Marine Applications Back

Protecting the Gelcoat

A boat's gelcoat is a protective barrier to the underlying fiberglass. Once damaged, water can penetrate between it and the fiberglass creating blisters, fractures and delamination of the gelcoat. This damage often goes un-noticed and is covered up with paint. The boat owner does not know that his hull has been compromised until it is too late.

Conventional hull cleaning and paint stripping methods rely on scraping, sanding and hazardous chemicals. Scraping heavy accumulations of marine growth off a vessel's bottom can easily gouge a hull's gelcoat and cause serious damage. Sanding and sand blasting are the most destructive paint removal processes in the marine industry.

Most boat bottoms never get completely stripped due to the cost and work involved. Over a period of time, heavy layers of peeling paint create a rough surface. A rough surface increases drag, decreases performance, results in poor fuel efficiency and if there is water penetrating the gelcoat, eventual loss of hull integrity.

Soda blasting is simply the most effective hull cleaning process available to the marine industry today! It's a high pressure, nondestructive, air-driven, process that safely removes paint and contaminants. Soda blasting is able to remove anti-fouling paint and marine growth safely in a fraction of the time of traditional methods. The process also reveals any blisters, cracks, potential delamination, or gelcoat damage from prior maintenance before they become a serious problem!

Spring Commissioning

When bottom paint has areas where the anti-fouling paint has thinned or exhibits oxidation, but the overall paint condition is good, a "sweep blast" can be performed to remove surface contaminants and rejuvenate the paint for touch up painting or vessel launching.

Blister Removal

It is not uncommon for blisters to form on newer hulls. New boat owners are advised to do a visual inspection of the boat prior to warranty expiration to address this potential. Most warranties will cover such anomalies. Soda blasting will easily handle such problems, safely and quickly.

Automotive Stripping Back

Soda blasting is ideal for preparing metal or fiberglass vehicles without scratching, damaging or warping fiberglass, rubber seals, plastics, glass, hydraulics or metals such as aluminum and chrome. Normal stripping techniques utilizing sanders and grinders, chemical dipping, or sand blasting to remove paint takes several days to completely prepare, strip and clean metal surfaces. The non-destructive abrasive characteristics of soda blasting reduces cycle time by cleaning, de-greasing and de-painting all in one step. This makes it possible for vehicles to be completely stripped in less than a day.

Masonry and Stone Cleaning Back

From painted concrete to soft limestone monuments, soda blasting knows no equal. Because of the non-destructive abrasive effect of soda blasting, either hard or soft masonry and stone surfaces can easily be cleaned in a matter of minutes.

Food Service Cleaning Back

Soda blasting is ideal for cleaning all types of delicate equipment and surfaces.

The presence of organic matter dramatically reduces the activity of sanitizers and may render them ineffective. Soda blasting renders food contact surfaces free of organic materials and readies surfaces to be sanitized. Difficult, complex, organic removal often requires sophisticated, costly and sometimes hazardous chemicals to be totally effective in the cleaning process. Soda blasting is fast, and can be used to clean equipment while it is on line. Since it uses food grade sodium bicarbonate as a medium, it is perfect for all food industry cleaning applications, and is approved by the FDA and USDA. The baking soda used is Kosher certified and soda blasting is OSHA approved.

Homes & Buildings Back

Soda blasting has no equal when it comes to stripping paint or stain off of wood used in constructing buildings. Because cedar sided buildings can only take 2 coats of stain, when it's time to renew the stain, soda blasting is the most effective process available for preparing the cedar for new stain. Log homes can be soda blasted and brought back to their original appearance. Soda blasting is perfect for getting rid of mold and the mold smell in basements and other areas where mold thrives. Soda blasting stick frames and timbers gets rid of the appearance and odor cause by water and fire damage.