What we walk into in Toronto
Victorian and Edwardian houses in the west end, mid-century bungalows in North York, glass condos downtown, and heritage estates in Rosedale and Forest Hill. Each needs a different assembly.
Solid white oak on wood joists, engineered over concrete condos, stair retreads in 3-storey semis, and porch restorations on Parkdale and High Park Victorians.
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 Toronto keeps calling us for
- Forest Hill heritage restorations
- King West / Yorkville condo installs
- Rosedale inlays and borders
- West-end stair and railing packages
Work near Toronto
Forest Hill heritage restoration
Complete restoration of 1920s quarter-sawn white oak. Hand-worked finish, custom walnut stain.
King West penthouse herringbone
2,400 sq ft engineered European oak in herringbone over radiant heat.
Railings in Toronto — questions
Looking for the full service detail rather than the Toronto view? Hardwood Railings covers method, materials, and warranty. For everything we do in this city, see hardwood flooring in Toronto.