Edwardian balustrades

[gareth]

Hello,

I am about to start decorating the hall stairs and landing and the balustrades are in need of some repair and I am after some information/advice about balustrades in an Edwardian house.

I am not sure if the ones I have now are original or not- they are square section and natural wood that I think has previously been painted.

I don't know what original Edwardian balustrades would look like. Would they be painted, left natural, round section, square section, etc?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Gareth

 

[Gareth Hughes]

Hello,

I am about to start decorating the hall stairs and landing and the balustrades are in need of some repair and I am after some information/advice about balustrades in an Edwardian house.

I am not sure if the ones I have now are original or not- they are square section and natural wood that I think has previously been painted.

I don't know what original Edwardian balustrades would look like. Would they be painted, left natural, round section, square section, etc?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Gareth

A photo would help.

In all probability they'd have been painted (perhaps even grained to look like a more expensive wood), unless they are of a "show" timber (rather than pine).

Square section is not unknown for the period but it depends a bit on the overall grandeur of the house, etc.

 

[gareth]

See pictures

http://s204.photobucket.com/albums/bb75/wahshterag/?mediafilter=images

Gareth

 

[Nemesis]

They look pretty original and rather attractive to me. Looks as though the banister irail tself might be mahogany and would have been unpainted, as maybe was the newel post? That's hard to tell from the pics.

The other parts look a different wood and I suspect would have been painted from new.

 

[gareth]

The banister and newl post show no signs of painting (except the underside of the banister) and I intend to keep them as they are.

I think I will try to paint a spindle to see how it looks. The only problem I have is that one is broken and I am not sure if I can find a replacement, but that's a different challenge!

Gareth

 

[Nemesis]

Is it totally missing? If not a repair might be possible.