Benimet Corp. of Maspeth, Queens has been preparing and protecting metal since 2001. Sandblasting, also called abrasive blasting, removes rust, old paint and dirt down to bare metal. It is the first step before zinc primer, galvanizing and powder coating of fences, gates and railings for homes and businesses.
Every good coating on metal starts with a clean surface. Even the best paint will not last long on rust and peeling layers of old finish. Benimet Corp. of Maspeth, Queens has been preparing and protecting metal since 2001, and sandblasting is the first step in most jobs, before galvanizing, powder coating and restoration.
What Sandblasting Is
Sandblasting, also known as abrasive blasting, directs a pressurized stream of fine abrasive at the metal. The abrasive strips off rust, old paint, mill scale and dirt down to bare metal. At the same time the surface becomes slightly rough, which helps the next layers hold on better. According to Benimet, careful surface preparation, including abrasive blasting and chemical cleaning, ensures good adhesion and a durable coating.
When Sandblasting Makes Sense
Sandblasting is useful wherever metal has years of use behind it: old wrought iron fences, gates, stair railings and window guards covered with several layers of paint. Scraping and sanding such pieces by hand takes a long time and does not reach every corner of a decorative pattern. A stream of abrasive handles them much better. Sandblasting also helps reveal the real condition of the metal, because only after the paint is gone can you see where rust has gone deeper.
What Happens After Sandblasting
Cleaned metal cannot wait long without protection, because in humid air it quickly develops a film of rust. That is why at Benimet sandblasting is part of a complete process. Next the piece receives a primer with 80 percent zinc content or goes to galvanizing, and finally it is powder coated in the color the customer picks. More about galvanizing is in the article on hot-dip galvanizing in Maspeth, and about the finish in the article on powder coating in Queens.
Iron, Aluminum and Stainless Steel
Benimet works with pieces made of iron, aluminum and stainless steel. Each of these materials needs a slightly different approach to surface preparation, so the company looks at the piece before the estimate and sets the scope of work. That applies to a single garden gate as well as to a larger batch brought in by a contractor.
How to Order Sandblasting
This is a shop service: the pieces are brought to the Benimet shop in Maspeth. Customers include homeowners from Queens, Brooklyn, other parts of New York City and western Long Island, as well as contractors from New Jersey and Long Island who bring larger batches. The company works for residential and commercial clients, and estimates are free.
Sandblasting and the Seasons
Pieces taken down for the winter are a good opportunity to have them back in place in spring, clean and protected. Many people bring them to the shop exactly when the yard or driveway is used less. Contractors, in turn, schedule sandblasting so that finished pieces are ready for the start of the building season.
Signs a Piece Needs Blasting
Paint that flakes off in sheets, bubbles under the surface of the old coat, rust stains running down a wall and rough, pitted spots at welds and joints are all signals that a simple touch-up will not hold. Painting over rust only hides the problem for a season or two. Stripping the metal down and building the protective layers from scratch gives the new finish a solid base, and it is the approach Benimet follows before galvanizing or powder coating.
Contact
Free estimates: 917-790-3632.
Shop location in Maspeth and more information: Benimet Corp. on Polish Pages.
The scope and timing of the work are set after the pieces have been inspected.
