What is the best way to refinish oak railings?

A good quality latex paint in an enamel finish would be much better than chalk paint. It is a paint made for cabinets and trim so it will wear much better than chalk paint in this situation. A little bit of prep work-enough hand sanding to dull down the finish that is already there. You don't have to remove all the finish to the wood--just dull it down so there's no shine. Use a fine grit or extra fine grit sandpaper. Coarse or medium sandpaper will scratch and gouge your wood so you don't want to use coarse. You need to prime with a good primer and once that dries you can paint with your paint. Depending on how dark the oak is you will need two to three coats of paint but painting with white primer first should help with any dark showing through.

I would go with a good quality latex white chalk paint. Like Gk above stated you need to sand the hand rails first. This will give it some "teeth" so the paint will have something to stick to but prime first. After a light sanding you need to wipe down the rails VERY well. Remember the better the prep job the better the result.

You might check with your real estate agent before making any changes. Everything you are doing now should be to increase the chance of a quick sale at a good price. A nice oak bannister might look better that a white one.

Don’t go to any trouble or expense unless it is going be to your advantage in the sale.

If your agent says to paint then the advice GK gave you is exactly what you will need to do. Be careful that you don’t make one part of the house fresh if the rest of the house is not on the same level

Personally I feel like chalk pant looks like primer.

Matte dull and unfinished looking......

I feel like lei woodtone an using polyshades could be a better option.

Here’s a link to look over the content and see if it’s a product that will meet your needs. It can be applied over existing existing poly finishes without any stripping or sanding. I find reviews and Q&A’s can often direct me towards the correct purchase. Hope this helps.

https://www.minwax.com/wood-products/one-step-stain-and-finishes/minwax-polyshades

https://www.amazon.com/Minwax-613970444-PolyShades-Polyurethane-Espresso/dp/B00KQK8MEA

Maureen...I believe I would talk with realtor before making any changes..."If it's not broke...don't fix it". Good luck

I agree about speaking with the realtor. We were advised to "freshen things up" with some neutral paint on the walls. If there is no return for that improvement, don't bother. Clean it up and let future owners paint it.

I also think it would be a good idea to check with the Realtor llisting the home for your son. They will have a good idea if the oak is a turn-off for buyers or not. It could be that a buyer would like to come in and stain the oak a darker color. And as another said, sometimes when you "freshen" one area, then additional work needs done and there's not a good place to stop. A Reator or two, would probably give good advice about what chanes might be worth the time and effort.

It would be great if they could have left them however his wife’s sister cam along and thought she was going to be helpful and stared sanding the top railing and some of the spindles and then became sick and couldn’t finish the job so now it is a mess and either has to all be sanded and restrained and refinished somehow. Because of a time factor I wondered if there would be a quicker solution to save some steps. It seems a lot of people are painting their railings and spindles these days. I personally love the wood grain look.

Yes, painting out oak railings is a decor trend at this point in time. However, in my experience, I have seen the results of too many of these diy projects not meet with expectations; resulting in a far more onerous job to 'undo' and then 'fix up'.

Although seemingly a simple job, it is not, because it requires proper and detailed preparation, all the requisite tools, and much patience. Unfortunately too many folks try to cut corners/save money/save time in their intent to get the job finished quickly just so that the house can be put up for sale.

While decor trends and fads come and go, it is impossible to predict what exactly it will be about the house that will seal the sale. As far as 'last minute improvements' go, realistically one cannot expect to see any monetary return based on what color the railings are.

If the situation is a 'mess' as you said, then lower the price to reflect this small flaw, get the house sold, and move on.

Maybe gel stain

Hi there,

I would not paint oak, far better to gel stain or Beeswax it. One painted it's a job for life! Best wishes. If I was going to give it a White finish I would go for a Limed look rather than paint, but if paint is required, It will need to be primed and undercoated an two coats of a good gloss paint.

If you can refinish, I would go that way instead of painting. Perhaps using Rejuvenate. If he's set on painting, here's a great painter's mitt to help with spindles & rails:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000HEKSQA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I agree, a chat with the realtor first who will know best if this project will add value. It's always hard to say as everyone has different tastes. Plus oak, such an expensive wood, it might be a shame to paint over it. That said, a good primer and latex paint will do the trick.

I just did a post on refinishing a handrail. MinWax makes a great product that combines stain and polyurethane in one step. If the handrail is in good condition, he may want to just lightly sand and then apply the stain/polyurethane. Oak takes stain rather well, so it is possible to do something darker, if that makes sense.

There is nothing as impressive as natural wood, I would not paint this for the possible purchase of a house. Potential buyers are more taken with natural wood vs a paint job to cover any occurring defects. Natural wood has a glow unto itself, it they feel the need to paint it after the purchase, they can go at it.

Thanks to all the great advice given to my question. As of yet nothing has been done however I thinks my son has pretty well decided to keep the wood finish with Minwax stain.