If you’re considering of updating your wood stairs by changing the banisters, it is price spending a while contemplating which timber to make use of. In spite of everything, stairs are a outstanding architectural characteristic which might make a giant distinction to the general appear and feel of your hallway.

Oak staircases, specifically, have gotten more and more in style with residence house owners in search of a premium, sturdy product that will not simply exit of trend.

Oak sources

Strongly related to high quality and luxurious, oak is grown primarily in Europe and North America. The bushes are rigorously nurtured in giant forests and may take as much as 120 years to mature, with solely the most important and finest specimens thought-about appropriate for the development of high-end merchandise equivalent to furnishings, flooring, doorways and staircases. The quantity of effort and time spent on cultivation ensures that oak will at all times stay a premium possibility.

White oak versus pink oak

There are two fundamental teams of oak wooden: pink and white. Each sorts are extraordinarily arduous and sturdy, however white oak is mostly thought-about probably the most fascinating as a result of it matures extra slowly. This produces a straighter, denser grain, making the timber nearly water-tight and extremely immune to rot. For that reason white oak is a sought-after materials to be used in boat-building and out of doors constructions Trappa inomhus.

Crimson oak, being quicker rising and extra plentiful, is a little bit cheaper to provide and has a extra open grain which is vulnerable to swirls and wavy strains. It ought to solely be used for indoor objects equivalent to furnishings and cupboards.

Many residence house owners select white oak somewhat than pink not just for its attractiveness, but additionally as a result of it has fewer variations in color and grain sample. This makes it simpler to match new staircase elements with current white oak fittings equivalent to doorways, flooring and skirting boards to enrich the remainder of the decor.

American white oak is especially in style, with a lighter colouring and decrease manufacturing prices than the European equal. Shades vary from pale yellow-brown to a lightweight tan color. The straight, knot-free grain is good for creating enticing and hard-wearing stair elements equivalent to handrails, newels, base rails and balusters. It additionally accepts wooden remedies very readily, so may be simply stained, varnished, waxed or painted.

Recommendations on becoming oak stair elements

Firstly, white oak is acidic, so is liable to corrode any metals that comprise iron. To keep away from the ensuing bluish discolouration it’s best to solely use non-ferrous fixings equivalent to stainless or zinc-coated (galvanised) screws and brackets when assembling your stair balustrade.

Secondly, as oak is a pure materials it’s more likely to shrink and broaden in keeping with the temperature and moisture content material of the encircling air. For that reason it’s best to at all times go away new oak stair elements to acclimatize within the room the place they’ll be fitted (or someplace shut by with comparable humidity) for not less than 48 hours earlier than set up.

Lastly, if you’re planning to varnish, wax or stain the banister rail, check out a small quantity of the remedy beforehand on a stair element that will not be seen afterwards – the bottom of a spindle, for instance – to be sure you nonetheless like the color after it has dried.