Dip StrippingX

Dip Stripping

Stripping your home of years of bad paint is the key to a professional new look

If you have a door or window that need paint stripping, the easiest and safest way to do it is with Dip Stripping.

What is dip stripping?

“Dip stripping” paint (or “Dip and strip” as some call it) is when wood is placed in a large vat of solvent to help remove paint, varnish, and rust before refinishing. It’s the first step in a series of steps to help restore wood and may be followed by sanding, priming and painting.

Note that the door or window must be made of solid wood in order to be dip stripped. If your item is not suitable for dip stripping, we can still offer you a hand-stripping service.

How does it work?

The stripping process starts in a tank of warm caustic solution, where the paint coated doors/windows are left to soak for around 8 hours.

The soaking process softens the paint which then can be easily removed by blasting the door with clean water from a high powered pressure washer, as shown in the video.

The blasting removes the now soft paint and also washes away all the caustic solution from the tank. Once the item is clean, we leave it to dry naturally, this ensures that the door/window won’t twist or warp.

The final step is up to you. Most people go for sanding, as it helps revert the grainy texture of the wood and also facilitates smooth finishes.

You can leave the door/window in its raw stripped state (if you’re aiming for a rustic look), you can repaint it or you can use a wax oil/varnish to bring out the original wood grain.