Journal
Door Stripping York: Restoring Painted Victorian Doors
Door stripping for York homes is done at Double Dipper's workshop in Honley, West Yorkshire, about an hour from the city. We strip painted pine and oak doors back to bare timber, then neutralise and dry them. Internal pine doors start from £60 and most are ready in 7–10 working days. York customers courier smaller pieces or book a planned van collection.
- York's Victorian terraces are full of four-panel pine doors hidden under decades of paint.
- Internal pine doors are from £60; external and stained-oak doors are £80–£95.
- York is outside our free 20-mile collection area, so bigger jobs are collected by van and quoted separately.
- Older doors often carry lead paint, so stripping them away from the house is the safer choice.
Why are York's terraced houses full of painted doors?
Because the city grew fast in the Victorian era, and thousands of terraced houses went up with pine joinery that was always meant to be painted or grained. The Groves, Holgate, South Bank, Clifton and Leeman Road all have long rows of these houses. Most still have their original four-panel doors, and most of those doors have been repainted many times.
Older and grander houses closer to the centre can have heavier doors, including oak and panelled front doors in listed or conservation settings. If your house is listed or in a conservation area, check with the City of York Council before changing original joinery. Stripping and refinishing an original door is often the most sympathetic option anyway, because it keeps the door rather than replacing it.
What does stripping a period door involve?
Stripping takes every layer of paint off, down to bare timber, so the door's detail shows again. At our workshop we use two methods:
- Dip stripping in the bath, for sound doors. It reaches every moulding and corner at once.
- Hand stripping, for doors that aren't strong enough to dip: loose joints, veneer, old glue, or glass that has to stay in.
After stripping, every door is neutralised, dried slowly and finished by hand where the detail needs it. We confirm the method with you before we start. See the full details on our door stripping service page.
How much does door stripping cost for York customers?
The workshop prices are the same wherever you live:
| Door | Price |
|---|---|
| Internal four-panel pine door | From £60 |
| External or stained-oak door | £80–£95 |
| A whole house of doors, stripped together | About £55–£80 per door |
Prices include neutralising and drying. York is outside our 20-mile free collection area, so a van collection is quoted separately. Our door stripping price guide has more detail.
Thinking about stripping your York doors? Send a photo on WhatsApp or call Daniel on 01484 666 333 for a price and a date.
How do I get doors from York to the workshop?
York is about an hour away, so most customers use one of these options:
- Overnight courier for smaller pieces: cupboard doors, shutters and single internal doors. Wrap the corners and edges and photograph the door before it goes.
- Planned van collection for larger jobs, such as a full house of doors or a heavy front door. We quote this with the job.
- Drop off at Unit 3, Crossley Mills, Honley, HD9 6PL, if you're passing. We're open Monday to Friday 9am–5pm and Saturday 10am–2pm.
Take off handles, hinges and locks first, and label each door with the room it came from.
Is it safe to strip old York doors at home?
Often it isn't. Paint on doors from before the 1960s may contain lead. Sanding it creates fine dust, and burning it with a heat gun can release fumes, both of which you don't want inside a family home. Stripping at a workshop means the paint comes off away from your house. If you're unsure, read our guide to safely stripping lead paint from a Victorian front door.
How long will the doors be away?
Most doors are ready in 7–10 working days; a full set for a house usually takes about a fortnight. Add courier or collection time on top. If you're working to a deadline, tell us when you ask for a quote.
What should I do with a York door once it's stripped?
You have three choices, and the right one depends on the door and the house:
- Wax it. Bare pine waxed to a soft sheen suits cottage-style interiors and shows the grain. It needs an occasional re-wax but is easy to live with.
- Oil it. A hard wax oil gives more protection on doors that get handled a lot, such as kitchen and bathroom doors.
- Paint it again. Many York terraces look right with painted doors. Once stripped, the new paint goes on thin and the mouldings stay crisp, instead of disappearing under more layers.
We can finish doors in the workshop with Osmo, Fiddes, Farrow & Ball or Little Greene, so they come back ready to hang. Or finish them yourself with products from our wood finishes shop. Our guide to the best wax and oil finishes for stripped pine doors explains the options.
What else do York customers send us?
Besides doors, York customers send pine and oak furniture through our furniture stripping service, and cast-iron fireplaces from bedrooms and parlours through our fireplace stripping service. We strip wood and metal only, so uPVC and composite doors can't be done.
Get a door stripping quote for York
Double Dipper is a Guild of Master Craftsmen member, working from Crossley Mills in Honley since 2016.
- Call 01484 666 333 or email info@doubledipperpaintstrippers.co.uk.
- Send photos through our contact page.
- Read more about how we work with York customers.
