Why is it so important?
Most shops can sublet mechanical, even unibody work, but you cannot sublet refinish work. Therefore, nearly every quality shop has some type of spray booth.
Typically however, many shop owners, managers and even painters don’t understand what the booth does or how it works. Most of the time spray booths are very poorly maintained, even though it is one of the most expensive investments a shop can make.
Let’s look at the basics. The functions of a spray booth are simple:
• To provide a well-lit work space, devoid of dust.
• To provide an area where clean air is present during painting operations.
• To provide the ability to produce cleaner finished paint work by using a cleaner environment.
• To confine harmful fumes in one area, rather than filling the shop with them.
• To contain overspray.
• To clean the paint-filled air before exhausting it in to the atmosphere.
• To bake a painted surface and to facilitate drying.
These are all pretty simple, universally accepted functions. The complicated part begins when you try to decide what type of booth you need for your shop or when you should upgrade from an old one to a new one.
It’s complicated in part due to the fact there are numberous spray booths available, each one being billed by their representatives as the “best available.” If you are thinking about upgrading, there are several factors to consider. As you read through these, remember that the best booth for you is certainly not always the most expensive, or most feature-packed product. Functionality is the key. You are going to use this piece of equipment daily, numerous times. Therefore, it has to function well under your workload, shop layout and conditions.
Before making any new purchase decisions, consult several local booth maintenance and sales companies. Have the maintenance companies look at your existing booth and give you prices to repair it and prices to upgrade it with newer features. Compare these prices, including downtime for the needed work and the cost of booth replacement. Make certain to check with other shop owners, or ask your paint jobber for some suggestions if you aren’t familiar with any. Most will be more than happy to help with this type of request. Finding reputable contractors for either task is paramount. Make certain any contractor you use has an established track record of satisfied clientele. Ask your candidates for references and check them.
Sizing up your wants and needs
The first factor to consider is cost. Remember, when installing a new booth in the place of an older one you will have the added cost of tearing down the old booth and preparing the area for a new one. This can be very costly if new concrete must be poured or elevated floors must be leveled. Gas lines may need to be added, additional holes cut in your roof or existing ones filled. All these costs must be added to the cost of the new booth to determine total costs.
What is your work volume? This is a very important factor when deciding if it’s time to upgrade. The type of booth you buy is directly related to how you are going to use it. You don’t need to buy the fastest and largest capacity booth, which moves the most air if you are only going to paint a small number of cars each week. You may not even need baking capability if you are not doing production work. Determine your work volume and allow for future growth before you even begin your search.
How much air do I need to move? Many new high-line booths move hundreds of FPM (feet per minute). Most auto painting applications do not require super high FPM. In fact, according to one spray booth representative, 151 feet per minute is optimum. This type of air movement is achievable in most booths, even less expensive ones.
Availability of parts and services. As with any piece of equipment, you must always look at its serviceability. If your booth breaks down and it cannot be fixed easily, inexpensively and quickly, the downtime will cost you plenty in lost productivity. Consider this especially when looking at the exotics or European-built booths. These types of booths are very good, but if you are not located in an urban area, parts availability may not be optimum.
Operating and maintenance cost. There are several types of booth-wall construction in the marketplace—single wall and double wall. Single wall booths are less expensive to build but are more costly to operate. (They loose heat faster than double wall.) This again goes back to your specific needs. Will your booth be running and baking all day, every day, or will it have considerable downtime between uses? How many filters will need to be changed, and at what interval? Can shop personnel change the filters, or must a contractor do it?
The single most important facet regarding spray booth ownership is a commitment to maintenance. You must be absolutely committed to regimented filter changes, grate cleanings and equipment inspections on a regular basis or no matter what booth you buy it will not last long enough for you to get an optimum return on your investment. Every manufacturer will provide you with a specific maintenance regimen that you should follow for optimum performance. Speak with a licensed booth technician who will inspect your booth and provide you with a list—outside of the manufacturer’s list—that describes recommended maintenance.
So how do you know when its time to get a new booth? Simply put, it’s your proposed usage and economics. In your conversations with the equipment jobber and the licensed booth maintenance people, describe your current and proposed future needs, and make certain the booth quote takes those into account. After the usage is determined and everyone involved clearly understands what your needs are, all that is left is the cost. It may actually be more cost effective for you to upgrade your current booth than to buy a new one. Only through clear, concise conversations can this be determined. Consult numerous sources before you give any contractor the go ahead.
One rule of thumb is to keep it basic; this is a complex piece of equipment. However, by compiling the right information, your decision to upgrade should be fairly simple. The more questions you ask and the more information you compile at the beginning of your project, the happier you will be when it’s completed.
Financially speaking
Spray booths are expensive pieces of equipment. Buying one outright is normally out of the question for anyone but a large consolidator. Most shop owners will need to finance such a large purchase.
Almost all booth manufacturers offer financing plans that include lease-to-own options. Some start with a low, fixed term for 12 to 24 months and then escalate from there on a schedule. A buyout is then done at the end of the lease for a set figure. You also can finance the purchase without a lease option on terms that are comfortable for you. This is not unlike buying a car in that the seller is motivated to try and get a deal done, so you may have a better chance at a loan if you go through the jobbers’ finance company.
You also can contact your business banker and work with him/her on the many financing options available today. These people already know your business and usually are willing to help.
You can apply for a Small Business Administration (SBA) loan for equipment upgrades. This process will require good documentation, and thorough research on the benefits of upgrading, but you will want to do that for your own peace of mind anyway.
There are also capital-equipment leasing companies that lend money specifically for this type of purchase. The Internet is loaded with them. Research any company fully before signing an agreement that you will have to live with for 10 or so years.
Simply put, do your homework before you invest in a new booth to make certain you’re getting exactly what you need. It will really pay off in increased productivity and profits in the long run.
