Stick Finish Options
Mountain Laurel Handrails offers many different stick finish options for the branches on the railings. The most basic is to clean the sticks to remove the loose bark and moss. In order to apply a finish the sticks need to be cleaned. Once the sticks are cleaned, the finish can be applied. Finish options include stain, paint, or poly.
Stain is the most common finish selection. It is not possible to change the color of the sticks, but it is possible to darken them. So for example, a Golden Oak stain will not make the sticks look yellow, but Dark Walnut stain will darken them.
- Sticks Natural — Typical
- Sticks Cleaned — $10/lf
- Sticks Stained — $20/lf
- Sticks Painted — $30/lf
- Sticks Polyed — $30/lf
- Bark Removed — Time and Material
Sticks Natural
Sticks are typically left just the way the come from the forest for the most rustic look as shown in the picture above. Sticks will have some loose bark and moss and lichen. This is great for a rustic look either inside or outside the home.
A common question about Mountain Laurel Handrails is, “What does the mountain laurel look like when it weathers?” Well, it looks a lot like a piece of cedar that turns silver with exposure to the sun. Here are some pictures of mountain laurel that has weathered to a silver color.
Sticks Cleaned
Some clients prefer the sticks cleaned to remove the loose bark and moss and lichen. Cost for this is $10 per linear foot. This is different than removing the bark from sticks. The picture below shows mountain laurel sticks that have been cleaned with our custom-built wire wheel brush machine and the video shows the process.
Sticks Stained
Sticks are typically not painted or stained. Some people like a natural stain on the sticks since it brings out the red color and gives them a little bit of shine. Cost for this is $20 per linear foot. For best results on stained sticks, the sticks should be cleaned.
Both the above and below pictures come from the same project and show the difference that full sun can make when taking a picture. While many people like the rustic character of weathered sticks, stain on the sticks will preserve the like-new look of Mountain Laurel Handrails if that is the look you are going for.
Sticks Painted
Paint on the sticks is also an option and is $30/lf. For best results on stained sticks, the sticks should be cleaned. The left picture shows a wood railing section before it was delivered. Each section was carefully painted before being delivered. It’s quite time consuming and requires a delicate hand to avoid errors. But painting the sticks is a great way to get the look that perfectly matches your colored schemes. Sticks can also be stained and this is another good way to add another level of customization to your Mountain Laurel Handrail project.
I’ve had my Mountain Laurel hand rails for 10 years and have always received RAVES about how beautiful and cool they are. We live by the beach and the vibe is exactly what I needed in my home. They were excellent to work with and I am planning on using them again for our new build at Smith Mountain Lake Virginia this upcoming year !
