Caring for your timber staircase
Timber staircases add a touch of character to homes, lightening up your hallways and offering up a sturdy but stylish finish.
As a hardy material, it’ll last a lifetime and beyond. And there are a number of things you can do to keep it looking like new year after year.
You can paint it whichever colour you like to fit in with its surroundings or leave it in its natural state to show off its raw beauty. But either way, you’ll need to care for it to deal with the daily footfall and protect it from becoming damaged. Here are some of our top tips for caring for your wooden staircase:
Protect your timber
It’s important to treat your staircase to protect it from the daily wear and tear it will take as one of the most used access routes of your home.
If you’re not carpeting the stairs, you should apply oil or varnish as soon as possible. You don’t want any permanent marks or stains appearing when you’ve just had your stairs installed.
Oil is used to help the timber from drying out and helps preserves the high-quality appearance. This should be used everywhere – from the steps to the spindles to the handrails, make sure you find every nook and cranny. It’s advisable to have two coats. We stock a wide range of Treatex Hardwax Oil which caters for all types of wood.
Varnish can be applied to give your staircase a clear, shiny look, or even one with a little hint of colour. What’s more, it will also help to protect it from little knocks which occur in everyday life. When applying it, make sure the surface is clean and free of any dirt. Again, you can apply two coats.
After oiling or varnishing your stairs, you can add some further protection through waxing. This will help add another layer of shine, which you can polish up every month or so to keep it in top condition.
Keep your wood clean
Like anything new, you’ll want to keep it looking good for as long as possible. However, wood has one persistent adversary – dust, which accumulates quickly and is noticeable to the eye. For this reason, wood surfaces require regular cleaning to keep the wood looking slick and shiny.
Simple cleaning techniques like wiping your staircase down with a damp cloth and polishing up any finish will help to maintain your new pride and joy and keep it looking fresh for longer.
Take your shoes off
Whether it’s house rules or not, taking off your shoes when travelling up and down a timber staircase is a good habit to get into. Hard treads can wear down any protection placed on the stairs, meaning more treatment is needed over time. Heeled shoes particularly could cause damage to a wooden staircase.