Journal
Paint Stripping Manchester: Doors, Furniture & Fireplaces
Paint stripping for Manchester homes is done at our workshop in Honley, near Huddersfield, just over the Pennines. Double Dipper strips painted doors, furniture, fireplaces and radiators back to bare wood or metal. Internal pine doors start from £60, most doors are ready in 7–10 working days, and Manchester customers drop off, courier smaller pieces or book a van collection.
- We strip wood and metal: doors, furniture, staircases, cast-iron fireplaces, radiators and gates.
- An internal four-panel pine door costs from £60. External and stained-oak doors are £80–£95.
- Manchester is outside our free 20-mile collection area, so you drop off, courier small items, or we quote a van collection.
- Every piece is neutralised and dried before it comes home, ready to wax, oil or paint.
Why do so many Manchester doors need stripping?
Because most of south Manchester's period housing still has its original joinery, and almost all of it has been painted many times. A Victorian or Edwardian door can carry six or more coats of gloss. Each coat softens the mouldings a little more, until the panels look flat and the door starts to stick in its frame.
You see this across the city. Chorlton, Levenshulme and Burnage have long rows of red-brick terraces and semis with four-panel doors. Didsbury, Whalley Range and Victoria Park have bigger villas with heavy front doors, stained glass and cast-iron fireplaces. Many were painted over in the post-war decades, when bare pine was out of fashion. Underneath is usually good, slow-grown timber that strips back well.
What can we strip for Manchester customers?
Almost anything made of wood or metal that fits in the workshop. The most common jobs are:
- Doors: internal four-panel pine doors, front doors (including glazed and stained-glass doors), cupboard doors and shutters. See our door stripping and door dipping service.
- Furniture: pine and oak chests, dressers, tables, chairs and wardrobes, via our furniture stripping service.
- Cast-iron fireplaces: inserts and surrounds taken back to bare iron. Fireplace stripping starts from around £90 for an insert.
- Radiators, gates and railings: paint, powder coating and old enamel removed to bare metal, with rust treated before they leave.
We don't strip uPVC, composite or laminate. The process is for wood and metal only.
How much does paint stripping cost for Manchester customers?
The workshop price is the same wherever you live. These are our published prices:
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Internal four-panel pine door | From £60 |
| External or stained-oak door | £80–£95 |
| A whole house of doors, stripped as one batch | About £55–£80 per door |
| Cast-iron fireplace insert, stripped and refinished | From around £90 |
| Dining suite (six chairs and a table) | £320–£480 |
| Victorian or Edwardian staircase | £650–£1,200 |
Door prices include neutralising and drying. Because Manchester is outside our free collection area, a van collection is quoted separately. The full breakdown is on our door stripping price guide.
How do Manchester customers get pieces to us?
There are three options, and most people pick whichever suits the size of the job:
- Drop off at the workshop. We're at Unit 3, Crossley Mills, Honley, HD9 6PL, just over the Pennines from Manchester. A few doors fit in most estate cars or a small van.
- Overnight courier. Good for smaller pieces. Pack them well and photograph them before they leave.
- Van collection. For a full house of doors, a staircase or a heavy fireplace, we arrange a collection and quote it with the job.
Opening hours are Monday to Friday 9am–5pm and Saturday 10am–2pm. Ring ahead so we know what's coming.
Got a door or fireplace in mind? WhatsApp a photo or call Daniel on 01484 666 333 and you'll get a price and a date, usually within a day or two. You can also use our contact form.
What happens to your door at the workshop?
We choose the method that suits the piece, not the quickest one. Sound pine doors go in the stripping bath, which gets paint out of mouldings, beading and panel corners that a heat gun or scraper never reaches. Fragile doors are stripped by hand instead: loose joints, thin veneer, old glue, or stained glass that can't come out. We tell you which method we'll use before we start.
After stripping, every piece is neutralised and dried so it goes back into the house as sound, bare timber. Detail is finished by hand. If you want to know more about protecting older doors, read our guide to stripping a Victorian door without damaging the wood.
How long does it take?
Most doors are stripped, neutralised, dried and ready in 7–10 working days. A full set of doors for a house usually takes about a fortnight. Larger pieces such as fireplaces, radiators and gates usually take 2–3 weeks. If you're working to a fixed date, such as a decorator booked in, tell us when you get your quote.
Should you strip it yourself instead?
For a single chair with one coat of paint, maybe. For a period door with decades of gloss, stripping it at home usually means a weekend with a heat gun and scraper, paint left in every moulding, and a lot of mess. Older paint can also contain lead, which shouldn't be sanded or burned indoors. Sending the piece to a workshop keeps the dust and fumes out of your house, and it comes back ready to finish.
Can you finish it for me as well?
Yes. You can take a piece home bare and ready for wax, oil or paint, or we can finish it in the workshop. We use the same products we sell in our shop, including Osmo, Fiddes, Farrow & Ball and Little Greene. That suits people who want a waxed pine door or a heritage paint colour without doing the finishing themselves. Browse our wood finishes if you'd rather do it yourself.
Get a quote for paint stripping in Manchester
Double Dipper is a Guild of Master Craftsmen member, trading from Crossley Mills in Honley since 2016. To get started:
- Call 01484 666 333 or email info@doubledipperpaintstrippers.co.uk.
- Send a photo through our contact page.
- See finished doors in our gallery, or read more about how we serve Manchester customers.
