Whether you’re looking to hire professional painting contractors or want to try your hand at painting yourself, you’ve probably given some thoughts to sandblasting that wall before you spread on the paint. And if you haven’t, you should!
But before you go hiring or renting out commercial sandblasting equipment, get the facts. Here’s everything you should know about blasting techniques and methods.
Why do I need to sandblast?
A sandblaster is often used to thoroughly clear away dirt and debris from a surface before applying paint so that nothing gets permanently stuck underneath there. Sanding can also level out spackling spots, joint-compound patches, or flatten the areas around an existing nail hole so that your paint goes on as smoothly as possible.
What exactly is being blasted here?
The name “sandblasting” is actually a little deceiving these days. Though the technique first started in the 1870s using — yes — sand, health concerns about the inhalation of sand particles have caused manufacturers of commercial sandblasting equipment to change their tunes.
Today, other weird things are actually used instead of sand: walnut shells, corn cob, baking soda, or coconut shells. But the principle is the same. At any rate, always wear protective equipment before you start blasting away!
How much will it cost?
The cost of equipment varies depending on what you need to use it for. Commercial sandblasting equipment for professional-quality jobs isn’t going to be cheap by any means — so if you can’t find a place to rent, you’re probably better off hiring someone else to do the job for you.
How do I use it?
Obviously, you always want to follow the instructions given to you by a manufacturer. But in general, using a sandblaster requires little more than hooking up the appropriate nozzle to its compressor, enclosing your area (and equipping yourself with protection), and blasting away. Just remember — don’t actually use sand!
Painting isn’t as easy a job as it sounds, especially if you want to do things right. Sometimes, you have to remove the flaking paint, caulk, and prime in addition to sandblasting to ensure a smooth finish.
In the end, if you don’t want to do the work, there are some 316,200 people in the U.S. working as professional painters or painting contractors who would be happy to do the job for you!
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