Period Staircase Restoration in Stroud

The Brief

A period property in Stroud had a staircase that had reached the end of its life. It creaked badly underfoot, several treads were worn through years of use, the spindles had worked loose, and both the handrail and newel post had gone tired and a little wobbly. The owner had assumed the whole stair would need ripping out and replacing with a brand new flight. Mark went out, spent time on it properly, and gave an honest assessment: the core structure was sound and there was real character worth keeping. Rather than start from scratch, the right answer was to repair and partly rebuild it, keeping the original feel of the house while making it solid and safe to use again.

What We Did

Our work included:

• Surveyed the staircase: Checked the strings, treads, risers, spindles and handrail to work out exactly what could be saved and what genuinely needed replacing, then talked the owner through the plan and the cost before any work started.
• Cured the creaks and movement: Tracked down the sources of the creaking and the flex underfoot, refixed and packed the loose joints so the stair felt firm again from top to bottom.
• Replaced the worn treads and risers: Carefully removed the treads and risers that were past saving and fitted new timber to match, keeping the lines and proportions in keeping with the original stair.
• Fitted new spindles: Replaced the loose and tired spindles with new ones in the same style, fixed firmly so the balustrade no longer moved when leant on.
• Restored the handrail and newel post: Refixed and tightened the handrail and newel post so they were solid to hold and back to doing their job, retaining the original character of the joinery.
• Finished ready for decoration: Left the new and restored timber prepared and ready for the owner's decorator to paint or stain to match the rest of the property.
• Tidied up and handed over: Cleared the work area, removed all old timber and offcuts, and walked the owner over the finished staircase.

The Result

A staircase that is solid and safe to use, with no creaks, no movement and a balustrade that holds firm. Just as importantly, the original character of the period property has been kept rather than lost to a generic replacement flight. By repairing and partly rebuilding rather than replacing the whole staircase, the owner saved a considerable amount against the cost of a full new stair. It is the sort of honest, tidy work that turns first-time customers into people who call Mark back for the next job.

Job Duration: Approximately three days from the initial survey through to the final tidy and handover.

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