Thank you!

My husband works in new construction so we worked with the other Subcontractors he works with. In new homes the carpenter builds the stairs and the painter stains them.

So we had the carpenter he works with build our stairs and the painter stain them.

Lesson learned!

SJ McCarthy, sounds like you know your wood…any chance I can get your feedback? I purchased unfinished white oak newel posts and handrails for install, problem is, after searching for tips of staining white oak to stay true to the unfinished appearance, there is no clear direction…I have never worked with wood before and almost ready to just go with all white posts and rails and call it a day. But, if there’s a chance something could work I would love to attempt it. Thanks!

Water based polyurethane. Water based polyurethane. And if you are questioning the finish, water based polyurethane.

White Oak needs a sealant to STOP tannin pull (colour in the wood floats to the surface = yellow/green colour.

Who's doing the work?

Me, I am staining/finishing😶 a professional is installing but the contractor wanted $700 to stain and that is just too high…though bow I realize it’s because staining is a PAIN…

I always ask my clients how much money they place on their own time and sanity. To get the raw look on white oak, you need to learn 50% of the wood finishing industry. You need to know how to sand, why sand, and WHEN to sand between coats. That's where you get to start. You get to read and PRACTICE everything you need to learn about sanding. You will go out and purchase all the sanding blocks/tools/etc to practice, practice, practice. Give yourself 1 week for this. Remember to purchase white oak to practice on.

You then need to understand the wood you have chosen. White Oak is a little tricky in that it has TANNINS that pull to the surface. First things first: what are tannins? And why should that concern you? Go ahead and dive into that topic. Give yourself about a weeks worth of searching the internet.

Now you have the ACTUAL product you WANT to use. Wood finishes come in two varieties. Flooring and cabinetry. Flooring finishes are different from cabinetry and trim finishes. The flooring stuff has a tendency to DRIP. Which is SUPER UPSETTING if the refinisher uses it on handrails and newel posts.

You will need to learn about PRIMERS. White Oak needs a primer when left in the RAW colour. That is to say, UNSTAINED (no colour added). Good. Now we move onto the finish itself. Many cabinetry finishes need multiple coats over several days/weeks.

What would you PAY yourself if you had to learn an entire industry over 2-4 weeks? Is it as low as $700 (that's $25 per DAY over 28 days...just sayin').

Whew. For $700 I would say, "Yah. Not worth my time."

It is up to you. Just make sure your refinisher can show you what RAW wood-look is to him/her. Many LOVE to see strong yellow in their finishes.

As I was reading this my fears are confirmed that the $700 price tag is because it takes mastery and knowledge to achieve what I want. That being said, and first, thank you for taking the time! You clearly know your stuff. A local wood worker referred me to my local Miller Paint, the gentleman there said I could bring a sample piece and they would layer the finish for me (and I assume properly condition and sand between), then if I like a finish I can purchase and follow their steps to the actual proves myself 🤷‍♀️ still crazy or do able? Just from a professional point of view? I do not want a DIY look when completed, I want an elevated look. Not willing to do myself if it’s not recommend by a pro like yourself. I believe if not recommended I will purchase pine or something and just have it painted a nice white to match my trim. I am slowly “elevating” my builder grade 1998 home. Maybe I can achieve my overall “elevated” feel without the real white oak on railing and posts. Any last thoughts there?

I would go ahead and work with the your local paint shop. Might as well. Nothing lost there. Get them to make up your match and THEN decide if the look/work is good enough for your needs.

If you do NOT like the sample (because you took it home and laid it against your floors for several days) then you KNOW you can pay the $700 and have the railing done as you want. If you are looking to elevate the look of your home, a stair case is a great place to put your money. But if $700 is out of your budget, it might just mean that your wish is not in the cards.

Either way, I would go ahead and get the local paint store to do up the sample. Remember: a little darker is fine. Just like using slightly darker thread when sewing a garment, a snick darker is OK. In fact many people like to have their stained wooden trim a little darker than there floors. It really makes things pop. By darker I mean 25% darker...not even a full step.

How long will it take you to switch out the handrail AGAIN? Another 23 years? Right. Ask yourself if you want to wait another 23 years to bring in the white oak vs. spending the $700.

Thank you for your expert advise. Shooting for success with the paint store guys…very small sample of scrap from handrail but can’t find any white oak for sale to mess with. The stair guy I had for the bid with $700 for the stain job ended up having odd communication and didn’t feel I would trust him, he also complained about jobs with staining….so not an option now. Fingers crossed about the paint store and I like the idea of being ok with a smock darker if it ends up the way. Real wood after all is so coveted for its character👌🏻