Sandblasting in Michigan

How abrasive blasting works

A blaster propels an abrasive at a surface with compressed air (or air plus water, in wet and "dustless" systems) to strip paint, rust, mill scale, or grime, or to roughen a surface so a new coating bonds. Results depend on the media, pressure, nozzle, distance, and operator skill. The same equipment that cleans steel can etch glass, pit aluminum, or erode soft brick if it's misused.

Michigan factors that affect your job

Weather and season

Freshly blasted bare steel starts to rust quickly in humid air, so it's usually primed or coated soon after blasting. Michigan's humid summers and cold winters both matter. Outdoor blasting and coating are easiest in late spring through early fall. In winter, mobile work depends on temperatures, wet-blast water freezing, and what the follow-on coating needs. Many coating products specify minimum surface temperatures and a margin above the dew point, so check the coating's data sheet.

Road salt

Winter salt is hard on trailers, truck frames, and equipment. Rust and scale removal down to bare metal, followed promptly by primer, is a common reason Michiganders call a blaster in spring.

Old paint

Much of Michigan's housing, barns, and older equipment carries paint layers that may contain lead. The federal RRP rule restricts abrasive blasting of paint in pre-1978 homes and child-occupied facilities, and workers' exposure is regulated by MIOSHA. Details →

Historic districts

Under Michigan's Local Historic Districts Act, work affecting the exterior appearance of a resource in a local historic district generally needs approval from the local historic district commission before it starts (Michigan Local Historic Districts Act, MCL 399.205). The National Park Service warns that abrasive blasting can permanently damage historic brick and masonry (National Park Service, Preservation Brief 6: Dangers of Abrasive Cleaning to Historic Buildings).

Questions to ask a blaster

• Which media will you use on my surface, and why?
• How will you protect windows, glass, vehicles, landscaping, and neighbors?
• How is spent media and paint debris collected and disposed of?
• If paint might contain lead, will you test it? Is your firm EPA RRP-certified (for pre-1978 homes)?
• Will you prime or coat after blasting, or should I line up a painter or powder coater?
• Do you carry general liability insurance? Can I see a certificate?

Sources: NIOSH, “Prevention of Silicosis Deaths”; EPA: Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program; Michigan Local Historic Districts Act, MCL 399.205; National Park Service, Preservation Brief 6: Dangers of Abrasive Cleaning to Historic Buildings.