Industrial-Grade Prep: Sand, Dry-ice, and Vapor-Assisted Blasting

As industrial and commercial painting specialists, we believe that our role is to not only provide awesome services, but also to help educate whenever we can. This helps YOU make the best decisions possible as you maintain and improve your property.

Today, let’s talk prep!

It’s the unsung hero of a successful coating or painting application, literally spelling the difference between adhesion and durability and total failure. And, a big part of prep is cleaning away old surface contaminants.

The best way to do this? Blast!

Sand Blasting: What Is It, and Why Does It Work?

Sandblasting is an old process (originating in the late 1800s), but it’s still a go-to method of cleaning a substrate. It strips away oil, corrosion, dirt, and previous coatings with timeless efficiency and ease.

What has NOT remained timeless are the safety procedures and equipment that go along with this process. Here at Painters USA, we’ve stayed on the cutting edge. Our team is decked out with dust collectors, breathing protection, protective clothing, and the best silicate materials (we don’t actually use sand) available today.

Beyond cleaning, sandblasting also etches the surface we’ll be painting or coating. This allows for more grip, and, in turn, more secure adhesion for a longer-lasting application.

What can we blast?

• Ship yards
• Machine shops
• Manufacturing facilities
• Metal structures
• Silos
• Bridges
• Concrete tilt-ups
• Factories
• Airports
• Parking garages

Dry-Ice Blasting: Perfect for More Sensitive Surfaces

Sandblasting may be a powerful technique, but it’s certainly not one you’d use for sensitive equipment, surfaces, or environments. So, how do we clean surfaces in a way that’s both gentle, but also forceful and effective?

Dry ice blasting is our go-to technique!

Tiny particles of dry ice (frozen CO²) are blasted at high pressure from a specialized compressor. As the particles strike the surface, they’re vaporized, and this both chills and shocks the substrate. The thermal stress loosens the contaminants, and the force of the compressed air blows them away.

Interesting, isn’t it?

We can harness this technology to clean:

• Food processing equipment
• Delicate electronics
• Around live animals
• Delicate machinery... and more!

As an added bonus, dry ice blasting is antibacterial, clean, dry, and intensity can be adjusted to meet just about any need.

Vapor-Assisted Blasting

Okay, let’s take all the benefits of sandblasting but mix in some modern technology. And, mix in a little water.

Vapor-assisted sandblasting uses the same technology and functionality, but by dampening the the media we use we use 90% LESS while achieving the same results. This means the post-blasting cleanup goes much, much faster.

As another benefit, it’s a safer process. And, it keeps costs down since less material/media is being used, and there’s less labor time involved.

The process may be safer, but we still take every precaution to protect your team, our team, the environment, and your property as a whole.

Let’s Talk Industrial Cleaning and Painting

We’re here to help, and hope you won’t hesitate to contact us with any questions you might have.