Antique Furniture Vat Stripping Method

Furniture Stripping | Pender's Antiques

Antique Furniture Vat Stripping Method

The very first step, and most important step, in refinishing your antique pieces is to strip the furniture of its old and worn out finish. There are many different ways to achieve this. Pender’s Antique and Refinishing believes that the vat stripping method is not only the most efficient but also the safest way to remove the old finish while protecting your furniture. 

Many of our competitors use a methylene chloride stripper that is much harsher on the furniture. Not only is it unsafe for furniture, but it has been found to be toxic to humans. The continued use of methylene chloride paint strippers has lead to many serious illnesses and even fatalities. Most major retailers have removed all paint strippers that have this chemical in them from their shelves. If it is this harmful towards people, imagine how bad it is for your antique pieces. 

We decided very early on to not use this chemical in our stripping procedure and built our facility around using a protective vat stripping system. This process begins with your furniture being dipped into the tank, quickly scrubbed free of the finish and then immediately dried on a rack. Your treasured antique furniture actually spends less time in the chemical than with a methylene chloride style of stripping. To ensure safety to both our employees and your family heirlooms, we have built a completely explosion-proof room with an exhaust system with a fresh air supply. 

Contact us today for all of your furniture stripping needs.