Dip stripping internal doors

[michaelbutton]

We have a number of internal ledge and brace doors that have been painted white. The doors are all in pretty good condition, but would look nicer stripped back to the wood and varnished. Trying to find the most cost/time efficient way of doing this. Does anyone have any experience of using dip stripping services for this and what the results were like? I can't find a local firm to do this near where I live (East Kent) but there are various online companies that offer the service that I'm unsure of.

 

[jsmac]

Scott's Antiques in Margate recommended the company they use but I never used them so have forgotten what they're called.

Scott's always have a good selection of stripped antique doors so I assume that they still use the same company. Might be worth a phone call or a visit.

 

[michaelbutton]

Thanks that's a great idea

 

[Mrs McG]

I had some Edwardian pine doors stripped and they almost all warped so I would never do it again.

 

[Kearn]

It’s very much NOT recommended.

Pics of said doors would help, but many doors were never intended to be bare timber, ‘returning’ them to bare wood isn’t often the correct approach.

However, I concede some very early plank doors would have been left as naked oak, we have a few here.

But, the approach isn’t ok. Chemical stripping will dissolve glues between timbers, warp wood and generally result in doors pulling apart and losing their integrity. Not always, but it is a very real risk.

The more controllable, and sensitive approach would be either a low temp controllable heat gun with scraper and then Bahco furniture scrapers, but a lot depends int he doors, the paint(s) and the skill/patience of whoever is doing the removal. 100% removal is purely a goal.