In order to remove paint, rust, or other materials from metal or plastics, a process known as sandblasting is usually used. This process involves propelling grains of sand at the object at a high rate of speed, thereby chipping away at the paint, rust, or other material. Sandblasting rooms are often used during this process to help contain the sand, as this process can be exceptionally messy and even harmful to one's health. Various types of sandblasting rooms exist, from the very simple containment room to the all-inclusive rooms that integrate the container as well as the hopper, the blaster, and other pieces of machinery.
The simplest sandblasting rooms are not specially designed for sandblasting at all. In fact, sandblasting can be done at home in a well ventilated garage, or even outdoors. It is important to remember, however, that sand will end up just about everywhere within the room, making clean-up difficult. If a person is considering sandblasting at home, it is best to prepare the room ahead of time by sealing off gaps in walls and floors, and even by isolating a particular part of the room. A blasting room can be made using cardboard; the cardboard can be set up behind the piece being sandblasted to collect spent sand.
Sandblasting cabinets are not sandblasting rooms, but they essentially perform the same function on a smaller scale. These cabinets are often small enough to be placed on a workbench, and they will feature holes through which the user can insert his or her hands. The spray nozzle will be within the cabinet as well, and the piece to be sandblasted can be placed inside. All of the sand will be contained within the blast cabinet during the sandblasting process.
Large-scale sandblasting will require specially designed sandblasting rooms that can contain large amounts of sand while adequately ventilating the space to ensure safe breathing. These rooms are likely to feature integrated air exchangers, sandblasting nozzles and hoses, collection units, and sand hoppers. The sandblasting rooms may have additional features as well, such as conveyor systems and work tables. These are meant to make the process of sandblasting larger items much easier. The rooms will feature doors that can be closed during the sandblasting process, and then opened during the cleaning, unloading, or loading processes. Most rooms will feature large double doors to accommodate large objects that need to be blasted.