Ever heard the saying, “There’s no such thing as a stupid question?” Never a work day passes that I don’t consult with at least one abrasive blasting customer, more often several. These mostly intelligent, pretty-well informed guys and gals come up with all kinds of questions ranging from the simple and easily answered to complex and down-right bizarre. Of course, the things that people ask are different depending on their industry, but when it comes to creating questions, the restoration and remediation industry is no slouch. I field questions from all over North America from some of the best (and otherwise) contractors in the business. Whether the inquiries are simple and straightforward, or off-the-wall unique, there are some common themes amongst the confusion.
Answering questions is one thing, giving good advice… well that’s another. After almost 20 years in the business, I’ve learned from mistakes – both mine, but more importantly, the mistakes of others. I’ve seen what works in successful applications, and what fails in others. What I’ve learned to do is give advice that leads to a successful outcome, based on those past successes and failures. There are always exceptions to the rule, and one answer doesn’t always fit every situation, however, there are some questions that come up so often that the same answer is the only thing to give. When writing this article I wanted to clear up as many common questions as possible. When trying to list them, and get my arms around them, I realized that the task would be immense. Certainly too big for the space I’m allowed here. Out of this realization, I will simply attempt to clear up just 3 common misconceptions about blasting for restoration.