Welcome to Spray Smart.
TruFlow’s FAQ series built around the real questions businesses are asking.
Choosing the right spray booth is a critical investment and it can be hard to know where to start. That’s why, in this first instalment of Spray Smart, we’re answering one of the most foundational questions:
How do I choose the right type of spray booth for my business?
Start With the End in Mind
There are many factors to consider when deciding on the right spray booth, but in my 20 years of experience, one key question tends to shape all others:
What’s the most important outcome you need your spray booth to deliver?
This question typically presents two distinct paths:
A. You need a high-quality finish with strict dust exclusion requirements
B. You’re focused on environmental and corrosion protection rather than finish quality
These two goals aren’t mutually exclusive, but your answer will determine the type of booth you need and influence cost, design and compliance requirements.
Path A: When Quality of Finish Matters Most
If your priority is an inclusion-free, high-quality finish, you’re likely working in OEM manufacturing, crash repairs or aviation. For these industries, finish is everything and that means total environmental control.
Dust and particle exclusion is non-negotiable. In these cases, a fully enclosed downdraft spray booth is almost always the solution.
Key considerations include:
- Size: Based on the envelope of the product(s) being painted
- Volume: How many products you need to paint per day
- Climate control: Heating, cooling and curing systems
Once we understand your throughput and space requirements, our engineering team can recommend a standard or fully customised booth to meet your needs.
Path B: Industrial Applications Focused on Protection
Pathway B is more common for industrial finishing applications, where coatings are applied to products like excavator buckets, farm machinery, mining equipment and structural steel.
In these scenarios, a flawless finish isn’t the goal. Instead, the focus is on:
- Surface preparation
- Adhesion
- Coating thickness
These ensure the product is protected in use while still offering an attractive, uniform finish. Think Caterpillar Yellow or John Deere Green — clean and consistent, but not automotive-grade.
For these types of applications, we typically recommend:
- Open-faced spray booths
- Strong ventilation systems
- Negative pressure and exhaust filtration
In some setups, this might involve a designated spray painting area with installed exhaust walls. If so, you’ll also need to meet Zone 1 hazardous area classification and ensure proper delineation of the spray zone.
Final Thoughts: Let Your Outcomes Guide Your Booth Design
Choosing the right spray booth isn’t just about size or budget, it’s about aligning the booth’s design with the outcome your business needs most. Whether you’re focused on high-end finishing or reliable industrial protection, that decision drives everything that follows.
Need help identifying the right booth for your business? Get in touch with the Truflow team for tailored advice and engineered solutions.
🔗 Explore more insights in our ongoing Spray Smart FAQ series.
