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Paint Spray Booths: Compliance Resources

Why using a paint spray booth can save companies money.

Using a paint spray booth can help save money and provide better paint jobs for customers while protecting the environment. Spray booths direct harmful particles up the stack and away from employees, neighboring buildings, and people. Paint spray booths also provide a well-lighted area for painting.

Paint spray booths help save money in many ways:

  • Better Paint Jobs – A spray booth allows painting in a dirt-free environment. By reducing dirt, a better paint job is provided.
  • Paint Savings – Spray booths help minimize drafts, which lessens overspray and keeps more paint on the car. Money is saved by using less paint and solvent.
  • Disposal-Fee Savings – Since less paint and solvent is used with a spray booth, money may be saved on disposal fees by lowering the amount of waste generated.
  • Avoiding Fines – Texas air regulations require authorization to spray. Most often, authorization will require use of a spray booth or totally enclosed spray area. Without one, a nuisance to neighbors may be caused with overspray or unpleasant fumes. This can lead to a complaint against the facility and possibly a fine. The money spent on fines later could be better spent on a spray booth or totally enclosed spray area now.

Not only do paint-spray booth stacks have to meet distance and height requirements, they must provide a vertical upward airflow.

Stacks at auto body shops must be at least 1.2 times higher than the tallest building within 200 feet of the stack, including the building in which the paint spray booth is located. Stacks must also be at least 50 feet away from any residence, recreation area, church, school, child care facility, or medical or dental facility.

Stacks at surface coating shops must extend at least 1.5 times the building height above the ground.

Any rain protection used on an exhaust stack must not cause a restriction or obstruction to vertical upward airflow. This means that cone-shaped raincaps or gooseneck exhausts are not allowed because they restrict vertical upward flow.

Where can I find more information and assistance?

The TCEQ's Small Business and Local Government Assistance section offers free, confidential help to small businesses and local governments working to comply with state environmental regulations. Call us at (800) 447-2827 or visit our webpage at TexasEnviroHelp.org.

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