If you’ve got a Victorian house, chances are you’ve got some really nice original doors and furniture hidden under years of paint. It’s one of those things people don’t always think about, but once you see a stripped Victorian door or pine chest of drawers with the natural grain showing through, you won’t want to paint over it again.
At North West Door Stripping we work with a lot of customers across Manchester, Liverpool, Preston, Blackpool and everywhere in between who’ve got Victorian properties and want to get their original woodwork looking good again. Some people bring us a single door, others bring us ten. Either way the process is the same and the results speak for themselves.
Why Victorian Doors and Furniture Are Worth Stripping
Victorian doors are solid pine or hardwood as a rule. They were built to last and most of them have done exactly that. The problem is they’ve been painted over so many times that people forget what’s underneath. We’ve stripped doors that had 10 or 12 layers of paint on them and the wood underneath has been in great condition.
The same goes for Victorian furniture. Pine chests of drawers, wardrobes, sideboards, kitchen dressers and the like were mostly sold unpainted back then. Somewhere along the line they got painted, often more than once, and now people buy them second hand thinking that’s just how they are. Strip them back and they’re a completely different piece.
How We Strip Victorian Doors
We use a dip tank. The door goes into a tank of caustic solution, which breaks down the paint and lifts it off the wood. It gets into every bit of the door including the mouldings, the grooves around the panels, the edges, all of it. That’s the big advantage over doing it yourself with a heat gun or a scraper, because no matter how careful you are by hand you’ll always miss bits in the detail.
Once the door comes out it gets rinsed and neutralised, then left to dry properly. After that we can hand sand it if you want a really smooth finish ready for oiling or waxing. Most customers go for that because it saves them a job and the result is noticeably better than sanding it yourself.
Victorian Furniture Stripping
Furniture stripping works the same way as doors. Chests of drawers, blanket boxes, kitchen dressers, sideboards, chairs, tables, you name it. As long as it fits in the tank it can be stripped. We do take care with jointed furniture because the caustic solution can soften old glue if items are left in too long, so we keep a close eye on everything and don’t just leave things to soak unattended.
A lot of people bring us furniture they’ve picked up at auctions or car boot sales. They know it’s a nice piece underneath but they don’t want to spend hours doing it themselves. We get it done quickly and at a price that makes sense.
What Types of Victorian Doors Do We Strip
The most common ones we see are the classic four panel internal doors that you find in terraced houses. They usually have two small panels at the top and two larger ones below. Strip those back and finish with a hard wax oil and they look fantastic.
We also do Victorian front doors which are a bit more involved because they’re often bigger, heavier, and sometimes have glass panels in them. We take extra care with glazed doors to make sure the glass doesn’t get damaged during the process.
Six panel doors, ledge and brace doors from back rooms and outbuildings, and taller Edwardian style doors are all things we handle regularly too. If you’re not sure whether yours can be stripped just send us a photo and we’ll tell you straight away.
What Finish to Put on a Stripped Victorian Door
This is something a lot of people ask about so it’s worth covering. The most popular option for internal Victorian doors is a hard wax oil. It soaks into the wood, brings out the colour and grain, and gives a satin finish that’s easy to maintain. It also means any scratches or marks can be spot repaired without having to sand back the whole door.
Danish oil and teak oil are also good choices, especially if you want a slightly darker tone. For external Victorian front doors, a good quality linseed oil paint in a traditional colour works really well and lasts a long time.
Some people still want to repaint after stripping and that’s absolutely fine. Painting over bare stripped timber gives a much better result than painting over old paint, so you get a smoother finish that will last longer.
How Much Does Victorian Door Stripping Cost
Prices depend on the size of the door, how many you’re having done, and whether you want the sanding service as well. As a rough guide a standard internal four panel door will cost considerably less than buying a like for like replacement, which for a Victorian original can run to a few hundred pounds.
If you’re doing a whole house it’s worth bringing everything at once because we can offer better rates when we’re doing a batch. A lot of our customers do exactly this when they’re renovating, either bringing everything themselves or having us collect.
Get in touch and tell us what you’ve got and we’ll give you a price the same day. No faff, no hard sell.
Where We Cover
We cover the whole of the North West. That includes Manchester, Salford, Stockport, Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Wigan, Warrington, Liverpool, St Helens, Preston, Blackpool, Lytham, Blackburn, Burnley, Lancaster, Chester and the surrounding areas. Not sure if we can get to you? Give us a shout and we’ll sort something out.
Get a Quote for Victorian Door and Furniture Stripping
Whether you’ve got one door or a whole house worth of Victorian woodwork, we can help. Just contact us with what you need doing and we’ll get back to you quickly with a price. We’re based in the North West and know this kind of work well, so you’re in good hands.
