Sanding handrails as an add-on

I was wondering if any of you offer handrail sanding. Do you include it in your price, or charge extra?

If extra, how much do you charge per foot?
What type of sander and sandpaper do you prefer? Do you sand just the very top of the handrail or the sides too?

Thanks in advance,


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Mike Hughes
Everclear
Souderton, PA

Hi Mike, When I bid a railing ( don't like doing them ) I bring them in at $4.50 per lin. ft. This includes sanding the top cap only. I find that it gives a much nicer finished look plus the customer really likes the extera work we do to make the deck look good. Most of the time we use 80 grit paper on a palm sander or orbital sander. Doesn't take much time to sand one down. Hope this helps. ... Jim ...

Jim,

Do you find that after sealing, the part that you sanded is a different color? Or does it not matter much since it is only the top of the rail?



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Mike Hughes
Everclear
Souderton, PA

Hi Mike, Sorry it took so long to get back to you. I was out of town on a job. Most of out decks out here are cedar and redwood. Due to our cleaning/stripping process, we do not have any problems with the top cap looking differant after sanding. On the pressure treated, outdoor wood and the sun wood, it will look differant. It has never been a problem here because the home owner is so happy that we have removed all the splintering that these types of wood do. He's happy to be able to use the railing again. Out here, these types of woods will splinter, cup, warp and crack within a very short period of time, that is why we don't see a whole lot of them. Hope this helps you a little.

Jim Bilyeu
Wxterior Woodcare