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The Project - Staircase Restoration
Client: Jonathan Smythe | Location: Northcliff, Johannesburg
This project involved the full restoration of a central oak staircase in a 1930s double-storey home in Northcliff. The staircase was original to the property – a substantial piece of craftsmanship that had been painted over several times across the decades and had developed structural problems at a number of the tread-to-stringer connections.
The brief from the owners was to restore the staircase to something close to its original condition: structurally sound, with the timber exposed and finished rather than painted, and the profile and character of the original work preserved as fully as possible.
The Challenges
- Multiple layers of old paint to be removed without damaging the underlying oak profile
- Several tread-to-stringer joints had failed and required disassembly and regluing
- Two spindles were missing and needed to be matched and replaced
- The newel post cap had been damaged and required reconstruction
- The finished staircase needed to integrate with a simultaneous parquet floor restoration in the entrance hall
How We Approached It
The project was assessed in full before any work began. We inspected each structural connection, identified the two missing spindles and the damaged newel post cap, and agreed the scope and sequence of work with the client.
Structural work came first. The failing tread-to-stringer joints were carefully disassembled, cleaned, and reglued. The missing spindles were profiled and turned to match the originals. The newel post cap was reconstructed in oak using period-appropriate dimensions and profile.
Once the structure was sound, stripping began. The multiple paint layers were removed using a combination of chemical stripping agents and careful hand tools – heat guns were avoided to protect the oak grain. The process was slow but necessary: rushing the stripping stage on painted hardwood risks tearing the grain and compromising the finish.
With the timber fully stripped and prepared, sanding was carried out in stages – from coarse through to fine – before staining and sealing. The finish sequence was agreed with the client in advance, with a test patch applied and approved before full application.
The Outcome
The completed staircase is structurally sound, consistent with the original profile and character of the property, and finished in a way that integrates naturally with the restored parquet floor in the entrance hall below.
The paint layers that had accumulated over eighty-odd years are gone. The oak grain is visible again. The missing and damaged components have been replaced with work that is indistinguishable from the original. The structure will require no remedial attention for the foreseeable future – and properly maintained, should outlast anyone currently living in the house.
What the Client Said
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Before & After
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