FAQ for Door & Furniture dipping
Got Questions About Door dipping? We’ve got the answers!
Whether you’re wondering about the best methods, suitable surfaces, or the time required for paint removal, our FAQ section covers everything you need to know. Explore expert insights, tips, and solutions to help you achieve the best results for your doors and furniture.
Door dipping FAQ:
Your Questions Answered
Please ensure doors or items are dismantled and placed outside the house or in a location accessible to the driver. Remove all locks, handles, nails, screws, tapes, and hooks for safe transport (hinges can remain if necessary).
No, any attached panels or retaining pins must be removed to ensure paint is fully stripped from underneath.
Only solid wood items are suitable. Chipboard, hardboard, and some plywood can absorb water and may fall apart.
Some modern finishes, like polyurethane or acrylic, can be challenging to strip. Non-caustic hand stripping may be used for better results on such materials.
Stripping can reveal hidden defects, scorching from prior heat treatments, or areas filled with Polyfilla or similar materials that won’t be removed during the process.
Mark your doors on the top or bottom and their corresponding frames, or use a small metal staple for easy identification after the process.
Stripping typically takes 3–5 working days, sanding 5–7 days, and full finishing around 10 days, depending on the complexity of the job.
FAQ & Terms and Conditions
What Customers Need to Do:
Considerations and Drawbacks
While door stripping has many benefits, it’s important to be aware of potential limitations:
- Wood Limitations: Some types of wood (e.g., oak, plywood, MDF, mahogany) are unsuitable for immersion.
- Modern Paints: Certain polyurethane and acrylic finishes are difficult to remove. Non-caustic chemical strippers are available at an additional cost.
- Risk of Damage: Solid wood doors are less prone to damage, but joined or glued wood pieces may experience warping or deterioration.
- Stains: Wood stains are absorbed into the wood and cannot be fully removed. Burn marks and water-based products may also remain.
- Relief Mouldings: Features made of plaster, alabaster, or resin may disintegrate during immersion.
- Glazed Doors: Glass panels in doors can be damaged. Immersion is done at the customer’s own risk, and we cannot accept liability for broken glass.
Customer Preparation
To ensure the best results, please follow these steps before sending your doors or furniture:
- Mark doors and frames to ensure correct reinstallation.
- Remove all locks, handles, push plates, hooks, nails, screws, tape, and adhesives. Paint under these items cannot be removed unless they are detached.
- Remove panels and fixing pins for complete paint removal.
- Hinges can remain if necessary.
If items are sent without removing hardware, we will proceed with the stripping process but cannot accept responsibility for any damage caused.
What Customers Need to Know:
- 1. Some modern paints and varnishes, such as polyurethane and acrylic finishes, can be difficult to remove during the stripping process.
- 2. Stripping may reveal hidden defects not visible under paint, such as scorching from prior blow lamp usage.
- 3. Filler products like polyfilla and decorator caulk will not be removed during the stripping process.
- 4. Materials such as chipboard, hardboard, and certain plywoods are unsuitable for stripping as they absorb water and disintegrate.
- 5. Polyurethane varnish, paint, and spray-lacquered items may not strip satisfactorily in caustic soda but can be treated with non-caustic hand stripping for better results
- 6. New or modern doors and furniture often have water-based or acrylic undercoats that may remain after the top layers are stripped.
- 7. Items sent without removing furniture components will be dipped as received, and liability for damage during stripping can not be accepted.
- 8. Mark doors with staples/numbers (e.g., marks on the top/bottom ) to match them with corresponding frames for easier reinstallation.
- 9. Relief mnouldings on some furniture (fireplace, chest of drawers or something similar) if made from plaster, alabaster, or resin, they will disintegrate. If we see that when we start which hand sanding procedure, we will inform you for the next steps
- 10. We can dip a glazed door. However, there are risks to this process, and the glass could become damaged so we wouldn’t take any responsibility. This is at the consumer’s own risk.
What We Can Do:
- 1. Successfully strip pine doors or furniture, such as chairs, tables, chest of drawers, skirting boards, architraves, benches, floorboards, and many other wooden or metal items.
- 2. Oak-doors or furniture this strips well but tends to go dark. Oak may sometimes split when drying out, but we can offer non-caustic stripping and, after that, hand-sanding.
- 3. Mahogany & Walnut stripping process again, these woods tend to darken up and have similar characteristics to oak, but hand stripping and hand-sanding can prevent damage.
- 4. Furniture that is made from thin plywood or veneer surfaces tends to lift. This is not suitable for caustic stripping, but we can hand stripping and hand sanding to prevent damages and better results.
Timeframe for Completion:
1. Stripping: 3–5 working days
2. Sanding: 5–7 working days
3. Full finishing: ~10 working days (subject to complications)
Our Stripping Services Include:
- Interior/Exterior doors
- Tables and chairs
- Cupboards and beds
- Dressers/sideboards
- Kitchen doors
- Windows/Window shutters
- Fireplaces and fire surrounds
- Benches and pews
- Radiators
- Door frames
- Skirting boards
- Handrails
- Garden furniture (wooden or metal)
