Boat and Marine
(503) 319-6711
Boat & Marine Soda Blasting
Caring for a boat is a constant process and even the best maintenance routine needs an occasional boost. When your vessel is ready for repairs, cleaning or repainting, look to Leonard’s Soda Blasting to get the job done on time and within budget.
Soda Blasting is a high-pressure, air-driven and non-destructive method of cleaning and stripping paint from steel, fiberglass, aluminum, wood and other substrates using eco-friendly bicarbonate of soda. It’s almost impossible to damage gelcoat when using soda. Removing multiple layers of old paint without harming the boat’s substrate can be easily accomplished, leaving you with a vessel ready for restoration, repair or repainting.
Handling Blisters
One of the primary reasons for stripping a boat is blisters. Blisters are usually caused by osmotic intrusion of water into the hull. As water molecules enter the hull, they pick up acids and other chemicals that change their size, making the molecules larger and trapping them inside. Since these molecules are unable to find their way out, pressure builds up and the gelcoat is forced away from the fiberglass, forming a blister. If the blister breaks while underwater, it lets in even more water, and the blister goes deeper in.
One Stop Care
Blisters must be repaired. However, traditional blister repair involves grinding, sanding or sandblasting the hull. This process is time-consuming, labor intensive and, unless extreme care is taken, can result in severe or permanent damage to the gelcoat and fiberglass laminate. Unlike sanding or corrosive chemicals, soda blasting boats removes old coats of antifoulant and blisters quickly, without damaging non-blistered, bare gelcoat, and then properly prepares the surface for repair — all in one operation.