How to fix a loose stair spindle

Below, Andy Fenton-Coopland from bespoke staircase specialists Reginald Coopland shares his top tips for fixing loose spindles.

Andy shares his advice on:

• How to fix a loose wooden spindle to a base rail or handrail groove
• How to fix a loose metal spindle to a wooden tread or base rail
• What’s the best way to install new spindles to a banister?
• How much does it cost to install new spindles?
• What’s the most cost effective way to renovate a staircase?

How to fix a loose wooden spindle to a base rail or handrail groove

“Nailing down through the side of the spindle in two places usually works for a spindle that’s fitted into a base rail or handrail groove.

“You want to nail through at approximately 45 degrees to make sure you have a good amount of nail through the spindle and into the base rail or handrail.”

Andy explains that there’s a difference between fixing softwood and hardwood spindles:

“This technique will likely only work if it’s a softwood spindle as you would need a nail gun for a hardwood spindle. Alternatively, you would have to drill a small pilot hole through the spindle into the base rail for the nail to travel into for the fixing.”

“You can easily choose a drill to match your nail—just make sure the drill size is slightly smaller than the nail being used, so the nail will sit tightly through the hole and keep the spindle secure.”

Andy also shares his advice on securing a loose spindle to a handrail or base rail in five simple steps.

1. Take a 1.5” nail (oval-headed nail would be suitable.) Gently tap the nail into the spindle at a 45‑degree angle, keeping the hammer away from hitting the spindle. Take your time and if you bend the nail don’t be afraid of pulling it back out and trying again with a new one.
2. When the nail gets too close into the corner of the spindle base rail, you will need to use a nail punch to get the nail through into the spindle. A hollow/concave ended nail punch will be most suitable for this to stop it slipping off the nail head. Again, with this method, gently tapping the nail will aid accuracy with your hammer and nail punch.

• If the spindles are hardwood, you can drill a pilot hole with a drill bit just smaller than the size of the nail to make sure the nail fits tightly into the hole and holds the spindle steady.
• If the spindle is painted, it’s possible to use a drill with a countersink pilot drill.

3. Drilling down at a 45-degree angle will help make sure the countersink bit will only cut in to the spindle. Take a screw (typically a 3.0x35mm or 3.5x35mm good-quality screw will do) and make sure the countersink drill bit you are using accommodates this size of screw. This is easy to see as if you put the screw and the drill side by side—the screw should be slightly bigger than the drill to allow the screw to bite into the wood.
4. Tighten the screw to secure the spindle into the handrail or base rail as needed.
5. You can then use a suitable two-part wood filler to fill the hole. Lightly sand off the excess and then touch up the paint with a small paint brush.

How to fix a loose metal spindle to a wooden tread or base rail

“Fixing a metal spindle with a purpose-made bracket can be quick and easy if the securing grub screw is present. Tighten this to secure the loose spindle.”

Unfortunately, the grub screw may not always be present. In this case, Andy suggests the following:

• Remove a grub screw from another spindle and take this to a local fixings supplier to get the tread and length matched.
• Your other option is to inject a small amount of a good-quality MS polymer clear glue with a silicon or decorator’s caulk gun. Either insert the glue round the spindle between the bracket and the spindle, or down the grub screw hole. Wipe off any excess glue with suitable glue or silicone cleaning wipes. It’s best to use a clear glue as this is the most likely to blend into the staircase installation.

What’s the best way to install new spindles to a banister?

Andy recommends starting from scratch when installing new spindles to a banister: “The best way to install new spindles to a staircase is to replace the handrail and base rail to suit the new spindles.

“This may initially seem like an extra cost, but in the long run prepping an existing handrail and base rail to accept new spindles can be quite time-consuming and sometimes impossible without installing extra trims or beadings and so on.

“Installing the new handrail and base rail will give you a much neater and more professional finish with the parts fitting together as they are designed to.”

How much does it cost to install new spindles?

There’s no right answer to this question unfortunately as there are so many different factors to consider and such a huge variation in stair part styles and fittings.

Andy explains: “Having spent 23 years installing staircase parts mainly to existing staircases, I can truthfully say that it’s impossible to put even a wide figure on how much installing new spindles costs.

“Because there are so many different styles of houses done by so many different people, there are numerous factors affecting the amount of work involved. And these will change depending on the style of house and staircase, and the staircase parts that need to be installed.”

If you have a clear idea of what you want, getting an accurate quote will be much easier. Andy says: “It’s entirely possible for someone with a lot of experience to give someone an accurate figure of cost for a renovation, provided they have a specific idea of parts available and some images of the staircase to be renovated.”

What’s the most cost effective way to renovate a staircase?

“There are now so many parts available to renovate your existing staircase that you can get a real quick and effective facelift by leaving existing newel posts in place and replacing the handrails and base rails. The next step is to replace the existing spindles with glass panels or new spindles for a completely new look.”

If you’re keen to fit spindles yourself, Andy recommends going for white primed staircase parts as the most cost-effective solution. “White primed staircase parts offer the DIY installer a really cost-effective way of lifting an existing staircase. If you’re looking for something a little more unique, then just add oak handrails and oak newel post caps to the renovation for extra detail.”

If you’re looking to replace a spindle, you can view our full range of spindles and buy online here.

To find out more about staircase spindles, visit the page Your guide to spindles—types, materials, styles, fitting and maintenance.