Staircases · Renovation
Staircase renovation & refurbishment in Dorset.
New oak treads and risers, balustrades and handrails for the staircase you already have, or a complete new staircase. Surveyed, made in our Poole workshop and fitted by our own joiners.
Most staircases don’t need replacing to look and feel new. The flight is usually sound; it is the treads, the risers and the balustrade that have worn, dated or stopped suiting the house.
We renovate staircases across Poole, Bournemouth and Dorset: new oak treads with painted or oak risers, a new balustrade and handrail, rises put right after a floor has been raised, and, where the old stair is past saving, a complete new staircase.
Every part is drawn for your stair, made in our workshop in Poole and fitted by the same joiners, so one team is responsible from the survey to the final finish.
What we do
Staircase renovationWhen the floor changes, the stair has to follow.
Underfloor heating, a new screed or a thicker floor finish raises the floor at the bottom or top of the stair. The step that meets it ends up shorter or taller than the rest, and that one odd step is the one people trip on.
We measure the whole flight, work out new rises so every step is the same height again, and make the treads and risers to suit. It is part of the same job as new treads, so the stair comes out both even and new.
How a project runs
From photos to the final fit
New staircases
When a flight is past saving, we draw and make a new one: here an open-tread staircase in solid oak, made in our workshop.
Oak staircase · Milford on Sea
Traditional balustrades
Turned spindles, panelled newels and a moulded handrail suit a more traditional house.
Mahogany staircase
Common questions
Staircase renovationCan you renovate my staircase rather than replace it?
Usually, yes. If the flight itself is sound, we can give it new treads and risers, a new balustrade and handrail, or both, and it will look and feel like a new staircase. We check the flight at the survey, and if it is not worth saving we will say so and draw a new one instead.
Our floor has been raised for underfloor heating and the bottom step is now shorter. Can you fix it?
Yes. A new screed, underfloor heating or a thicker floor finish changes the height of the first or last step, so it no longer matches the others. We re-set the rises so every step in the flight is the same height again. Even steps are safer underfoot, and the Building Regulations expect the rises in a flight to be equal.
Should we choose engineered oak or solid oak treads?
Engineered oak treads have a real oak face on a stable core, so they move less and cost less. Solid oak, such as American white oak, is oak all the way through. Both look like oak on the stair. We bring samples of both so you can see the difference before you decide.
Can you replace just the balustrade and handrail?
Yes. A new balustrade changes a staircase more than almost anything else, and the flight can stay as it is. A continuous oak handrail running unbroken up the stair and along the landing, over black metal balusters, is a popular choice; turned or square timber spindles and new newels suit a more traditional house.
Will the new balustrade meet current regulations?
Yes. We draw it to Approved Document K, the part of the Building Regulations that covers stairs and guarding: the handrail at the right height and no gap a 100 mm sphere can pass through.
Do you make complete new staircases as well?
We do: cut-string, closed-string, open-tread and curved staircases in oak, walnut and painted timber, designed and made in our Poole workshop. See our bespoke staircases.
Which areas do you cover?
Poole, Bournemouth, Sandbanks, Canford Cliffs and Branksome Park, and across Dorset, the New Forest and Hampshire. We travel further for the right project.
How do we start?
Send us a few photos of the staircase, with the number of flights and steps if you have them. We come back with a guide price, then visit to survey and talk it through before anything is drawn.
Further reading
Where we work
Staircase renovation for homes in Poole, Sandbanks, Canford Cliffs, Branksome Park and Bournemouth — and across Dorset, the New Forest & Hampshire.
By appointment
Arrange a consultation.
Send us a few photos of your staircase, with the number of flights and steps if you have them. We’ll come back with a guide price, then visit to survey. No obligation.