What we walk into in Hamilton
Durand, Kirkendall, and Strathcona Victorians with original quarter-sawn oak, maple, and pine; dense post-war stock on the mountain; and converted industrial space downtown. Much of it has been rented for decades and abused accordingly.
Deep restoration, patching in salvaged boards, stair rebuilds in tall narrow flights, and refinishing that respects the original grade.
How we specify railings here
- Graspable oak, maple, and walnut profiles, including farmhouse and contemporary
- Box newels, pin-top newels, and metal newel conversions
- Iron, steel, wood, and cable infill — mixed-material stairs done cleanly
- Wall rails on both sides where the code or a toddler requires them
A railing is a piece of millwork you put your full weight on at 11 p.m. If the newel is toe-nailed into a hollow newel block, it will fail. Green Hardwood through-bolts newels into structure, not into trim.
We mill and install hardwood handrails in the same species as the stair, or we specify a painted newel with a clear-finish oak rail — a combination that reads expensive in Forest Hill and stays wipeable in a family house in Burlington.
Ontario requires a graspable handrail and a guard height that depends on the drop. Decorative 2x6 caps with no graspable profile fail inspection. We will not install them. We will show you three profiles that pass and still match the architecture.
Jobs Hamilton keeps calling us for
- Century-home quarter-sawn restoration
- Salvage board patching
- Tall narrow stair rebuilds
Railings in Hamilton — questions
Looking for the full service detail rather than the Hamilton view? Hardwood Railings covers method, materials, and warranty. For everything we do in this city, see hardwood flooring in Hamilton.