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Staircase Refinishing in Bolton
One straight oak flight in Bolton, refinished to natural light oak with a new railing: five days, usable every night, within $6,000 to $7,000.
Quick answer
Most staircase stories online start with carpet. This one didn’t. The stairs were already oak, just old, worn and the wrong colour for the floor beside them, which is the situation where refinishing makes more sense than new treads. Here’s the job from start to finish, and how to tell whether yours is the same kind of staircase. For everything else we do on stairs, see our staircase renovation guide for Toronto.
What was there
One straight flight of oak stairs, worn from years of use. The bigger problem was colour: the stairs no longer matched the floor, so the staircase looked like it belonged to a different house.
Why we refinished instead of fitting new treads
Because the wood was worth keeping. The treads were solid oak and thick enough to sand, so there was no reason to cover them with new treads and risers.
That’s the whole decision, and it’s rarely about price. Refinishing a flight runs about $6,000 to $7,000; recapping it with new treads and risers is about $7,000. When the numbers are that close, what’s under the old finish decides it. Our guide to stair recapping vs refinishing walks through how to tell.
What we did
- Refinished the oak treads to a natural, light oak.
- Replaced the railing, the newel posts and the spindles.
Natural light oak is also what most people ask us for; our stair stain colours guide shows it next to five other looks on real staircases.
How long it took
Five days on site for one straight flight. The flight was off limits while each coat dried, but the family used the stairs every night.
That’s longer than a recap. Fitting new treads and risers usually takes three to four days a flight. Refinishing runs on drying time: nobody walks on a coat while it dries, and the finish coats set the schedule, not the sanding.
What it cost
Every price is fixed in writing after a free measure, with no hourly billing.
Is your staircase the refinishing kind?
It usually is if the treads are solid hardwood, thick enough to sand, and the problem is wear or colour. It usually isn’t if the stairs are carpeted builder-grade wood that was never meant to be seen. Then new hardwood treads and risers go over the top, as in our carpet to hardwood stairs guide.
Not sure which yours are? Send us a photo, or book a free measure and we’ll tell you which one makes sense. We work across Toronto and the GTA, and as far as Wasaga Beach, Niagara Falls and Castleton.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to refinish stairs?
Our Bolton job, one straight flight, took five days on site. The flight was off limits while each coat dried, but the stairs could be used every night. Refinishing takes longer than fitting new treads because each finish coat has to dry.
How much does it cost to refinish stairs?
About $6,000 to $7,000 a flight in Toronto and the GTA. The Bolton job came in within that range. Every price is fixed in writing after a free measure.
Is refinishing stairs cheaper than new treads?
Not by much. Refinishing runs about $6,000 to $7,000 a flight and recapping with new treads and risers about $7,000, so choose on what the existing stairs are made of, not on price.
Can you refinish stairs to match a new floor?
Often, if the treads are solid hardwood and thick enough to sand. We stain a sample on the tread wood and check it against your floor first.
Can you replace the railing when you refinish the stairs?
Yes. On the Bolton job we refinished the treads and replaced the railing, newel posts and spindles in the same visit.
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