Stair Sanding Focuses on the Treads — Not the Entire Staircase
When people look at updating their staircase, there is often confusion about what is actually sanded and polished.
A common assumption is that the entire staircase is refinished as one unit. In Floor Sanding Brisbane projects involving staircases, professional sanding focuses on the treads only.
The treads are the horizontal surfaces you walk on. This includes the full surface of the step as well as the front edge, known as the nosing. The nosing is part of the same timber piece and is sanded and polished as one continuous surface.
These are the high-wear areas of the staircase and the parts that benefit most from a professional sanding and coating process.
The other components of the staircase are different.
Risers are the vertical boards between each step. Side stringers are the structural boards that run up along the wall.
These areas are not sanded and polished as part of a stair refinishing job.
Instead, they are typically painted.
Understanding this separation is important, because it directly affects the order of work.
During stair sanding, there will always be minor disturbance to adjacent surfaces such as risers and side stringers. For that reason, any painting should be carried out after the treads have been sanded and polished, not before.
If these surfaces are painted beforehand, they will almost always need to be redone once sanding is complete.
The correct sequence is straightforward.
First, the treads are sanded back to bare timber and professionally coated. This process includes the full tread surface and the nosing, ensuring a consistent and durable finish across every step.
Once the sanding and coating is complete, the risers and side stringers are then painted separately by your painter.
Many homeowners choose to paint these areas in white or a colour that matches their skirting boards. This creates a clean contrast with the timber treads and is a common outcome across both modern and traditional staircase designs.
By keeping the sanding and painting processes separate, the final result is cleaner, more durable, and avoids unnecessary rework.
At Floor Pty Ltd, stair sanding is focused on delivering a precise, high-quality finish on the parts of the staircase that take the most wear. Keeping that scope clear ensures the result performs properly and looks exactly as intended.
Mark Jolley is the founder of Floor Pty Ltd, based in Brisbane, and has specialised exclusively in professional floor sanding and polishing since March 1991. With over 35 years of hands‑on experience, Mark is recognised as an industry leader in UV‑cured polyurethane systems, pioneering their use locally since 2017.
Having restored thousands of timber floors across Brisbane and nearby areas, Mark’s work is defined by precision, durability, and a refined Matt/Satin finish that delivers a natural, timeless appearance.
Floor Pty Ltd is trusted for both residential and commercial floor sanding and polishing, with UV‑cured polyurethane providing a tough, commercial‑grade finish that allows floors to be used immediately — helping homes and businesses get back to normal faster.
Stairs with a Hamptons‑Style Finish
Stair Sanding Focuses on the Treads — Not the Entire Staircase
When people look at updating their staircase, there is often confusion about what is actually sanded and polished.
A common assumption is that the entire staircase is refinished as one unit.
In Floor Sanding Brisbane projects involving staircases, professional sanding focuses on the treads only.
The treads are the horizontal surfaces you walk on. This includes the full surface of the step as well as the front edge, known as the nosing. The nosing is part of the same timber piece and is sanded and polished as one continuous surface.
These are the high-wear areas of the staircase and the parts that benefit most from a professional sanding and coating process.
The other components of the staircase are different.
Risers are the vertical boards between each step.
Side stringers are the structural boards that run up along the wall.
These areas are not sanded and polished as part of a stair refinishing job.
Instead, they are typically painted.
Understanding this separation is important, because it directly affects the order of work.
During stair sanding, there will always be minor disturbance to adjacent surfaces such as risers and side stringers. For that reason, any painting should be carried out after the treads have been sanded and polished, not before.
If these surfaces are painted beforehand, they will almost always need to be redone once sanding is complete.
The correct sequence is straightforward.
First, the treads are sanded back to bare timber and professionally coated. This process includes the full tread surface and the nosing, ensuring a consistent and durable finish across every step.
Once the sanding and coating is complete, the risers and side stringers are then painted separately by your painter.
Many homeowners choose to paint these areas in white or a colour that matches their skirting boards. This creates a clean contrast with the timber treads and is a common outcome across both modern and traditional staircase designs.
By keeping the sanding and painting processes separate, the final result is cleaner, more durable, and avoids unnecessary rework.
This process is explained further in our stair sanding and polishing service.
At Floor Pty Ltd, stair sanding is focused on delivering a precise, high-quality finish on the parts of the staircase that take the most wear. Keeping that scope clear ensures the result performs properly and looks exactly as intended.
Floor Pty Ltd
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Mark Jolley
Brisbane Floor Sanding Specialist
Mark Jolley is the founder of Floor Pty Ltd, based in Brisbane, and has specialised exclusively in professional floor sanding and polishing since March 1991. With over 35 years of hands‑on experience, Mark is recognised as an industry leader in UV‑cured polyurethane systems, pioneering their use locally since 2017. Having restored thousands of timber floors across Brisbane and nearby areas, Mark’s work is defined by precision, durability, and a refined Matt/Satin finish that delivers a natural, timeless appearance. Floor Pty Ltd is trusted for both residential and commercial floor sanding and polishing, with UV‑cured polyurethane providing a tough, commercial‑grade finish that allows floors to be used immediately — helping homes and businesses get back to normal faster.
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