How to buy paint booths for your business

Paint booths are essential for high-quality finishes. The most common example is for automotive spray painting, but paint booths are also used in industries from furniture making to industrial machinery. There are three main areas to focus on when buying a paint booth – here's how to approach the decision.

Get a paint booth that matches your application
Start by considering your reasons for getting a booth: do you need a dust-free environment to work in, or are you just trying to collect fumes and overspray? High-end applications require filtering both incoming and outgoing air, and that means you’ll need a fully enclosed booth. More basic applications, where incoming air is less of a concern, can be served with a less-expensive open-front booth.

The size of the products you're coating and the spray equipment you're using are also central to your decision. It's important to have enough room to maneuver around the products you're working with, so when in doubt, adding another 2' on each side is the safe choice. The size of your products will also impact your choice of doors.

Spend the right amount
You can buy a paint booth kit online for a few hundred dollars – and it will perform just about as well as you'd expect. To get a booth that performs to your needs, it's worth working with a qualified paint booth dealer who will come investigate your space and give you a recommendation as to what features and airflow are best for you. Saving a few hundred dollars on a paint booth isn't worth it if the booth doesn't make your work better, safer, or more efficient.

One important extra expense to consider is an air make up unit. These units take external air and heat if needed before it passes through the work area. The main benefit is that this prevents a dangerous load on your HVAC system and keeps your energy expenses down. Larger booths with significant airflow are often upgraded with air make up units.

Meet safety and environmental regulations
Even if your main reason for buying a paint booth is to protect the finishes you're applying, you're also protecting your employees and the environment by collecting potentially hazardous materials. Make sure you replace the filters according to the manufacturer's guidelines to maximize safety and efficiency.

There can also be many overlapping local and federal regulations to comply with. This is another instance where qualified vendors can help: they should be able to guide you through the specification and installation process to ensure your paint booth meets all applicable OSHA, EPA, and other regulations.