The Effects of Not Using a Paint Booth

Carry out an auto repair spraying project outside of a paint booth and there will be a strong possibility of having to re-coat the vehicle to rectify errors. By using normal workshop conditions to apply paint, a range of different problems can occur, which can ruin the final finish and alter the chemical processes, which help paint to bind and cure. Work of a professional quality can only be assured if cars are painted in a low-bake oven or paint booth serviced at regular intervals.

Dirt in Paint

Paint booths have extraction systems and filters, which remove atomized spray from the air. This creates a clean, dust-free environment with reduced overspray. The extraction system also creates a seal around the doors of the paint booth so that dust and other particles that might be found in a typical workshop cannot enter the spraying area while work is in progress. If a job is sprayed in workshop conditions, dust can contaminate the paint and ruin the integrity of your work.

Dry Patches or Runs in Paint

Paint booths create an ambient spraying temperature of approximately 64 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. In a workshop, the spraying temperature is dependent on the local climate or heating systems and this makes it more difficult to maintain optimum spraying temperatures. Professional paints are sprayed at paint booth temperatures so that a wet, even application of color can be achieved. If a job is painted in a workshop in conditions that are too warm, dry patches in the paint occur. If the temperature is too cold, paint will not cure quickly enough and this causes it to run or sag.

Soft Paint

Modern paint materials use hardeners and reducers that are designed to dry at low-bake temperatures of 160 to 175 degrees Fahrenheit. Most paints dry within 30 minutes if they are exposed to the baking temperatures inside a paint booth. When a vehicle is painted and left to dry in normal workshop conditions, solvents remain inactive underneath the final coat of color and this slows down the drying process. If paint isn't fully dry when a job is unmasked or polished, tearing occurs and this results in the vehicle having to be prepared and painted a second time.

Health and Environmental Issues

The extraction system in paint booths reduces the amount of volatile organic compounds that are released into the atmosphere. Once a coat of paint has been applied, operatives can usually return to the paint booth without respiratory equipment within three minutes. In a workshop environment, it can often take hours for overspray to clear. This increases the risk of breathing in harmful polyisocyanate materials for other workers and increases the level of VOC emissions. This presents a significant risk to the surrounding environment and violates current health and safety legislation.