Sandblasting Costs

Sandblasting is exactly as it sounds and it is a process that uses fine materials at a very high velocity to clear a surface of materials that adhere strongly. It is used to eliminate paint from rough or flat surfaces, such as clearing paint away from a stucco home’s walls. It might be used in finer work, such as eliminating paint from the mortar between bricks, or to spruce up a concrete walk or surface. It is simple, but it requires a lot of preparations and an onsite effort to do it properly.

It is not only the high amount of preparations needed that affect the final price of any sandblasting project. There is also the method used, the material chosen, the location, the surface being treated, and the time of year chosen.

Even with so many variations, the general method is the same. The gear is going to blast grit of some kind on the surface and it takes the unwanted coating away. There are wet and dry methods, with wet chosen to keep dust to a minimum and facilitate cleanup.

Sandblasting: 1,500 sq.ft. home.

Other considerations and costs

• Any permits required are not added to the costs listed.
• Damage is always possible, even when sandblasting is done by experts and it is important to note whether or not the professionals are properly licensed or experienced in the work. It is the detailed prep work that ensures the best outcomes.
• There is a tremendous amount of noise and mess that is derived by sandblasting of any kind and it is important to properly tarp and protect property as well as warning neighbors of the difficulties that the work might create for the one to two days required.
• Acid washing is an easier, quieter, less risky and more preferred method of eliminating stuck-on materials from masonry or metal. It does not work on wood surfaces, and it is costly at $4 or more per square foot, but may be more appropriate to certain settings.
• Hydro or ice blasting is an option and uses a grit comprised of ice crystals or water.

DIY considerations

• Sandblasting is never a DIY project. The gear is too costly and the skills needed too refined or distinct for it to be something easy or even safely done by the novice or inexperienced DIY enthusiast.

References

• Craftsman Estimator Costbook, complete series year 2019.
• Latest prices found on Home Depot and other vendor Web sites.
• Literature review of DIY Web sites.