Curved Hardwood Balustrade Restoration in Palos Verdes Estates
About This Project
Curved stairs are where stair work stops being installation and becomes joinery. This Palos Verdes Estates home has a continuously curved flight rising to a curved landing, and the original handrail had cracked at two glue joints after decades of seasonal movement.
A curved handrail cannot be bent from solid stock at this radius without breaking. It has to be laminated — sawn into thin strips, glued, and clamped around a form built to the exact curve of that specific stair. We built the form on site from the actual stringer geometry, laminated in the garage, and hand-shaped the transitions where the rail meets each newel. Every one of those transitions is unique to its position on the curve.
What the Homeowner Needed
Repair a failed curved handrail and damaged balusters without replacing the whole balustrade or losing the original profile.
Challenges on Site
The original balusters were a turned profile no longer manufactured. Rather than replace all forty, we had a matching cutter ground and turned replacements only for the eleven that were damaged, so the balustrade retains most of its original material.
How We Solved It
Site-built lamination form taken from the actual stair geometry, plus a custom-ground cutter to reproduce the discontinued baluster profile.
Project Highlights
- ✓ Handrail laminated on site to the exact radius
- ✓ Custom cutter ground for the original profile
- ✓ 29 of 40 original balusters retained
Common Questions
Can a curved handrail be repaired or does it need replacing?
Usually repaired. Curved rails fail at glue joints rather than through the timber, so a failed joint can often be re-laminated in place. Full replacement is only necessary where the timber itself has split along the grain.
Can you match discontinued baluster profiles?
Yes, by having a cutter ground to the original profile and turning replacements. It is more economical than it sounds when you only need a handful, and it means you keep the original material everywhere else.
Project Overview
A sweeping curved stair where the handrail had to be laminated on site to match a radius nothing off the shelf fits.
Materials & Details
- Laminated White Oak Handrail
- Turned Balusters
- Solid Oak Treads
You cannot tell which balusters are new, and that was the entire point for us.
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