Before you repaint, stain, or add an aggregate to a surface material, you often need to remove the top coat of that material. This might be to get off rust, chipped paint or concrete, or to make the surface smoother overall. Sandblasting is a good choice for any concrete floor or wall and is also used to prep a variety of other surface materials as well. Note why you might opt for sandblasting before you repaint or resurface a large area, no matter its overall material.

Eco-friendly 

When you use any type of surface blasting, you may have cleanup equipment ready to vacuum up the water and grit runoff. However, it's inevitable that at least some of the runoff will make its way into the ground as it may run faster than a hydro-vac or other equipment can clean it. Using steel or another caustic material can hurt the environment as it's absorbed into the ground and the groundwater. Sand is very eco-friendly as it's all natural and doesn't release toxins or chemicals as it breaks down, so it's not likely to damage the environment or groundwater. 

Easy cleanup

When you do collect the materials used for blasting of any sort, they need to be disposed of in some way. You may have limited choices for how you dispose of certain caustic chemicals that might be used for blasting or removing the surface of your materials, but sand is often very easy to clean up and many landfills will readily accept residual sand from your blasting process. You don't need to find a recycling center or dump area that will handle hazardous materials when you opt for sandblasting.

Rust inhibitor

Sandblasting leaves a very fine powdery film on the exposed surface, and this can work as a rust inhibitor for some metals that may start to rust when immediately exposed to air. This is typically called "flash rust" and it can be an issue especially if you don't plant to recoat that surface immediately, but sandblasting will protect those materials. 

Easy application

Sandblasting is a relatively simple process that you might be able to manage yourself, if you rent the right equipment. Like using a power washer, you simply need to adjust your application process as you go along so you don't remove too much surface material but do remove rust, old paint, chipped concrete, and the like. Unlike the use of grinding equipment or chemical strippers, sandblasting can be done quickly and easily with little risk of damaging the materials you're blasting.