Shur-Way Auto Body is your premier collision repair service in Maplewood, MO, and the first shop in the Midwest to become Green by bringing waterborne paint to the area. Shur-Way is committed to safe and accurate repairs with a nationwide lifetime warranty, and to protecting the environment and their employees with eco-responsible products and methods.
Owner Mike Swederska, Sr. is an avid environmentalist. In 2006, Mike familiarized himself and the shop on water-based paints as alternative to traditional solvent-based paint. After contacting and testing numerous companies and products, Shur-Way selected the Sikkens Autowave paint system from AkzoNobel. These paints guarantee a legendary color match to ensure your receive an invisible repair.
Solvent-based paints use hazardous chemical compounds to thin pigment solids for smooth applications. These chemicals then evaporate into the environment as Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) emissions.Waterborne paints release evaporated water instead of chemicals. They are less toxic, less flammable, have low VOC levels and improve workers' health. Low VOC levels help reduce the creation of harmful ozone smog and reduce severe health problems. Paint guns are cleaned with water-based solutions rather than chemicals.
Shur-Way's Green efforts for their environment and employees also include:
- Recycles air conditioning refrigerant, excess paint and thinner, sheet metal, plastic bumper body parts and cardboard
- Welding fumes are extracted; polyester filler dust is vacuumed, swept and mopped
- Primer is sprayed in preparation decks to extract fumes
- Paint mixing occurs in an explosion proof mix room with fume extraction
- Spraying occurs in a downdraft spary booth with sophisticated high volume, low pressure (HVLP) guns
- Painters wear paint masks which supply fresh outside air and a full body paint suit to avoid skin absorption of toxins
Other Energy Considerations:
- Radiant heat to heat only the objects
- Remote door closers per technician to keep heat/cool in
- Industrial set-back thermostats to reduce energy use in off hours
- Spray booth has commercially insulated walls to keep heat in, and has an afterburner to quickly ramp up the heat and has a programmed timer to shut off automatically
- Fast-dry paint products and infra-red / UV-B lights cure paint to reduce duration of the spray booths bake cycles
- Low volume nozzles on water hoses
Visit Shur-Way Auto Body at 3540 Greenwood Blvd, Maplewood, MO 63143 or call 314.645.5540.