Painting and powder coating are excellent ways to restore life in an old product. No matter if it’s a car or an old picture frame, painting and powder coating can have a product looking like new.
But what happens if you grow tired of the paint or powder coat that’s on a product?
Or what happens if you come across a product and would love to purchase it, but hate the color?
In these cases, you may want to look into paint and powder coat removal. Stripping paint and powder coating before repainting is recommended.
Doing so will increase the longevity of your new coat and will prevent it from:
- Chipping
- Cracking
- Peeling
If you are interested in removing powder coats and paint, you’ll find that there are traditionally four methods available by which you can do so. You can use chemicals to strip the existing coat, burn it off in the over, sandblast it, or dust blast it.
Which options are best?
Below we will outline the various methods available for paint and powder coat removal.
After reading this article, you should have a clear understanding of which way is best for you.
Paint and Powder Coat Stripper
When many people think of paint and powder coat strippers, they often think of chemicals. People have used chemicals to remove paint and powder coats for a long period of time. Unfortunately, using chemicals to remove paint and powder coats can have severe consequences, potentially ruining your prized possession.
Companies typically manufacturer chemicals s “caustics” or “solvents.”
Chemicals cause the paint and powder coating to soften, swell and dissolve. The paint will either fall off on its own, or you’ll have to wash it off. Chemical paint and powder coat strippers are attractive because they are affordable and tend to work decently well.
The problem with chemical paint and powder coat strippers is that you cannot spill the chemicals anywhere else, or else you’ll ruin that piece of equipment as well.
So, let’s say that you want to strip the paint of an old car.
You will need to remove things like the door handles and taillights and strip the paint one piece at a time. This is a painstaking process that is not practical if you’re working with large pieces of equipment.
Chemicals are highly toxic.
You need to make sure that you’re working in a well-ventilated area and wearing the proper protection. Paint and powder coat strippers are known to cause chemical burns, so you need to be particularly careful to make sure that you don’t spill any on your skin. And, paint and powder coat strippers could ruin outdoor vegetation and plants.
Stripping powder coating with chemicals isn’t something to take lightly.
In short, paint and powder coat strippers could be a useful option if you have a tiny piece of equipment or furniture. But, they’re not a helpful option when working with more substantial products.
If you do elect to use these materials, you need to make sure that you practice incredible caution when doing so.
Baking Off Paint and Powder Coats
Another standard option is baking off paint and powder coats.
If you put paint or powder coat in an oven at very high temperatures, the paint will burn and turn to ash. When you remove the piece, you’ll need to wash the ash off. Companies who offer these services typically refer to them as “baking off,” “burning off,” or using a “fluidized bed.”
If you’re going for speed, then baking off paint and powder coats should be quite attractive. Baking a product is the quickest way to remove paint and powder coats.
However, like chemical stripping, it comes with its fair share of pitfalls as well.
First and foremost, you need to make sure that it’s safe to put your product in the oven. Some products cannot withstand such extreme heat. Exposing certain products to extreme heat could impact their structural integrity, potentially weakening the product.
So, you’ll find that baking off paint, and powder coats is not a viable option for all products.
Second, you need an oven large enough to fit specific products in! You can’t drive a car into an oven to remove paint. If you need to remove paint or powder coating from a car or truck, you’re going to need to remove individual pieces and put them in one by one, which can slow down your process. Similarly, the object needs to be mobile. You can’t put a stationary object into an oven.
The reason for this is that baking off paint and powder coats occurs at high heat, sometimes as much as 1200 degrees Fahrenheit. This is not something that your household oven can do. And, it’s also not a temperature that something like a mobile heat gun can achieve.
So, while baking off paint and powder coats may be a quick option, it’s not the most feasible.
Paint Removal Blasting with Sand
Another way to remove paint and powder coating is by sandblasting it. Sandblasting involves spraying tiny particles of sand, typically of the same grain that you’d find in a sandbox on a playground, at an object. A machine sprays the sand at a high rate of speed, “blasting” the paint and powder coating off.
Paint removal blasting with sand is a useful option because it is powerful. If you have stubborn paint or powder coating stuck on a product, you’ll find that removing it with sand is quite easy.
However, like other options, there are a few downsides to using sand as well.
The first is that sand can be too powerful for some objects. Some objects are too delicate to handle the high velocity of sand, and the sand can end up doing more harm than good. Sometimes, sandblasting can cause damage that’s irreversible.
Furthermore, sandblasting can make a complete mess. Much like with chemical stripping, you’ll need to make sure that you have adequate ventilation when sandblasting. You’ll have tiny particles of sand going everywhere, which can make it difficult to breathe.
Sandblasting isn’t something that you can do indoors.
Lastly, you must be careful when sandblasting. Sand particles can seep into tiny crevices, even if you’ve taped over them. The sand can break down materials, which would have long-term consequences for your product.
Dustless Blasting Paint Removal
The last and recommended option you have to remove for paint and powder coat removal is dustless blasting.
Dustless blasting is very similar to sandblasting, in that a high-powered machine blasts the object at a high rate.
The difference, however, is that dustless blasting paint removal relies on an abrasive that’s gentler than sand. It also adds water to the mix as well.
Thus, dustless blasting is a mix of sandblasting and power washing.
Dustless blasting is the best way to remove powder coat for numerous reasons. First and foremost, the abrasive is gentle enough to use on any surface while also being strong enough to remove paint and powder coating. This is noticeably different from sandblasting, which may be too strong for certain surfaces.
Dust blasting allows for:
- Paint removal from concrete
- Paint removal from metal
- Paint removal from wood
- Paint removal from brick
Second, dustless blasting paint removal does not cause the same mess that sandblasting does. Because dustless blasting relies on water, there isn’t dust flying anywhere.
Ventilation isn’t nearly the concern with dustless blasting as it is with sandblasting. And, the abrasive is entirely safe to use. You don’t have to worry about getting it on your skin, nor will it ruin vegetation.
Third, dustless blasting paint removal is useful because you don’t need to break down products piece by piece.
For instance, dustless blasting works on everything from pools and patios to large machinery and trucks. Because it’s safe to use on any surface, you don’t have to worry about the long-term consequences of using it.
Removing Powder Coats and Paint
Those wondering how to remove powder coats will find that there are numerous different methods to do so.
However, the clear-cut best method to do so is via dustless blasting.
Dustless blasting paint removal is an easy method that is strong enough to remove paint and powder coats without causing damage or warping to the underlying materials.
Additionally, because dustless blasting paint removal mixes abrasives with water, the clean-up process is simple. You don’t have to worry about massive ventilation or ruining your outdoor plants. The only thing that you need to concern yourself with is a bit of water runoff.
You may be hesitant to try dust blasting, worrying that you’re going to have to rent an expensive machine. You may also be fearful of ruining your product. Fortunately, if you contact Willsha Blasting, neither of these will be a concern.
At Willsha Blasting, we specialize in removing powder coats and paint with a dustless blaster. Our experts will bring machinery to your location and remove the toughest of coatings and surfaces.
Dust blasting in an investment that is well worth making, as is it will remove powder coats and paint quickly and efficiently.
Be sure to contact our team if you’re looking to learn more about the services that we offer.