grain of the wood will remove any remaining varnish. I do like to repeat this step and apply a second layer of stripper, let it sit 15 minutes just to make sure that all of the varnish is removed. Unlike paint, varnish is a little more difficult to see if it is all removed and you will know if it’s not all removed when you go to reapply your finish and the stain does not stick in certain areas.
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Wow! It’s crazy how this project completely transformed the way your stairs and living room! I received a quote from a local refinisher for banister refinishing, but after seeing your process it seems like a doable DIY project!
Thank you Sarah. It is really a project you can do yourself. Just beside to set aside the time you will need. It took me about a week. Of course I didn’t work on it all day long, just an hour or 2 each day. Good luck with your project.
Thanks for pointing out that custom railing designs can be refinished well using a bonding primer. That info will come in handy someday because I’d like to be able to find a contractor to install new railings in my home soon. Having a smaller gap in them will make them a lot safer for my kids.
You bet. Thanks for visiting our site and for your comment. Good luck with your railing in the future.
could you do this process without removing the railing and newel posts?
Thanks for visiting our site Stacey. That’s a great question. In fact, that’s what I planned on doing, but when we pulled off the moulding at the lower edge to install our new floor I saw that the balusters would just slide out. I have stripped off the finish all the parts before, but since I was planning on painting the balusters, they just needed a good bonding primer, then paint. If you don’t want to remove paint from the baluster pieces mask them off when stripping the pieces your want to strip. Good luck on your project! Please share how it turned out.
Hi! It’s beautiful!! What white paint and finish did you use for the spindles?
Thank you Kat! I used Behr Marque Paint & Primer in a semi-gloss finish. The color was custom matched to my kitchen cabinets.
Thanks for all your efforts that you have put in this. very interesting info .
I think I’ll hire someone to install some wood railings on the second floor of my home. That’s the part that I need to secure with railings because I’m planning to put some stairs on it that will lead up to the attic, and I’m planning to make it another room that I can use one day. Thanks for the insight that I can use a traditional finish to stain the wood with should I decide to do so.
Good luck with your project Angela. Adding more square footage is a great investment for your home. Let us know how it all turns out.
How did you adhere/attach the spindles to the floor and railing?
Thank you Marsha for your inquiry. On the top part of my railing it is recessed and the top of the spindle just slides into position. Once the spindle was positioned on top I pushed it in-between the wood pieces that were already nailed down that separate each spindle. Then a piece of moulding was nailed across the entire length of the railing securing all of the spindles in place. So there was no need to glue or nail each spindle. The 4th photo on the blog post shows an up close view of the moulding piece that we nailed on that secured all of the spindles. I hope this helps.