paint booth Archives : Paint-Booths.com

Fire Prevention Week and Your Paint Booth.

October 9^th – 15^th is National Fire Prevention Week

Practicing fire prevention within your paint booth could make the difference between life and death. To protect your business and the lives of those who work within the booth, it’s important to work safely all year long. Read our previous post on how we raise the standard of safety.

THE NATIONAL FIRE PREVENTION ASSOCIATION

If you own a paint booth, you should be familiar with the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA). The NFPA was established in 1896 and is devoted to eliminating death, injury, property, and economic loss due to fire, electrical and related hazards. They have an extensive list of codes and standards, but NFPA 33 is the code specific to paint booths and applications using flammable or combustible materials. It includes processes designed to reduce the risk of fire due to flammable paints and coatings. It’s an important safety document but is a small part of a much bigger safety picture. Other considerations, such as local requirements, International Fire Code (IFC), or OSHA requirements, must also be met before the paint spray booth can be safely used. Failure to comply with regulations on a state and local level can get a business fined or penalized.

TOP TIPS FOR PAINT BOOTH FIRE PREVENTION:

Assess fire risks often and develop a safety plan to include training, crisis response, and inspection schedules.
Replace clogged filters and clean out overspray buildup in the booth and in the fan. Flammable material overspray is a dangerous source of fuel for fire ignition and proper booth ventilation reduces the buildup of flammable material. Make sure you have an adequate amount of CFM to avoid saturating the air with too much flammable material.
Install fire extinguishers, automatic sprinklers, and other fire suppression equipment as directed by the city or county fire chief.
Identify all ignition sources and move them away from the booth. (Common sources of ignition are light fixtures, switches, and certain types of fans.)
Store and mix paints away from spark-producing devices, ideally in a paint mixing booth.
Designate a smoking area away from the building. Cigarettes, matches, and lighters are a common risk in many workplaces, particularly those that don’t designate smoking areas for employees. Companies should provide facilities for smokers, including enclosed ashtrays that are separate from areas with flammable or combustible substances.
Updated material safety data sheets for all dangerous substances used in production.

FIRE SUPPRESSION FOR YOUR BOOTH.

The best way to protect your business from a fire is to install a paint booth fire suppression system, a necessity that is required in many areas across the country. These systems limit the damage and loss to equipment in the case of a fire by monitoring your booth 24-hours a day. A fire may destroy the paint booth but will protect the fire from spreading to the entire building. For more information on fire suppression systems, check out our FAQs on Fire Suppression.

SOME OTHER WORKPLACE SAFETY TIPS TO CONSIDER:

Clear and accessible escape routes, practiced regularly with fire drills.
Fire extinguishers that have been inspected monthly and serviced yearly. Ensure they are the proper size and located throughout your facility.
Fully working fire alarms that have been tested regularly.
Fire precautions within a safety plan that has been given to all employees.
Train your staff on fire safety, including fire extinguisher training.
Designate a smoking area with enclosed ashtrays

Introduction to Paint Booth Types: Side Downdraft Paint Booths

In this series, we’ll look at some of the most common types of paint spray booths and their functions and benefits. This month’s spotlight is on side downdraft paint booths.

What is a side downdraft paint booth?

A side downdraft paint booth is similar to a downdraft booth, but the airflow moves the air down and to the lower sides of the booth rather than straight down toward the floor. A side downdraft paint booth doesn’t need a floor pit because it exhausts air through the side walls.

Side downdraft models are available in many different sizes, from a model that is 23’ long for smaller shops to a much larger 60’ booth, designed to fit big trucks. Standard Tools and Equipment can customize the booth to be as long as desired. This model is a popular model to order with an air makeup unit for a heated booth option.

How does a side downdraft paint booth work?

In a side downdraft paint booth, air comes in through the front ceiling. Most models have a double set of filters at the air intake point. This filtered air moves down and toward the sides of the booth where it’s exhausted through a set of floor-level filters along both sides of the booth.

The airflow pattern of a side downdraft booth pulls air away from the center of the booth, helping to draw contaminants and overspray away from the item being painted or finished. This setup makes painting easier and improves the quality of the finish.

Benefits of a side downdraft paint booth

Side downdraft booths offer several advantages:

No need for an expensive concrete pit
Good control of contaminants and overspray
Excellent finish quality (similar to a downdraft booth)
Filtered intake air
No “dead zones” like those in a semi downdraft booth

A side downdraft paint booth offers many advantages, making it an excellent choice for a wide range of applications. However, side downdraft booths require a lot of exhaust ductwork and multiple fans, so they tend to be more expensive than other styles.

Top uses for a side downdraft paint booth

Side downdraft paint booths facilitate excellent finish quality, making them ideal for top-tier projects:

Automotive finishing/refinishing
Large truck finishing
Large equipment production
Industrial manufacturing of precision equipment

A side downdraft booth is a good option for shops that produce large, high-quality items but can’t support a floor pit for a downdraft booth.

Optimize Production With a High-Quality Paint Booth

If you want to ensure your products receive a top-notch finish free of blemishes, a side downdraft paint booth is an excellent choice. It offers a downward airflow pattern that controls contaminants and overspray but doesn’t require a floor pit. Side downdraft booths are also easily installed with a Sure-Cure air makeup unit to increase production with a heated cure cycle.

No matter what kind of paint booth you need, we can help. We carry a wide selection of paint spray booths in various styles and sizes. From a heated side downdraft paint booth to a cross flow paint booth, our selection has options for every project. We can even customize a booth for your unique needs. To get started, contact our team directly, email sales@paint-booths.com, or call 888-312-7488.

Introduction to Paint Booth Types: Semi Downdraft Paint Booths

In this series, we’ll look at some of the most common types of paint spray booths and their functions and benefits. This month’s spotlight is on semi downdraft paint booths.

What is a semi downdraft paint booth?

A semi downdraft paint booth is essentially a hybrid of a cross flow booth and a downdraft booth. Semi downdraft paint booths are available in several different sizes, from smaller booths that are about 20 feet long to 60-foot models that can accommodate large trucks. You can even get a booth with an integrated heated air makeup unit for faster curing times.

Semi downdraft booths generally feature a completely enclosed design with two sides, a ceiling, front doors, and a back wall. Air intake filters are located in the front portion of the ceiling, pulling air from the cleaner upper areas of the shop. The back wall houses the exhaust plenum. The booth sometimes is modified to include doors on both ends for a drive-through option. This styles also features a personnel door (or doors) on the sides, giving you the option to attach a clean entry room booth to reduce contaminants inside the booth.

How does a semi downdraft paint booth work?

A semi downdraft booth pulls in air through the front quarter or third of the ceiling and directs it downward and across the booth toward the back wall. In most cases, the air is pulled into filters at the exhaust plenum in the back wall and then exhausted up and out through integrated ductwork. The airflow pattern in the booth is essentially diagonal: from the front of the ceiling to the back wall.

The airflow pattern in a semi downdraft booth helps direct overspray toward the exhaust filters. It offers some of the same benefits as a downdraft booth but doesn’t require a pit in the floor, making installation easier and less expensive. The velocity of the air across the object can help the paint dry faster, and adding a heated AMU can speed up the curing process exponentially.

Top advantages of a semi downdraft paint booth

We call the “workhorse” in our booth lineup for the heavy workloads it handles with ease! It is used by more start-up auto body shops than any other model.
A semi downdraft spray booth offers several benefits:

More affordable than a downdraft booth
Minimal installation requirements (no floor pit needed)
Versatile applications
Airflow and temperature control options
Effective overspray and contaminant control

While a semi downdraft paint booth is an excellent choice in most applications, there are some potential drawbacks. It does not provide as much overspray control as a traditional downdraft booth. Additionally, the diagonal airflow pattern creates a “dead zone” near the front of the booth that can cause eddy currents that collect overspray, potentially harming the finish and exposing the painter to a high level of paint.

What is a semi downdraft paint booth used for?

Semi downdraft booths are very popular for numerous applications:

Automotive painting
Finishing small parts
Painting large vehicles: trucks, RVs, tractors, etc.
Finishing industrial equipment

While mostly used in finishing applications for cars, trucks, and other vehicles, the versatility and affordability of a semi downdraft paint booth makes it a great choice for many projects.

Find the perfect paint booth for your needs

Semi downdraft spray booths offer many benefits, making them useful in a range of applications. This unique paint booth style combines some of the best features of cross flow and downdraft booths at an affordable cost. The only installation requirement is a level concrete floor. Our semi downdraft booth is ETL-listed, offering you an easy-to-permit booth. This model is easily customizable to add length, width, additional light fixtures and more. If you aren’t sure which style of paint booth is best for your shop, contact our expert team. We can recommend a model that meets your needs or design a custom paint booth to your specifications. To get started, contact our team directly, email us, or call us at 888-312-7488.

Introduction to Paint Booth Types: Cross Flow Paint Booths

In this series, we’ll look at some of the most common types of paint spray booths and their functions and benefits. This month’s spotlight is on the Cross Flow Paint Booths.

What Is a cross flow paint booth?

Also known as a cross draft paint booth, the airflow inside the booth is horizontal from front to rear. Cross flow booths come in a variety of sizes and designs, from small models that are about 10’ by 14’, to large truck-sized booths that are approximately 20’ wide and as long as you want.

How does a cross flow paint booth operate?

In most cross flow booths, the entry doors are equipped with filters to remove dirt and other contaminants from the air. This helps protect the quality of the finish.

The air enters the booths through filtered front doors and moves horizontally over the item being painted and out through the exhaust plenum in the rear of the booth.

Benefits of a cross flow paint booth

Cross flow booths are extremely popular because they offer several unique advantages:

Affordability
Easy installation
Simple design that works on any flat floor
Easy maintenance/repairs
Minimal training to operate
Versatile applications

It’s an economical alternative in shops that are extremely clean. Since the air moves into the booth from the front doors, if the shop isn’t clean, it will deposit dust and debris on the finish. The filters on the door catch a lot of the contaminants, but if the shop is dirty, the filters will need to be a higher quality and changed often. As such, it’s important to minimize contaminants in the air as much as possible, which can be difficult in high-volume shops.

Considerations of a cross flow paint booth

A consideration when thinking about a cross flow booth is if there is a need to heat the booth. Unlike a lot of its counterparts, the cross flow can’t be heated with our Sure-Cure AMU. The intake air entering through filtered doors makes it difficult. In other styles, the air is heated before entering the plenum. The cross flow doesn’t have an intake plenum, making it ideal for shorter spaces, but impossible to control the heat through an AMU. These booths can be used with heat lamps as a less effective curing option.

Another thing to consider is the safety of the booth. While all of our booths meet NFPA 33 requirements for safety, our cross flow booth is also ETL-certified. This makes it much easier with your local inspector, fire marshal or insurance agent.

Common uses of a cross flow paint booth

Cross draft paint booths are most common in the automotive industry, but can be used in many different applications:

Sanding
Finishing vehicles, especially large trucks
Automotive repair/refinishing
Motorcycle refinishing
Metal fabrication
Furniture finishing
Industrial manufacturing of equipment and parts

Cross flow paint booths are extremely affordable and versatile, making them a popular option for many shops.

Upgrade your shop’s productivity with a cross flow paint booth

If you’re looking for a paint booth that makes it easy to get a high-quality finish on your products, a cross flow booth may be the right choice. It’s easy to install, affordable, and a preference of many painters.

A paint spray booth provides a safe environment to spray while significantly improving productivity and the overall quality of the finished product. We offer a wide range of paint booths in several sizes and styles, including ETL-certified models. We can even customize a booth to your exact specifications. To see what style will work for you, contact our team directly, email sales@paint-booths.com, or call 888-312-7488.

Introduction to Paint Booth Types: Open-Face Paint Booths

In this series, we’ll look at some of the most common types of paint spray booths and their functions and benefits. This month’s spotlight is on open-face paint booths.

What is an open-face paint booth?

While many paint booths are designed as full enclosures, an open-face booth is different. As the name implies, this type of spray booth includes a ceiling, two side walls, and a back wall, but the front is completely open (no doors). Usually, the exhaust filter system is housed in the back wall.

Open-face paint booths are the most versatile booth type of them all and come in a variety of sizes. They are also easily customizable from our engineers. The small models start at just 2’ wide and deep, designed to accommodate small products. In fact, a benchtop booth is essentially a small open-face spray booth with a working table top.

However, you can also purchase much larger models that can accommodate big items and complicated painting rigs. For example, you could choose an open-face paint booth with an interior that’s 20 feet wide and 7 feet deep. Some popular products that are being sprayed in an open-face paint booth from Standard Tools include helium tanks, metal trash cans, Hollywood props, cabinets, and a variety of furniture pieces.

A custom open-face booth that we designed is a dual-sided open-faced booth. This is a design that has two painting areas that share an exhaust plenum. We design every paint booth to fit the need and the footprint.

How an open-face paint booth works

In an open-face paint booth, air is pulled into the booth through the open front. It flows horizontally over the product toward the exhaust in the back wall. When the air is drawn into the booth through the open front, it’s not filtered before entering the booth. It is important this booth is used in a clean shop so that the paint isn’t easily contaminated. However, this design allows air to move through the booth very quickly, which facilitates fast and efficient removal of toxic fumes, debris, and other contaminants from the work area.

Top benefits of an open-face booth

Affordable and simple to install
Easy access for items of all sizes
Efficient control and removal of overspray and contaminants
Useful in a variety of applications
Can be installed almost anywhere (Inside).

An open-face paint booth offers many benefits that make it an excellent choice for a wide range of applications.

What are open-face paint booths used for?

Open-face paint booths are used for a wide variety of things. They are very popular in the furniture and woodworking industries. Here are some other common uses for an open-face paint booth:

Painting/finishing products, parts, and equipment
Sanding
Adhesive application
Welding
Minor automotive repair/repainting jobs
Prepping products before they are finished in an enclosed booth

These booths are not compatible with an Air Makeup Unit directly into the booth. However, we can provide information on adding a Makeup Air unit to your shop to compensate for the air being exhausted.

If you are doing extremely detailed custom work that must be flawless, a fully enclosed paint booth would be a better choice. For many applications, however, an open-face booth is an affordable addition any shop that will significantly improve productivity.

Get a Versatile Open-Face Paint Booth for Your Shop

If you want to create a space in your shop that can be used for anything from sanding to painting, an open-face paint booth is an excellent choice. This type of booth can be installed pretty much anywhere (it does need to be inside so it is not exposed to the elements and needs to be exhausted out through the roof).

Adding a paint spray booth to your shop can significantly increase productivity and create a safer environment for your employees. At Standard Tools and Equipment Co., we manufacturer a wide range of spray booth styles and can completely customize a paint booth to fit every need and footprint. To connect directly with our expert team, give us a call at 888-312-7488.

Almost Everything You Need to Know About Control Panels for a Paint Booth

Your paint booth has many different parts that perform specific functions, but one of the most important is the control panel. This guide covers all the essentials of spray booth control panels so you can understand how they work and how to use them safely.

What Does a Paint Booth Control Panel Do?

As the name implies, a control panel allows you to operate the paint booth’s lights and fans from one central location near the booth.

How It Works

Inside the control box, there is a contactor that’s linked to the “Fan” button on the panel. The contactor is a device that starts or interrupts an electrical circuit. So, when you push the “Fan” button, the contactor establishes the circuit to start the exhaust fans. The “Lights” button is linked to a contactor that controls the lights inside the booth.

We offer many types of control panels, including one designed for mixing rooms and others that work with different paint booths based on their voltage, horsepower, and phase requirements. For example, we have a one-motor, one-phase control panel that can control a single fan motor and is available in four different horsepower/voltage configurations. If your booth has two exhaust fans, check out our two-motor, three-phase panel that’s available in two different horsepower/voltage configurations.

Our control panels are engineered to make your booth easy to use. Along with operating the fans and lights with just a push og a button, they also have the ability to control paint spray guns through an air valve solenoid. The solenoid’s wiring is already connected inside the panel so it is an easy hookup to the AVS terminals.

We also build control panels with each of our Sure-Cure Air Makeup Units (AMU). These panels are similar, but they are larger in size because of the additional features an AMU allows. These boxes operate the fan and lights… but it also allows the operator to set the booth’s pressure and temperature as well as set the unit into “Cure” mode to complete the paint job. These control panels have a ton of safety features built into the unit for the operator’s safety

Can You Switch or Upgrade the Control Panel in Your Paint Booth?

We offer ETL-listed control panels that are certified by Intertek. These panels have internal components that meet ETL certification requirements, ensuring that they comply with the highest safety standards. This certification mark is found inside every control panel we build.

What Are Control Panel Safety Regulations?

Paint booths and their control panels are regulated by several different organizations, most of which manage electrical standards and fire safety rules. All of our control boxes meet ETL guidelines and are certified by Intertek. Our manufacturing shop is UL508A-certified, meaning we have met the standards that apply to industrial control panels for general use. Control panels are included with the ETL-listed paint booths that we offer. You can feel confident that the equipment meets the highest international product safety standards. Control panels can be sold with non-ETL booths or can be added to an existing paint booth from another manufacturer.

For safety, our paint booth control boxes have a time-delay mechanism that’s set to three minutes. Fire code in most places requires this three-minute delay feature. This means that after you push the “Fan” button to stop the exhaust fans, they will run for three additional minutes before shutting off. This is a safety feature that allows the booth to exhaust any remaining paint fumes and vapors out of your paint booth, preventing a fire and safety hazard.

Trust Us for Top-Quality Paint Booth Equipment

employee working with paint booth control panel

At Standard Tools and Equipment Co., we have been manufacturing spray booths, mixing booths, air makeup units, and control panels since 1997. We build products that meet the highest safety and quality standards while providing a value for our customers. We design and build these products from our facility in Greensboro, North Carolina with all American-made components. Our team can answer your questions about control panels and help you choose the right ETL-listed box for your paint booth. To get in touch with our expert team, call 888-312-7488 or email sales@paint-booths.com.

Save Time and Money with These Top Spray Booth Accessories

If you want to get the maximum use out of your paint booth, consider investing in some upgrades. Accessories such as all-in-one control panels, LED lights, and AMUs improve your booth’s efficiency and performance, and special coatings simplify cleaning. Learn more about how to save money with the right accessories for your spray booth.

Mixing Rooms

It may seem easy to just store your paints, primers, glazes, and other chemicals in the corner of your shop, but keeping these things in the open presents a fire hazard. And it’s difficult to clean up accidental spills all over your shop’s floor.

With a well-built mixing booth, you have a dedicated and safe place to store your paints and stains. All of our mixing rooms are ETL-certified and compliant with NFPA standards. Built-in ventilation systems run continuously, removing the fumes and harmful particles created by mixing and storing paint and other chemicals.

Energy-Efficient LED Lights

Your paint booth probably has lights already, but built-in illumination isn’t always optimal, especially for finishing jobs that require a lot of precision. When you upgrade your booth to energy-efficient LED flat-panel lights. The LED lay-in panels are slim and easy to install, and are suitable for both heated and unheated booths. LED panels drastically reduce energy use, costing you less money on each power bill. Additionally, they last for an extremely long time and come with a five-year warranty. Our panels have up to 60,000 hours of run time, which equates to over 6 years (if you left them on 24/7). Another great benefit is that your energy company may give you a credit for upgrading to LED so the upgrade isn’t as costly as you think.

Air Makeup Units (AMU)

To keep the proper air pressure in your paint booth, you need to replace the air that gets exhausted during operation. The easiest way to do this is with an air makeup unit (AMU), which balances air pressure inside the booth by automatically providing the right amount of replacement air.

Installing an AMU is a better, more-efficient solution for air pressure management than trying to use the HVAC system to regulate the air pressure in the shop. Plus, AMUs are heated, so there are even more benefits:

Faster finish times
Temperature control for even curing
Fewer airborne particles and contaminants inside the booth

A heated AMU can be one of the most cost-effective upgrades for your paint booth.

Air Hose Storage Solutions

Air hoses that are left can be a tripping hazard. Easily keep your air lines stored in reels to your air hoses from getting tangled or tripped on during operation. Many air line reels can be installed anywhere, and come with automatic retraction systems that prevent the hose from becoming loose or unrolling.

Easy-To-Clean Coatings

To keep your spray booth functioning properly, it’s essential to clean the overspray that gets on the ceiling, walls, and floors. This can be a tedious job, but there are several accessories that can make it easier. White Out coating is a water-based spray that creates a film that covers paint booth walls, restoring a “like new” appearance even in booths with extensive overspray. The new white walls improve light quality in the booth. When the film gets covered with overspray, you can simply peel it off and respray the White Out on your booth’s interior.

It’s vital to keep the air inside the booth as clean as possible to reduce dust and debris that can ruin the quality of a finish. This adds to the life of your paint booth filters and keeps your paint booth fan clean. The Grippy Mat is a floor mat that traps dirt, dust, and overspray, reducing the chance that these particles will enter the airflow inside the booth. Our starter bundle includes a Grippy Mat floor covering, particle control solution, and an easy-to-use sprayer.

Operational controls

A paint booth control panel simplifies operation, allowing you to manage your booth’s lights, exhaust fans, and other crucial hardware from one point of contact. All of our ETL-certified spray booths come with electric control panels. If you purchase an uncertified booth model, you can upgrade to one of our ETL-listed control boxes; we have both single-phase and three-phase models.

Optimize Your Paint Booth with Key Accessories

If you want to make it easier to operate, monitor, and clean your paint booth, consider upgrading it with some accessories. We carry a wide range of top-quality options, and you can count on our team for advice about which upgrades are best for your booth and shop. If you have any questions about choosing the right lights, AMU, or control panel for your booth, contact our friendly sales team. We’ll provide expert solutions completely customized for your needs.

What to Do If Your Paint Booth Isn’t Code Compliant

Compliance is one of the most complex issues that you may deal with as a paint booth owner. There are both local and national regulations that apply to the installation and operation of your spray booth. Making sure your booth is compliant isn’t just about avoiding fines and legal issues. Codes are designed to ensure you operate your booth safely and correctly. By following the relevant codes, you can enhance quality control and protect yourself and your employees.

Ideally, it’s best to have a thorough understanding of all the relevant code requirements before you purchase a new paint booth. However, even the most conscientious paint booth owners may find themselves with compliance issues at some point. Read on to learn how to bring your paint booth into compliance.

Understand the Requirements

There are both national and state-level codes that apply to paint booths. The federal requirements come from several different agencies:

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rules are related to workplace safety. OSHA laws for paint booths are designed to protect operators from hazardous and combustible substances (such as paints and other finishing products). There are rules about ventilation, filters, illumination, and ignition sources.
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) codes are designed to mitigate the fire risks of spraying flammable materials. NFPA-33 specifically, is intended for fire control for large-scale, indoor spray paint applications such as industrial spray paint booths. This code covers fire prevention, fire suppression measures, cleaning of built-up overspray, and disposal of flammable materials.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards help reduce harm to the environment from volatile organic compounds that come from improper ventilation and/or disposal of toxic substances. There are filter codes, ventilation standards, and record-keeping requirements.

Your paint booth may also be subject to additional rules based on local ordinances. When you are pulling permits for your paint booth, carefully read through all the building codes so you understand them. You may need to choose an ETL-certified booth and/or have your setup checked by a local inspector.

Even if your paint booth is already installed, it may become noncompliant if you change the layout of your shop, disassemble and reassemble the booth, or start using different types of finishing products. Local codes can also change, requiring you to take certain actions to make your spray booth compliant again.

Mitigate Fire Risks

Local fire codes may be stricter than NFPA regulations. If your booth doesn’t meet fire safety standards, you may need to make some changes:

Replace clogged filters and clean out overspray buildup in the booth.
Install fire extinguishers, automatic sprinklers, and other fire suppression equipment as directed by the city or county fire chief.
Identify all ignition sources and move them away from the booth. Common sources of ignition are light fixtures, switches and certain types of fans. Make sure to store and mix paints and finishes away from spark-producing devices, ideally in a paint mixing booth.

Your paint booth itself should meet national fire safety requirements by including non-sparking fans and lights. However, taking extra fire precautions can help protect everyone in your shop.

Schedule a Field Test

Some states and cities only allow paint booths that have ETL certification. This Electrical Testing Laboratories mark indicates that the booth’s components meet certain NFPA safety requirements. In an ETL-listed booth, the electrical control panel for the lights and fans is designed to meet UL standards.

If your local codes require ETL certification, the easiest way to ensure compliance is to purchase an ETL-listed booth. You can also obtain certification for an existing booth by scheduling an official inspection and completing any required changes. However, this can be a costly certification process. If you are unsure if it will be required, it is best to purchase a booth that is already certified.

Prioritize Regular Maintenance

Once your paint booth is compliant with all relevant codes and standards, preventative maintenance is the best thing you can do to keep it that way.

Change filters when necessary.
Clean the booth regularly.
Check wires for wear and tear.
Monitor airflow and ventilation.
Inspect fire suppression equipment frequently.
Clean any overspray from the exhaust fans

If you’re not sure how to maintain your paint booth, contact an expert.

Get Reliable Support To Keep Your Booth Compliant

Paint booth compliance is about more than just following building codes; a compliant booth is safer to operate. If your booth isn’t code compliant, the best thing to do is remedy the situation right away by scheduling an inspection and completing any assigned action items. When you are purchasing a paint booth, make sure to choose one that meets federal standards and is ETL-certified (if your local codes require it). To learn more about paint booth compliance, contact our experienced team.

Paint Booths for Wood Finishing: What You Need to Know

While most spray booths operate in similar ways, there are some characteristics that make certain models better for specific tasks. Woodworking spray booths are specifically designed to enhance the finishing process for wood items, including furniture and art pieces. These specialized spray booths offer many advantages, making the finishing process better, safer, and more efficient.

Spray Booths and Wood Finishing

In general, a paint booth provides a place to apply finishes to three-dimensional objects. In the field of woodworking, different projects may require unique finishes and coatings:

Stain
Paint
Sealer
Primer
Glaze
Powder coating (for MDF)
Lacquer
Varnish

Woodworking paint booths are designed to make it easier to finish wood items, improving the final appearance and condition.

Benefits of a Woodworking Spray Booth

A paint booth provides a favorable environment for the wood-finishing process. There are several advantages a specialized spray booth provides in a woodworking shop:

Better lighting, which can allow the operator to identify and fix issues with the finish
Proper ventilation, which can improve the overall air quality in the shop
Upgraded safety measures, which can help mitigate fire risks
Filtered exhaust mechanisms, which can reduce overspray and air pressure problems

Finishing furniture and other wood products is safer and faster with a paint booth that’s customized for woodworking.

Types of Woodworking Paint Booths

Spray booths for wood finishing are available in different configurations, but there are two styles that are the most common: enclosed and open face. Each type has unique benefits and challenges that render it better for certain shops and projects.

Enclosed Paint Booths

In general, enclosed spray booths take up more space in a shop than open face models. You must allow space for all four sides of the booth plus additional room for the doors to open. Enclosed paint booths also tend to be more expensive. However, this design makes it far easier to reduce contaminants that can degrade the quality of the finish. With an enclosed booth, it can be easier to control the air pressure and the airflow style and, in turn, the finish quality.

Open Face Paint Booths

As the name implies, an open face spray booth usually has three walls and a ceiling, with the fourth side being open to the rest of the shop. This style is generally more affordable than an enclosed model and may take up less floor space. Some open face booths are wider than they are deep (the opposite of many enclosed models), which may be better for some woodworking projects such as finishing cabinet doors. However, the open nature of this type of spray booth makes is more difficult to eliminate the contaminants that can negatively affect the finish.

Considerations When Choosing a Paint Booth

When you’re ready to upgrade the functionality of your woodworking shop with a spray booth, there are several things to consider. As discussed above, one of the most important aspects to decide on is whether you want an open face or enclosed model. There are other essential factors:

Size
Exhaust infrastructure
Fans and ductwork
ETL certification

The specifications of your shop may limit your options to booths of a specific size and/or exhaust structure. Your local laws may require you to purchase an ETL-certified model, or you may choose to do so for the added safety benefits.

Upgrade Your Shop with a Woodworking Spray Booth

The right paint booth can simplify the finishing process for countless types of wood items. Whether you are making wood furniture or crafting wood art pieces, you can count on a gorgeous finish when you use a specialized woodworking spray booth.

We offer a variety of spray booths designed for wood finishing, including both open face and enclosed models. ETL-listed booths are available, and we can also develop and manufacture a customized solution based on your unique requirements. Contact our team to learn more about our woodworking paint booth options.

ETL Certification: What Is It and Why Is It Important?

When you are choosing a paint booth, one thing you need to consider is ETL certification. Spray booths with this certification have been rigorously tested and verified to comply with certain safety codes. Some state and local regulations may require you to install an ETL-certified model. The ETL Mark can give you peace of mind that your paint booth meets the highest safety standards and won’t give you any issues with local authorities.

ETL Certification and OSHA

ETL stands for Electrical Testing Laboratories, and it’s an organization that tests the safety of products and electronic components based on a set of rigid standards. While this company has been around for over 100 years (it was started by Thomas Edison), it now functions as a division of Intertek Testing Laboratories. Intertek ETL is a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory acknowledged by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Paint Booth Compliance with Safety Codes

Intertek tests products based on North American safety standards and applies the ETL Mark to products and components that meet compliance requirements. One relevant safety code for paint booths is NFPA-33, which is the National Fire Protection Association’s standard for spray application using flammable or combustible materials. An ETL Mark on a paint booth indicates that Intertek finds it in compliance with NFPA-33 standards.

Another element of ETL testing for a paint booth covers the electrical control panel that operates the fans and lights. The relevant safety codes for a control panel are C 22.2 No. 14 and UL-508A. At Standard Tools and Equipment, we are an authorized ETL shop by Intertek for all the control panels we manufacture. We affix the ETL mark to these components prior to shipping them out to you.

Government Requirements and ETL-Listed Paint Booths

There are many advantages to purchasing an ETL-listed paint booth, and you may decide that you want these benefits in your shop. In some cases, however, you may not have a choice; certain state or federal laws may require you to get an ETL-listed booth. There may also be local ordinances or fire codes that necessitate you choosing ETL-listed equipment for your shop.

In general, you may need an ETL-listed paint booth if your shop is in a large city or a state with high safety standards (e.g. WA, CA, OR, MN, RI, CT, MA, and NY). Most government facilities require ETL-listed equipment. Before ordering a paint booth, it’s best to contact your local authorities for information on certification requirements.

Obtaining the ETL Mark for a Paint Booth

There are two ways to obtain an ETL mark for your paint booth: purchase an ETL-listed model or schedule an Intertek inspection and certification after you install an uncertified spray booth. Getting the ETL mark upon purchase can save you a significant amount of time and money.

Standard Tools and Equipment offers several ETL-listed models that include the following:

An air valve solenoid that interlocks the spray equipment and the fan motor
An electrical control panel that is ETL-listed
An official ETL certification label on the booth

Having the ETL mark on your paint booth can show your clients, employees, and local authorities that you value safety and have taken the necessary precautions.

Selecting the Right ETL-Listed Paint Booth

Whether your local laws require you to get an ETL-listed booth or you simply want the confidence that comes with knowing your booth meets the standards, we can help you choose the right certified paint booth. We have a wide range of ETL-listed models, including semidown, cross flow, and open face options. You can also choose an ETL-listed booth that includes a heated AMU for more control over the finishing process. When you order a booth from Standard Tools that has been certified, it is included in the listed booth’s price. Purchasing an ETL-listed booth is far more cost-efficient than requesting a certification inspection after installation should you need it. Our diverse selection of paint booths makes it easy to find the right model for your needs. For additional information on the ETL certification or assistance in choosing a paint booth, contact our team at 888-312-7488.