Dismantling a Stair Railing

If you want a brand new look for your staircase, you need to start by taking down the old stair railing. A stair railing may look old or tired, or you might simply find that it is incompatible with your current home design. A stair railing is composed of spindles and the rail itself, which are book-ended by the newel posts. Remove your old spindles and railing to get a fresh new start on your home renovation project.

Chisel
Hammer
Screwdriver
Soft mallet
Fine-toothed saw

Instructions

- 1
  Locate the piece of filler that sits underneath the rail, between the newel post and the first spindle.
- 2
  Chisel away the piece of filler using a chisel and hammer.
- 3
  Repeat Steps 1 and 2 for the other end of the railing and for every space between a spindle and a newel post if you have a stairway that bends.
- 4
  Remove any metal brackets on the railing using a screwdriver. The newer a stair railing is, the more likely there are to be metal brackets holding the rail to the newel posts.
- 5
  Tap the bottom of the railing using a soft mallet, causing it to push up from the spindles. Continue tapping until the railing can be pulled away from the spindles entirely.
- 6
  Pull the railing from the spindles and set it aside.
- 7
  Lay a fine-toothed saw flat against the first step and cut the first spindle away from the step. Continue until all of the spindles are cut away. This is ideally done from the ground next to the stairs; depending on the height of the stairs, you may need a ladder.

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