Furniture, Wood and Cabinetry Finishing - New wooden staircase

Hello there,
My very first trip to this forum.
We have had a new staircase installed. I can't tell you exactly what wood it is but it is definately not a soft wood ie. pine. It is a light wood and we wish to keep it that colour. We were thinking of just applying a clear satin finish varnish. Would this be sufficent or should we be thinking of first applying possibly linseed oil and then a coat of varnish?

Any advice would be gratefully received.

Welcome tothe forums

If you apply oil base poly to the wood it will deepen the natural colors in it, also ambers some with age. Oil base poly dries slower but has a harder [tougher] finish. Water base doesn't change the wood color and dries quicker.

Whichever type of poly you use expect to apply a minimum of 3 coats. Sand and dust the wood prior to first coat and sand and dust between coats. Always sand with the direction of the grain.

Thank you very much Mark for your time and advice. At least now we know what to look for. The last time we went into the DIY store, there was so much to choose from that it was totally confusing - a case of too much choice.

Best regards
Haydn

use Fabulon. It is a poly designed just for floors.