We show you how to repair a timber handrail by fixing and sealing joints, then sanding and painting timber.
“Wood exposed to the elements wont last long and this handrail has taken a bit of a battering. Now I could replace it but a bit of timber this long would be pretty expensive and I reckon there’s a bit of life left in this one yet.
Now first thing, lets have a look at this corner. Now to get this looking like new, I’m going to clean it out, fill it with some construction adhesive and pull it together with a 75mm galvanised screw.
Using the construction adhesive in a caulking gun, I’m going to fill the mitre joint and pull it together. Now when you pull it together you might have some excess adhesive come up so you can just scrape it away and we can get busy cleaning up the rest of the rail.
I’m going to scrape off the loose flakes and then I can get stuck into it with a belt sander.
Where the surface of the wood has split, I’m going to fill it with builder’s bog, which will protect it for a very long time.
Now the bog’s dry, I’m ready to go over it with an orbital sander with fine grit paper, just smooth it off all ready for painting.
When painting bare or weathered timber, it’s important to prime the wood before you paint it. Here I’m using a 3-in-1 primer, sealer and undercoat that’s water-based that dries fast so I can put the top coat on quicker.
Because I used water-based base coat, I’m going to use a water-based top coat. And because we’re outside, I’m going to use an exterior paint, and I’m going to use two coats.
With a little bit of time and effort we’ve got a handrail that will last a few more years.
I’m Chris from Handyman Magazine Hints and Tips, job done.”