Media Blasting

Media blasting is a dry form of stain removal that requires an industrial size air compressor and a media-blasting pot.  There are many forms of media; however, we have found either corn-cob media or glass-bead media to work the best, depending on the type of stain or paint that is being removed.

When the corn-cob blasting or glass-bead blasting is completed, we use a plastic bristled Osborne brush on a variable speed angle grinder.  This step is necessary to remove loose fibers, and help smooth the pores of the wood.

The benefits to media-blasting include:

1. Environmentally friendly product that requires no chemicals for sensitive people or pets
2. Dry form of stain removal, so there is no water infiltration to the home
3. Removes stain from all the areas (such as crevices, checks, corners and around trim) that sanders and grinders are unable to reach
4. Perfect alternative for homes that have poor water resources for pressure washing
5. Is not temperature-sensitive
6. Due to the softness of the texture, rotten wood becomes quickly apparent, and can be taken care of immediately
7. Media-blasting grains the wood, which most people find attractive, as it accentuates the look of natural wood, and decreases the starkness of planed or milled logs.  A roughened wood surface creates much more surface area for coatings to adhere to and also provides much more opportunity for a powerful mechanical interlock to occur between the resins of the coating and the surface fibers of the wood.  Smooth wood creates a much greater challenge for a coating to establish a reliable adhesion.

NOTE: Keep in mind that this is a dusty process that does involve some heavy equipment, so informing your neighbors, and preparing your cleaning service to perform a thorough top to bottom cleaning is important.