Paint Booth FAQs – Part 1

Paint Booth FAQs – Part 1

Asking the right questions to get the right answers.

It’s very important to be as informed as possible when you make the commitment to purchase a paint booth. It’s definitely no small investment, as we’ve talked about in this blog before. But how do you take your seemingly endless list of questions and decide where to begin? Well, for starters it’s always a good idea to make an effort to educate yourself as much as possible on the basics of key paint booth issues, so we’ve decided to put together a list of the most commonly asked questions we’ve received from our customers to make the learning process for you a bit easier.

Q. What should I expect from a new spray booth?

A. Filtration: Quality finishes require clean contaminate-free air. This is accomplished by proper air filtration. This should be done through a combination of pre-filters to capture large particles and debris, and high-efficiency intake filters before the air enters the booth. In addition, the air is filtered again before it is re-circulated or exhausted from the booth.

Airflow: Proper airflow in the booth is accomplished by creating a flow of air that envelopes the vehicle during booth operation. This airflow, referred to as laminar air, is responsible for carrying away the paint overspray during the refinish process and air movement during paint curing.
 
Lighting: Another key element is bright, shadow-free lighting. Light fixtures with T8 or LED lamps should be strategically placed on the booth’s walls and ceiling for bright, complete lighting in all areas of the booth. Other factors to consider include the lamps’ color rendering index (CRI), temperature (must be at least 5000K for color correction) and brightness that is sufficient for your painting or spraying processes.

Q. What is a pressurized paint booth, and what are the benefits of pressuring the booth?

A. The term pressurized refers to the amount of air inside the booth vs. the amount of air outside the booth. The booth when properly balanced should be slightly positive, meaning that the amount of air flowing into the booth is slightly greater than the amount of air that is allowed to leave. The advantage is that positive pressure keeps unwanted dirt and debris from entering the booth. Any leaks in the seals or joints are going out, not in, thus providing a cleaner paint environment.

Q. What size spray booth will I need?

A. Give the finisher room to work. The size of a spray booth is critical to the successful performance of the finishers and the spray finishing equipment. Many factors contribute to the selection of the proper spray booth for you needs. The following guidelines may help you in your spray booth selections.
Width – To determine the necessary width, measure width of the largest article and add 5 feet to allow for access to the sides of the equipment.
Height – The height of the booth is determined by the overall height of the largest item plus two feet clearance. Ample room should be allowed for the finisher to spray the top and bottom of the object.
Depth – Working depth should be sufficient for the object to be within the enclosure plus 3 feet clearance at the rear (from the filters).

Q. What is Explosion Relief? Do I need Explosion Relief to meet code?

A. According to NFPA 33, “Explosion relief shall not be required for a spray booth or spray room that is alternately used for drying, curing or fusing, if all of the following conditions exist:”

  1. The spray booth or spray room is used for batch-type spray applications only
  2. The air heater is not within the recirculated air path
  3. The ventilation system complies with the applicable requirements of NFPA 86, Standard on Ovens & Furnaces

These are just a few of the key questions that you might want to ask your booth sales rep, if they haven’t addressed these issues already. We’ll be posting more key questions in Part 2 of our FAQ series in the coming weeks. In the meantime, if you have any specific questions you’d like to have answered, visit our Finishing Academy ‘Ask GFS’ page and send us your questions!

WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR PRODUCTS?

Let us know your product requirements, and we will put you in touch with a distributor in your area.

RELATED POSTS
News

Top 5 Blog Posts of 2023

As we look forward to what 2024 has in store, we pause to look back on 2023. In case you missed them, here are our top five blog posts of 2023.

Read More »
Automotive Refinish

GFS at SEMA 2023: Edge Up Your Paint Shop

GFS is excited to return to the SEMA Show to meet with body shop owners, managers, technicians and automotive refinish professionals. Visit GFS Booth #31067 from Oct. 31 to Nov. 3, 2023 in Las Vegas to learn how GFS can enable your shop to be more productive, efficient and profitable, while achieving flawless paint finishes.

Read More »
Automotive Refinish

Excellence Reimagined: New Auto Refinish Paint Booth From Global Finishing Solutions Introduced to Market

GFS is proud to introduce the Edge Paint Booth, which provides industry-leading features with an updated, modern design, while being backed by a manufacturer with decades of experience in the automotive refinish industry. Masterfully designed for today’s collision repair centers and paint shops, GFS Edge delivers advanced controls; precise, adjustable lighting; and premium contamination control to consistently produce excellent paint finishes and improved throughput.

Read More »
Automotive Refinish

Ultra XS Paint Booth a “Wow Factor” for Ministry Helping At-Risk Teens

Targeting junior high and high school students, the Crossover Restoration Foundation aims to provide an avenue for at-risk teenagers to turn around their lives. The past seven years, JB Baldridge has worked to get the ministry up and running. He finally is nearing that point, thanks to the addition of an Ultra XS Paint Booth from GFS.

Read More »
Automotive Refinish

“Potential is There for More Throughput” with Dual-Bay CTOF Booth at ABRA Faribault

With a shop expansion underway at ABRA Faribault, three things were priorities for body shop general manager Aaron Kasparek — increased flexibility, more space and better contamination control. Check, check and check, mostly thanks to a dual-bay Ultra XD Closed-Top Open-Front (CTOF) Booth from GFS that was paired with an Ultra XD Paint Booth and Ultra XD Paint Mix Room in hopes maximized productivity boosts the bottom line.

Read More »

Newsletter Signup

Global Finishing Solutions will use the information you provide on this form to be in touch with you and to provide updates and marketing. You can change your mind at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in the footer of any email you receive from us, or by contacting us at info@globalfinishing.com. We will treat your information with respect. For more information about our privacy practices please visit our privacy policy. By clicking below, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with these terms.