Stripped pine bannister - wax it? oil? ...varnish??

[andytx]

Hi all,

We've stripped/sanded our stair bannister (hand-rails, uprights etc) back to bare pine. It's been previously painted, and it's ~35 years old. The finish now is sanded down, and it's a darkish pine colour purely due to its age.

We like the natural wood, and want to finish it with a durable attractive finish that shows off the grain nicely. A complication is that the upright posts are a lighter shade than the horizontal pieces.

Wife likes the paintable wax finishes, or the oil type finishes. I'd prefer to dye the wood slightly, then apply a silk or matt varnish. I have concerns about the durability of waxes and oils. Wife thinks that even the silk finishes are too shiny.

Are the waxes and oils ok? are they durable and stain resistant? or is a matt/silk varnish the best option??

Thanks in advance...

 

[joe-90]

Everybody has a different take on this one.

Personally. I prefer to mix an antique pine stain with something like Danish oil and apply it with steel wool - then polish it up with a rag and forget about it.

It looks good on old pine but you need to experiment a bit.

 

[andytx]

I prefer to mix an antique pine stain with something like Danish oil

Just read a little about this, sound... ok.

Couple of questions. Do you think our kids fingerprints (and possible mess!) would wipe off ok? Also, across the landing, we sometimes hand washing to dry over the banister - would it be likely to mark moist washing?

Ta!

 

[joe-90]

I wouldn't risk hanging washing over stained wood. If you must do that then use a stain followed by an clear oil based varnish topcoat. You can rub it back a bit with steel wool to take the shine off it.

 

[bradleydecorating]

If you are going to hang washing over it, you might be better off painting it with gloss or satinwood paint rather than Danish oil. Or for a waterproof finish, use yacht varnish (matt or satin finish).

 

[andytx]

If you are going to hang washing over it, you might be better off painting it with gloss or satinwood paint rather than Danish oil. Or for a waterproof finish, use yacht varnish (matt or satin finish).

Thanks for that, I think I agree.

Would a paint on wax give a finish suitable for kiddies fingermarks, or hanging washing on?

ps. Happy New Year!

 

[joe-90]

No.