How To Fix A Loose Wooden Banister

Below, Andy Fenton-Coopland from bespoke staircase specialists Reginald Coopland shares his top tips for fixing loose spindles.

Andy shares his advice on:

How to prepare a loose wooden spindle to a base track or handrail groove
How to fix a loose metal spindle to a wooden tread or base rail
What's the all-time manner to install new spindles to a banister?
How much does it cost to install new spindles?
What's the near toll effective style to renovate a staircase?

How to ready a loose wooden spindle to a base track or handrail groove

"Nailing down through the side of the spindle in two places usually works for a spindle that's fitted into a base rail or handrail groove.

"You want to blast through at approximately 45 degrees to make sure you take a good amount of boom through the spindle and into the base rails or handrail."

Andy explains that there's a difference betwixt fixing softwood and hardwood spindles:

"This technique will probable simply piece of work if it's a softwood spindle as you would need a nail gun for a hardwood spindle. Alternatively, yous would have to drill a modest pilot hole through the spindle into the base rail for the blast to travel into for the fixing."

"Yous can hands choose a drill to match your blast—only brand sure the drill size is slightly smaller than the nail existence used, then the nail will sit tightly through the hole and keep the spindle secure."

Andy also shares his communication on securing a loose spindle to a handrail or base of operations rail in five simple steps.

Take a i.5" blast (oval-headed blast would exist suitable.) Gently tap the smash into the spindle at a 45‑caste angle, keeping the hammer away from hitting the spindle. Accept your time and if you curve the nail don't exist afraid of pulling it back out and trying once again with a new 1.
When the nail gets too close into the corner of the spindle base track, y'all will demand to use a blast punch to get the boom through into the spindle. A hollow/concave ended nail punch will be most suitable for this to cease it slipping off the nail head. Over again, with this method, gently borer the blast will help accurateness with your hammer and nail punch.

If the spindles are hardwood, y'all can drill a airplane pilot hole with a drill bit simply smaller than the size of the nail to brand sure the blast fits tightly into the hole and holds the spindle steady.
If the spindle is painted, information technology'due south possible to utilise a drill with a countersink pilot drill.

Drilling down at a 45-degree angle will assistance make sure the countersink scrap will but cut in to the spindle. Take a screw (typically a three.0x35mm or 3.5x35mm good-quality spiral volition do) and make sure the countersink drill bit you are using accommodates this size of screw. This is piece of cake to see as if yous put the screw and the drill side by side—the screw should exist slightly bigger than the drill to allow the screw to bite into the wood.
Tighten the screw to secure the spindle into the handrail or base track as needed.
You can then apply a suitable two-part wood filler to fill the pigsty. Lightly sand off the excess and and then touch up the pigment with a modest pigment brush.

How to fix a loose metal spindle to a wooden tread or base rail

"Fixing a metal spindle with a purpose-made bracket tin can exist quick and like shooting fish in a barrel if the securing chow spiral is present. Tighten this to secure the loose spindle."

Unfortunately, the chow spiral may non always be present. In this example, Andy suggests the following:

Remove a grub spiral from some other spindle and take this to a local fixings supplier to go the tread and length matched.
Your other choice is to inject a small amount of a good-quality MS polymer clear glue with a silicon or decorator's caulk gun. Either insert the gum circular the spindle betwixt the bracket and the spindle, or down the grub screw hole. Wipe off whatsoever backlog mucilage with suitable gum or silicone cleaning wipes. It's best to use a clear glue as this is the most probable to blend into the staircase installation.

What'south the all-time mode to install new spindles to a banister?

Andy recommends starting from scratch when installing new spindles to a banister: "The best way to install new spindles to a staircase is to replace the handrail and base rail to conform the new spindles.

"This may initially seem like an extra toll, merely in the long run prepping an existing handrail and base runway to take new spindles can be quite fourth dimension-consuming and sometimes incommunicable without installing extra trims or beadings and so on.

"Installing the new handrail and base of operations rail will give y'all a much neater and more professional terminate with the parts plumbing fixtures together as they are designed to."

How much does it price to install new spindles?

There's no right answer to this question unfortunately as there are then many unlike factors to consider and such a huge variation in stair office styles and fittings.

Andy explains: "Having spent 23 years installing staircase parts mainly to existing staircases, I tin truthfully say that it'south impossible to put even a wide effigy on how much installing new spindles costs.

"Because in that location are so many unlike styles of houses done by and so many different people, there are numerous factors affecting the amount of piece of work involved. And these volition alter depending on the style of house and staircase, and the staircase parts that need to be installed."

If you accept a clear thought of what you lot want, getting an accurate quote volition be much easier. Andy says: "It's entirely possible for someone with a lot of experience to give someone an accurate figure of cost for a renovation, provided they have a specific thought of parts available and some images of the staircase to be renovated."

What's the near cost effective manner to renovate a staircase?

"There are now so many parts bachelor to renovate your existing staircase that you can become a real quick and effective facelift by leaving existing newel posts in place and replacing the handrails and base of operations rails. The next stride is to replace the existing spindles with glass panels or new spindles for a completely new look."

If you're keen to fit spindles yourself, Andy recommends going for white primed staircase parts as the about toll-effective solution. "White primed staircase parts offer the DIY installer a actually cost-effective fashion of lifting an existing staircase. If yous're looking for something a footling more unique, and then just add together oak handrails and oak newel postal service caps to the renovation for actress item."

If you're looking to supervene upon a spindle, you can view our full range of spindles and buy online here.

To find out more about staircase spindles, visit the page Your guide to spindles—types, materials, styles, fitting and maintenance.