Why are my bannisters like this? Can I cut this out?

[WunWegWunDarWun]

Hi

Sorry, not the greatest photo.

My bannisters have only four... spindles.. with some kind of crappy wood between them. All painted again and again with layers of gloss paint, which I'm removing.

I really want to take the wood out, but with only four posts is it safe? It looks like it has been made like this rather than had the wood put in later, is that even possible? (Why would they do that?!)

Do I need to get the whole thing professionally re-done?

The house was built in 1980.

Thanks for your help :)

Oh! I know these sort of stairs! That's just how they are. I think kids kept getting stuck in banisters so they thought it was safer

yes typical 80s style, like previous poster said it was probably a child safety thing. even the little cupboard door in stairs is typical 80s slated style. is there also the saloon style doors into the kitchen that I can see? we had them in our 80s house.
looks like you'll have to rip all the wood out and you can buy the wooden spindles if you are capable of doing the work yourselves. I'm sure they sell them in B&Q

I wouldn’t think you could take the panels out. I think those “posts” are decorative strips to hide the joins between panels, they may not be a solid post and won’t be strong enough to hold the banister up.

I would repaint the whole lot (except the handrail) in a non white colour and embrace it.

Built in the 80s if say it's unlikely to have anything behind the panels, so if you rip them out you'll have to replace with something. I would just paint it in a cool colour.

I agree, there will be a big gap if you take the panels off that a child could launch themselves though. I took the boards off a 1950s set in 2010 which was fine until I had a child and then spent years with a cardboard cut out against them for safety covered in cardboard. Thankfully we have now replaced the spindles as part of a big refurbishment. Honestly I would paint or paper the boarding unless able to put in entirely new spindles

A new spindle set isn’t very expensive

Thank you everyone.

I think I'm going to have to get a quote for someone to put new spindles in. I see that the spindles themselves aren't too expensive, but I don't think I can do it myself sadly.

Check out the artexed wall too 😂 That's also got to go.

No saloon doors to the rooms, but those awful slatted doors are on every cupboard in the house currently. Lovely!

There is a minimum distance between spindles which is based on the width of a child's head in the building regs.
You have to have them close enough together a child can't fall through or get their head stuck.

So if you get someone to do it make sure they follow regs

I would get a professional to do it.. not some random from Facebook or whatever!

Is that a common thing? Not following regs?

Very common for people not to follow regs!

Also I think that's textured pain, rather than artex. However you should get it checked for asbestos before having it removed.

Lastly, in 30 years, everyone will be removing those 'awful wall panels, very 2018"!

It's just fashion.

If you are changing the style you will probably need to change the wood at the bottom and the banaster too as the spinsles usually slot into both with a little filler block as a spacer.

One thing about a solid wood barrier is that it acts as a sound barrier too, so you may notice a little more noise.

No, it's definitely artex unfortunately. I've sent a sample off already

What a faff re the regs. I will definitely be on it. Thanks both :)

Just go to a staircase shop (which I find hilarious places, lots of tiny staircases on display. Just so niche!) and have a chat with them. It's not hideously expensive.

Sometimes panels were put over the spindles. They may still be in there.

I would try pulling a panel back a bit and have a look.

That tended to happen as part of a refurb of an older staircase though. OPs house is built 1980, so probably more likely to have been built in this style from the get go.

Depends if you can get a panel off without damage!

Sorry that should have said they're is a maximum distance between spindles. Can't be too far apart.

There's definitely nothing between them. There's nothing to be between, it's a thin piece of wood