Let's debunk the myth that blasting is just a seasonal career. As temperatures drop and winter weather sets in, many professionals in the surface preparation industry assume it's time to hang up the NOVA hood and hibernate until springtime. However, there are plenty of avenues that are particularly suitable for the colder months, and if you're not taking advantage of them, then you're missing out on major money-making opportunities.
To learn more about the proper preparation of your equipment to make these jobs possible, click here to read our blog about maintaining your machine in cold weather.
AUTOMOTIVE & FLEET VEHICLES
AUTOMOBILES & TRAILERS
The automotive restoration market doesn’t slow down in winter. Winter roads, often covered in salt and grime, can wreak havoc on vehicle undercarriages. This creates a substantial demand for thorough cleaning and de-rusting services. Your Dustless Blasting business can offer a vital service by providing undercarriage cleaning for cars, trucks, trailers, etc. This not only helps in preventing rust and corrosion but also extends the lifespan of these vehicles.
Car enthusiasts and repair shops often move their work to heated garages for the winter season, where Dustless Blasting can be used for paint stripping, rust removal, and surface preparation. Providing blasting services to these repair shops can ensure a steady stream of work for your business, no matter the season.
Discover how our dust suppression technology allows for safe operation even in enclosed spaces.
FLEET VEHICLES
Offseason maintenance is particularly sought after by fleet operators looking to protect their investments from winter damage and keep them looking sharp all year round. For large companies operating dozens to hundreds of commercial vehicles, the wear and tear of constant travel can build up quickly. Pursuing these larger opportunities opens up the possibility for long-term contracts that can help your business make money year-round.
For example, many of our Dustless Blasting business owners sign deals annually with companies for fleet vehicle maintenance where they bring one truck, trailer or chassis per week for the entire year. Contract work is guaranteed money no matter the time of year!
HEAVY EQUIPMENT
FARM & AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY
Winter presents an excellent opportunity to service and maintain farm equipment. During the off-season, agricultural machinery like tractors, harvesters, and plows often require cleaning and surface preparation for protective coatings to prevent rust and corrosion. Other popular farm-related items include livestock trailers that need to be cleaned, repaired and repainted. Because of its versatility in being able to switch between wet, dry and soda blasting, Dustless Blasting equipment is perfect for those more sensitive materials like aluminum and fiberglass.
Dustless Blasting can effectively remove old paint, rust, and other residues from farm machinery, making it a sought-after service for farmers and agricultural businesses. This not only helps in extending the life of the equipment but also ensures it’s ready for use when the busy farming season resumes.
EXCAVATORS, BULLDOZERS & OTHER CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT
Same story, different equipment. If it is made of metal and exposed to the elements, it is bound to rust eventually. Even for heavy machinery like plows, excavators and bulldozers that are made to withstand even the toughest of jobs outside, the paint is bound to flake over time, and rust can take over.
Oil & GAS RIGS and pipelines
Keeping heavy duty equipment up and running that is constantly exposed to the elements is a constant challenge. For business owners in places that have any type of oil and gas industry locally, these large production sites have stringent inspection and maintenance requirements throughout the year and may outsourcing their blasting work for rust and paint removal or to prep for repair.
Similarly, any industry with large metal equipment like propane companies or water treatment facilities also require regular maintenance to ensure longevity and function.
Marine Maintenance
BOat bottoms
During winter, marine activities often slow down or cease all together. This is the ideal time for maintenance, including hull cleaning and surface preparation for new paint or protective coatings. Boats and other marine vessels typically need to be removed from the water for service, and this can become a significant expense during the boating season. By securing this contracted marine work during the offseason months, boat owners and marina owners alike can benefit without the threat of a tight turnaround timeline for dry docking.
DOCKS AND OFFSHORE PLATFORMS
Targeting marinas, boatyards, and individual boat owners during this time can provide your business with a steady flow of projects throughout the colder months. However, opportunity in maritime facilities goes way beyond bottom paint. For example, commercial and residential docks, boat slips and indoor boat storage facilities also need to be maintained. Rust and coating removal for repainting or repair is necessary almost everywhere you turn, and marinas are no different.
COMMERCIAL MARINE-BASED BUSINESSES
Thanks to the ongoing research and development inspired by real Dustless Blasting customers and conducted here at our HQ in Houston, Texas, we are developing new products every year. With smaller, more compact options — like the Mini Mobile and our Offshore product line — more marine-based businesses are able to service and maintain their fleet vessels by depositing our equipment directly on the deck itself for usage via crane. Depending on where you are in the world, this could be an excellent source of continuous work during the winter months for boats that stay afloat all year long.
With just a couple extra steps, your machine can be winterized and ready to wet blast — even in the freezing cold, like this company blasting barges in Alaska (Episodes 3-5)! To read more about the Tips & Tricks for winter-friendly blasting, click here.
POOL MAINTENANCE & RESTORATION
A vital service during the winter months is pool maintenance. For regions where pools are not in use during colder weather, this is the opportune time for restoration and cleaning. Dustless Blasting is highly effective in removing calcium deposits, old paint, and grime from pool surfaces without damaging the underlying material. Offering pool blasting services in the off-season can attract business from hotels, resorts, and private homeowners looking to refurbish their pools in time for the warmer months.
INDOOR OPPORTUNITIES
During the winter, when outdoor activity may be slower, it is the perfect time to perform maintenance in more controlled settings. Blasting in enclosed spaces like a blast cabinet for smaller projects or employing heat containment solutions outdoors allows these projects to continue seamlessly.
REMEDIATION & RESTORATION
A route that has been successful for our business owners during colder months is insurance-based contract work. For example, disaster response companies that specialize in mold remediation or fire restoration may need outside contractors to complete blast work for damaged residential or commercial properties, depending on the scope and timeline of the project.
As many of these jobs are confined to indoor work, this option can be a profitable avenue in the winter months. However, due to the potentially harmful nature of working with mold and smoke, we encourage all business owners pursuing this route to conduct their own research on local and national requirements for training and certifications associated with taking on hazardous remediation jobs.
FOOD PROCESSING & MANUFACTURING PLANTS
As long as the weather is not physically preventing you from reaching a job site, there are a plethora of large scale miscellaneous jobs that we have seen our contractors take on indoors. For example, many of our owners specialize in surface preparation for indoor manufacturing plants, particularly for the food industry. Thanks to soda blasting media, our contractors can go into industrial processing plants and provide maintenance services to machinery for food grade products using baking soda as the media of choice.
As we know, the Dustless Blasting machine can switch between wet, dry and soda applications, so our equipment can take on those indoor food production plants that can't afford to shutdown for weeks and weeks on end. Other examples include metal, steel and plastic manufacturing plants with molds, tanks or assembly lines that need regular maintenance for rust prevention and repair.
Preservation & BEAUTIFICATION
MONUMENT RESTORATION
Historical preservation often takes place in the colder months to avoid the peak tourist seasons. Dustless Blasting is ideal for gently cleaning and restoring historical buildings, monuments and statues or local landmarks without causing damage. Offering your services for preservation projects can be both lucrative and rewarding, especially if you can secure government contracts for ongoing services.
GRAFFITI REMOVAL
Another popular application relevant for cities and municipalities is graffiti removal. Many local governments need these services completed but either don't have the resources or equipment or are using outdated methods that could be damaging historic buildings, bridges, railcars and more. During the lesser trafficked months is an excellent time to knock out these jobs and reap the rewards
Because these jobs will likely take place outdoors, we recommend that you maximize your personal blast efficiency and comfort outside in the freezing temperatures by investing in a climate-controlled RPB Nova Kit.
STAY HOME & BUILD YOUR BUSINESS!
On the worst weather days, take advantage of the downtime to get ahead on the administrative side of your business. Renew your business insurance, prep your paperwork for tax season and build out quotes for future jobs. This is also an excellent time to get your website updated with new photos and videos from your recent jobs and schedule out posts on your social media platforms. Don't have a website yet? Now is the time. Check out the Marketing Services packages available to you through the team at Dustless Blasting by clicking here.
Most importantly, now is the time to lay the groundwork for the upcoming busy season, as every second counts on good spring, summer and fall weather days. Reach out to your local municipalities to set a meeting to discuss ways your business could serve the community's needs. Cold call body and paint shops in your area to secure ongoing contract work for automotive paint stripping or powder coating removal. Host an event for the local general contractor community to spread the word about your services for outsourcing their surface prep. Whatever form your self-promotion takes, YOU are the impetus for your own success. Don't let the weather excuse put you behind.
MONETIZE YOUR COMPRESSOR
WINTERIZING SPRINKLER SYSTEMS
With the onset of cold weather, irrigation and sprinkler systems need to be winterized to prevent damage from freezing temperatures. The air compressor component of Dustless Blasting mobile trailers is perfectly suited for blowing out water from these systems. This service is essential for both residential and commercial properties, ensuring that their irrigation systems are protected throughout the winter and ready for use when spring arrives. Marketing this service to landscapers, property managers, and homeowners can open up a new seasonal revenue stream.
SNOW REMOVAL SERVICES
Snow and ice buildup on vehicles poses a major safety issue in the trucking industry. Regularly clearing accumulated snow and ice helps mitigate several safety risks, including:
- snow blowing off the trailer roof and obstructing motorists' visibility
- ice falling from a vehicle and causing injury or property damage to other motorists
- violations of snow and ice removal laws or fines for falling ice
- violations of other vehicle operation-related regulations
Currently, there is no leading solution in the trucking industry to tackle this problem. If you reside in a snowy area, utilizing your high-powered air compressor to assist fleet management companies in removing snow and frost can be a fantastic opportunity. Perhaps more importantly, it could pave the way for securing additional fleet maintenance blasting work throughout the year.
ENDLESS JOB EXAMPLES
Check out our constantly refreshed collection of job examples, provided by actual Dustless Blasting businesses. Explore the countless success stories and see how our equipment is making a real impact in industry and in lives, despite the cold and sometimes uncomfortable winter months.
Have a seasonal application that wasn't mentioned in this article? We'd love to hear about it! To be considered as a feature business or case study by Dustless Blasting, fill out this form!