Finding the Right Outdoor Spray Paint Booth for You

Keith Zralka
December 23, 2021

An outdoor spray paint booth comes complete with more or less similar features to the indoor variety. The key difference between them is the former is a freestanding structure that is designed to carry out its operations outdoors. Outdoor units are always in a good position to deliver the same ultra-clean and controlled workspace where professional finishing processes can be performed with heightened efficiency and productivity. Another major dissimilarity between an outdoor paint booth and an indoor unit is ruggedness. Since the first is situated outdoors, it is specifically designed and engineered with materials that will effortlessly withstand extended exposure to the forces of the elements and varying climatic conditions. This might include internally-reinforced doors, insulated steel walls, strengthened joints, support beams, hinges, latches to mention but a few. All of which are not necessary for an indoor spray booth. Let’s now take a look at some of the different kinds of outdoor booths you may pick from that suit your paint shop’s unique needs and operations.

Outdoor paint booth configurations

There are three main options for an outdoor spray paint booth: side-enclosure, rear-enclosure, and the drive-thru varieties. In the first option, the control systems, fans, filters, heating system, and lighting fixtures are side-mounted at the unit’s floor level. In the second, all these components are installed at the rear of the booth to make sure the air makeup unit can be installed in a weathertight and controlled area. Finally, a drive-thru outdoor paint booth is designed in such a way that limits exposure to contaminants which the objects needing finishing are subjected to as they await their turn in the unit.

Outdoor paint booth cost

There are a number of key factors that usually determine just how much you will have to pay for an engineered outdoor spray booth upon comparison to the indoor varieties. First of all, the exact amount of air your unit will have to expel from its interior is a major factor that will influence the price you will be obliged to foot for it. For instance, a cross-flow unit necessitates 100 feet per minute (FPM) x the booth opening’s face area. Alternatively, a downdraft spray paint booth needs around 50 FPM x the unit’s footprint. The higher the cubic feet per minute (CFM) of air a unit has to expel, the costlier it will eventually be.

Another factor which will ultimately determine your outdoor unit’s overall cost is whether or not you will want an air makeup unit installed. For those who might be in the dark, air makeup units’ function is to replace the air which has been expelled from a unit. Generally, these particular paint booth components are numbered among the biggest individual expenses you can foot for. In some circumstances, an air makeup unit can cost as much or even more as the whole booth itself.

The type of airflow you will wish your unit to feature will as well have a great influence on its ultimate price. The different airflow styles made available in the market come with a varied pricing. A pitted downdraft spray booth happens to be the most costly variety of these products that are currently to be had in the market since they necessitate extensive concrete work on their floors for their pits. Alternatively, the side downdraft units necessitate double the number of fans and ductwork when compared with the cross-flow units that make them costlier to build than the latter. Typically, without including the cost of air makeup units, a 114 wide x 10 height and 24 depth cross-flow booth can cost you around $12,500. While a side downdraft unit of the same dimensions may cost you around $16,000 and a pitted downdraft of similar dimensions can cost you about $35,000. Lastly, standard units tend to be more pocket-friendly than custom-built models.

Outdoor paint booth vs indoor paint booth – which is better?

Ideally, when it comes to their operations, an outdoor spray paint booth functions in the same manner as an indoor unit. However, in some given circumstances, the former can prove to be the most practical solution. The key advantages of outdoor units over the indoor varieties are their unmatched cost-effectiveness and flexibility whenever you decide to expand the operations of your paint facility. Should you be thinking of doing so, it makes infinite sense to build an outdoor paint booth rather than trying to expand your existing indoor unit, especially if you have limited space indoors.

This is particularly the case in the context of helping you bring about the many improvements to your facility’s overall efficiency and productivity. With its amazing space-saving capabilities, an outdoor spray booth will make your expansion more possible when it isn’t feasible to do it internally. Best of all, these products may also be stacked on top of each other in a number of different configurations. This makes it even easier and more convenient to plan for the growing needs of your paint shop in the future. While the upfront cost for building an outdoor unit can be significant, it is often very cost-effective due to the extra options building one can bring to the table.

ZPar International is a leading manufacturer of outdoor booths including the variety that we outlined here.

We also offer industrial and automotive units that integrate the most popular airflow styles on the market.