| OUR SERVICE. YOUR SECRET. |
| UNDERSTANDING SODA, SALT AND BEAD (SOFT) BLASTING |
In our research into this industry, we discovered that having only one media as a blasting option severely
limits contractors' and customers' options, which is why we have chosen to offer a variety of media:
1) While it is environmentally friendly, SODA (sodium bicarbonate a.k.a. baking soda) is good for
blasting where the used media will fall mostly on hard surfaces, but it's a killer on grass, landscaping and
vegetation because of it's high pH level.
2) SALT (magnesium sulfate a.k.a. Epsom salt) is good for blasting around landscaping and vegetation
but is riskier around hard surfaces because it will crystallize, leaving an almost permanent residue -- even
rock-like formations -- if not rinsed off quickly and thoroughly.
3) Think of GLASS BEAD as very soft sand. It comes in tiny granules which have no chemical impact
like soda or salt. Glass bead is safe to use anywhere we would use soda or salt because it comes in
various degrees of aggressiveness.
As it was explained to us, the idea for soda blasting came about in the early 1970s when the national
parks service was handed the task of restoring the Statue of Liberty. The finish had to be completely
stripped: all old paint had to come off, and all rust and oxidation had to be removed. The problem was
that the parks service couldn't risk using conventional chemicals for the restoration because of the volume
that would have to be used and the impact it would have not only on the irreplaceable icon, but on the
environment as well. Hence, an idea was born.
Using a derivative of baking soda, the parks service pushed the media through hoses at high pressure,
which removed the old paint, the rust and all surface contaminants without causing one bit of damage to
the substrate (the underlying surface). The profile of the statue remained 100% in its original form.
Since that time, blasting has become a industry. There are many different (to be continued)
| (281) 610-4065 P.O. Box 8766 The Woodlands, TX. 77387 Click picture to order via e-mail, or to submit a question. |
BEFORE
AFTER
| THE MEDIA EXPLAINED |
| HISTORY OF SOFT BLASTING |