A tread can only be sanded so many times, and in older Canton houses it has usually been done at least once already.
- Check first
- How much timber is left above the nosing
- Older treads
- Often refinished before, sometimes twice
- Limit
- Sanding removes material permanently
Every refinish takes a layer off. On a staircase that was laid in the nineteen-twenties and has been sanded twice since, the nosing may already be thin and the fixings closer to the surface than they should be. We check that before quoting, because the honest answer on some old Canton staircases is that the treads have had their last sand and replacement is next.
Where there is timber to work with, refinishing is straightforward and the result on old-growth wood is better than anything you can buy new. The grain is tighter, the colour is deeper, and it takes a stain in a way modern lumber does not.
What we check before quoting
Depth of timber above the nosing
Whether fixings are sitting close to the surface
Evidence of a previous refinish
Whether the treads are finish-grade or construction-grade
Wear pattern down the centre versus the edges