Installation of Stair Part Depot
Removing outdated wooden balusters and installing new wrought iron balusters is the typical stair remodel. The average time required for this operation is one to two days; almost anyone with some basic DIY skills may do it. Our brief step-by-step tutorial will guide you through the fundamental steps of your wood-to-iron baluster swap. Iron baluster should be strong as it is the support people place their hands on. So, iron baluster installation should be done professionally without any errors.
Now, the tools required for this are:
- The drill and drill bits
- measuring tape
- Band-Aid Saw (or chop saw with metal cutting blade)
- Pliers
How to Install Iron Balusters
Preparing Work Area
The cutting of wood balusters can be messy, so we recommend you use a drop cloth for your safety to save yourself from the dust. Also, it would help if you covered your furniture with fabric to keep it safe from all the dust and dirtiness.
Cut the Old and Worn-Out Balusters
Cut the wooden balusters in half and also use a saw or jig saw to cut it. Now cutting it half at a specific angle will help you from it.
Removal of Old Balusters
Remove the old balusters and move them back and forth so that you can see if they are worked loose. Now, you must also remove the old nails with the pliers. You could break off a portion of the tread, floor, handrail, and wooden baluster if your original balusters were attached to the wall using wood glue and dowel pins rather than nails.
Some installers will trim the top and bottom of the wood balusters before sanding them smoothly. If irreversible damage has occurred, others will replace the handrail and tread.
Drill Holes
Now notice that some of the installs will have holes left over by the old balusters, and some of them would also be left from the flat surface. Some installations will still have the holes from the previous wooden balusters, while others will have a flat surface.
Ensure the baluster will fit in the top holes in the bottom of the handrail. Make careful you drill the fence at least 1 to 1.5 inches deep. It is optimal if the bottom holes on the tread are only 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep. Ensure your holes for round balusters are drilled as tightly as possible if you are not using shoes. For optimal results, punch out a square hole using square balusters.
The aim is to have enough space up top for the baluster to glide into before dropping it into the bottom hole.
Cutting of Iron Balusters to Size
Measure the distance from the ground to the handrail’s bottom. This is the length your iron baluster should be cut to, plus 3/4 inch. This gives you enough space to slip the baluster into the tread and then slide it into the handrail while still having enough to glue in place. First, we need to know how to install iron balusters.
Your wrought iron balusters should be cut using a Porta band, or a chop saw with metal-cutting blades. Many of the balusters can only be cut at the bottom, which does not give the efficient result required. However, if you miss your balusters from the top and bottom at a specific height, your balusters will line up smoothly.
Insertion of Iron Balusters
Put your baluster shoe on the baluster first. The baluster should be dropped into the floor/tread hole after being slid into the top handrail. We purposefully dug out a deeper hole at the top to provide us with this extra space. Before applying glue, ensure the pattern is accurate, and everything is lined up.
Base Shoes and Epoxy
Epoxy needs to be added right away. A drop of epoxy the size of a dime should be used on top and bottom. The top and bottom holes are where this drop enters. If you’re also using baluster shoes, slide the shoe down and dab some epoxy on the area where it will rest on the baluster or the floor. Although the shoe set screw might potentially be used, we always advise placing epoxy on the shoe. Give everything a full day to dry and cure.
The epoxy we advise using to install the metal balusters is from the Stair warehouse. It cures substantially and does not contract. The epoxy cartridges have a unique tip with baffles that mix the two epoxy components while dispensing. This lets the user pour the “mixed” epoxy into the holes without messing. Our epoxy gun is now available so that you may apply the epoxy to your work area.
As the iron balusters are made in various designs, stairs with iron balusters can customize, and you can choose whichever method we want.
