If you have a wrought iron furniture set that has seen better days, or a once-regal gate that could do with some work, sandblasting is an effective way to clean the material and prepare it for powder coating.
But what is the cost of sandblasting wrought iron in Australia? In this article, we explore the average costs, and the various factors that can affect the price.
What is sandblasting?
In relation to wrought iron, sandblasting is a process that cleans the surface of the iron, stripping away dirt, paint, and other substances. It works by blasting an abrasive material like fine silica sand onto the iron’s surface.
When restoring wrought iron, sandblasting is the first step of the process, with powder coating following.
What is the cost of sandblasting wrought iron?
Wrought iron sandblasting costs can vary dramatically depending on the job being undertaken. These are the extremely rough costs you can expect to pay:
- For a wrought iron gate, $50 AUD per lineal metre
- For wrought iron furniture, roughly $50 per item (e.g. a single chair)
- For an hourly rate, you can expect to pay around $75 p/hour
The cost of sandblasting wrought iron varies depends on these factors:
The size of the object
This is the biggest factor, as larger objects require more abrasive material and more time to complete. They may also need extra hands of equipment to move around, like heavy furniture, for example.
Whether the object is indoors or outdoors
If you’re having something sandblasted that is moveable, like a wrought iron furniture set, it can be taken to a workshop for the sandblasting to be completed. Any abrasive material used in the process will be contained in the workshop, making cleanup much easier.
If you’re having a wrought iron gate sandblasted, the abrasive material will need to be contained using plastic sheets or boards, which need to be set up or moved for every new section of the gate. This makes the process much longer, and particles are still likely to escape to other areas, making cleanup more difficult. For this reason, external objects like gates are more expensive to sandblast.
The type of abrasive material used
Different types of material might be used for different situations. If the wrought iron needs to be cleaned lightly, baking soda might be a suitable abrasive (this is known as soda blasting), which is the cheapest material to use. Usually, the bigger the particles that are being used, the more you can expect to pay.
The type of sandblasting
There’s four types of sandblasting, with each one more expensive than the next:
- Hydro blasting
- Wet sandblasting
- Dry sandblasting
- Dry ice sandblasting
Cost of sandblasting wrought iron—summary
Sandblasting is an effective first step to restoring wrought iron, but just like the material itself, it can be expensive. The cost also varies depending on a number of factors, so the best thing to do is talk to your local specialist for a quote. They’ll be able to provide you with an accurate price for your wrought iron project.