Peeling paint on the walls or floors of facilities is unsightly and can be dangerous. In facilities that process food, pharmaceuticals, or medical devices, peeling or flaking paint in production areas can lead to product contamination and recalls. A good example is from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which recently shut-down a Baltimore, Maryland plant that was making Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine. The FDA discovered other violations as well, but the regulatory agency cited “paint flecks . . . on the floor all along the sides of the walls” in a room where vials were filled. The FDA also reported the presence of “brown residue” in one room and “black residue” in another.

The Best Way to Remove Peeling Paint

There are several ways to remove peeling paint from ceilings, walls, floors, and equipment. For facilities managers, choosing the best method means considering all of the costs and risks involved. Sand blasting requires time-consuming cleanups because it leaves behind sand and grit, including particles in crevices. Pressure washing creates a wet mess of contaminants that can pose a slip-and-fall hazard. With dry ice blasting, the only thing that’s left behind is the unwanted surface material. Plus, unlike sand blasting and pressure washing, dry ice blasting is approved for use by the FDA, EPA, and USDA.

Effectively, dry ice blasting is a media-less process. That’s because when the dry ice pellets that are propelled by compressed air hit a surface, the media turns to a gas and evaporates in a process known as sublimation. Dry ice blasting can remove peeling paint from large areas such as ceiling and walls, but it can also remove unwanted material from around fasteners and inside crevices. Dry ice cleaning, as this process is also known, can even remove paint overspray from overhead conveyor lines and other metal components. As this YouTube video shows, dry ice blasters can be used with brick walls as well.

Dry Ice Blasters for Paint Removal

Nitrofreeze® of Worcester, Massachusetts (USA) sells and rents Cold Jet® dry ice blasting equipment to companies across the U.S. Northeast and mid-Atlantic region. For one-time or infrequent applications such as paint removal, Nitrofreeze® offers used rental equipment. For more frequent applications, our Cold Jet New England Performance Evaluation Program (PEP) lets you “try before you buy” so can evaluate the success that dry ice technology has on your business over a set period of time through a trial rental. Upon purchase, the rental fee that you pay can be applied toward the cost of your machine.

Do you need dry ice blasting equipment or services to remove peeling paint from your facility? Is abrasive ice blasting a better choice instead? The experts at Nitrofreeze® are ready to answer your questions and discuss your application. As an experienced provider of contract dry ice blasting, Nitrofreeze® has completed numerous projects across the Northeast and New England. To learn more about us and how we’re revolutionizing facilities management, contact us at the phone number and email listed below.

(508) 459-7447 x 109 | info@nitrofreeze.com