In a state where there are nearly a quarter of a million people working in the aviation industry, there is a huge need for paint booths large enough and effective enough to provide precision paint finishes. Importantly, there are local, state, and federal laws and regulations that govern how you use paint booths.
When it comes to choosing the right one for your business, it helps to know what the rules are where you live. Accudraft manufactures paint booths that are designed to be fully compliant in all 50 states including paint booths for sale in Texas. Here’s what you need to know.
Rules Governing Paint Booth Use in Texas
In Texas, the TCEQ (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality) regulates paint booth operators. Any business in Texas, even those that aren’t using paint booths, which emit contaminants into the air, must get authorization to operate in the state. Since paint booth operators use solvent-based paints and other noxious materials, all paint booths have to seek authorization from the TCEQ to operate in the state.
Texas boasts more than 6K auto repair centers. No matter the size, each of these businesses are required to follow either PBR (Paint Booth Regulations) 106.433, 106.435, or 106.436, depending on what types of things that are being painted. Avoiding getting proper authorization will put your business in legal and financial jeopardy.
You Could be Fined $10K a Day
If you are found out of compliance, you could be fined $10K for every day that you are out of compliance. It could be your neighbors who report you because of the fumes emanating from your business or it could be improper disposal of waste that calls attention to violations.
In order to avoid being fined tens of thousands of dollars for non-compliance, you should make sure that you are following the right PBR. For the typical business using paint sprayers, you will be required to install a paint booth and or have to completely enclose spraying areas within your shop.
There are Configuration Requirements
There are three configuration pillars that govern paint booth operations in Texas: distance, height, and airflow. First, your building cannot be located too close to places where it could create a breathing hazard to the public. For instance, your shop can’t be located within 50 feet of a residential area or home. You can’t be near a park, or school, or medical facility, etc.
Second, exhaust stacks have to be 1.2 times taller than any other building within a 200’ radius. For the typical body shop that does surface coating, the height requirement is measured from the ground up. Stacks for these shops have to be one and a half times taller than the shop itself.
Lastly, you cannot use a gooseneck rain protector on an exhaust stack or a cone-shaped one in Texas. You are required to funnel exhaust upward and out of the building, but you cannot block or restrict the flow out, which cones and goosenecks do.
There are 3 Different Paint Booth Regulations
Most of the 6K+ body shop operators in Texas will fall under PBR 106.436. This regulation covers car refinishing, trucks, motorcycles, and parts. For furniture painters or those businesses that use paint booths for purposes other than vehicle refinishing, 106.433 will usually apply.
Relevant to Texas’ paint booth operators in the aviation industry, PBR 106.436 is the guiding regulation. You can learn more about which regulation applies to your operation here.
Shop Volume Matters
How much paint you use on a daily basis is a huge factor in rules for compliance. You will have to use an enclosed paint booth with air filtration if you use at least two gallons of paint in a typical week. Most auto body shops and especially aviation paint booth operators far exceed that volume.
Some shops only handle small jobs that use very little paint. The regulations do not require those shops to register. But very few businesses will fit this category. You can only meet this exception if you use a half a pint of paint or less per hour.
Federal EPA regulations are being instituted to control VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) emissions. Paint booth operators are required to phase out the use of solvent-based paints and replace them with safer and less polluting waterborne paints.
In Texas “nonattainment” counties limit the amount of VOC content in the paints that you can use for your operations. Even if your shop is located near a nonattainment county, those limits could still apply to you.
One of Texas’ Local Accudraft Distributors Celebrates 20th Anniversary
As Accudraft celebrates 40 years in the business, they wanted to highlight one of their longtime local Texas Accudraft distributors. EcoTech Systems LLC provides paint booth installations and services in Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. This is their 20th anniversary as part of the Accudraft distributor network.
One of the reasons why Accudraft paint booths are so popular and have such a long history with paint booth operators around the country is the focus on quality and compliance. Since all Accudraft Paint Booths meet or exceed all local, state, and federal regulations, when you purchase one of their paint booths, you needn’t worry about being fined tens of thousands of dollars for non-compliance.
Aviation Paint Booths
When designing their aviation paint booths, Accudraft works with professionals and experts in the aerospace and aviation refinishing industries to create the best technology for the most precise environment for coating application and curing.
Chief among these technologies are the means to regulate temperatures inside and outside of the paint booth, humidity inside the paint booth, and airflow through and out of the booth. In addition to their standard aviation paint booths, Accudraft offers:
· Aviation Parts Paint Booths
· Aircraft Parts Finishing Stations
· Downdraft and Recirculating Systems
· And Aircraft Hangar Paint Booths
From helicopters, 747s, and jets to spaceships, when those in the aviation industry need to paint and refinish aircraft, they call on Accudraft. They offer precision finishing, expert sanding and welding, and the safest work environment for spray booth operators. After 30 years serving the aerospace industry, Accudraft is considered the crème de la crème of paint booth manufacturers.
Automotive Paint Booths
When it comes to automotive paint booths, there are plenty of models to choose from based on your needs. High volume, fast-paced collision repair centers depend on the fastest curing and drying times that Accudraft Paint Booths provide.
Even though there is a standard Accudraft Paint Booth for every type of business, they can also be customized to your specifications. Here is a quick rundown of the top selling automotive paint booths offered by Accudraft:
- Titan: The Titan is a high-powered downdraft paint booth designed for any waterborne facility and delivers direct airflow and heat specifications to speed up the entire process. Accudraft’s EnergySmart package comes standard on all models.
- XL: The XL is a downdraft paint booth designed for high-flow collision repair centers and comes standard with an air makeup system.
- Italia: The Italia is Accudraft’s leading downdraft paint booth designed for high production and has an unbeatable reputation for speed and durability making it the most popular paint booth on the market.
- MX: The MX is a semi-downdraft model, which does not require much concrete work—a great option for a shop on a budget looking for a starter paint booth that can be heavily upgraded in the future.
- SS: The Accudraft SS is a space saving high-performance paint booth that allows the user to spray, flash, cure, and cool down with a versatile configuration that saves shop space. 99% energy efficient direct-fire heating with heat recycle produces fast curing temperatures.
Some of these paint booths can be designed as a downdraft, semi-downdraft, side downdraft, and crossflow configuration. Some require concrete work and lift installation while others don’t. Of course you can always upgrade and add to these standard paint booths by letting Accudraft create a custom paint booth for you.
Whether this is your first paint booth or your third, Accudraft makes it so that you never have to buy another one for decades. Since they are always innovating, using technology to streamline and speed up the process, all of their booths are highly upgradable with all of the latest new products and accessories.
Thinking about adding Accudraft paint booths to your Texas body shop? Contact your local Accudraft distributor for help choosing the right booth for your business needs.
Thinking about adding Accudraft paint booths to your Texas body shop? Contact your local Accudraft distributor for help choosing the right booth for your business needs.