We’ve all heard about hot air blowers and the great things they can accomplish, which is why many professionals and DIYers have one on hand. Common uses you’ve likely heard are using hot air blowers to weld plastic, strip paint, and remove wallpaper.
But what about some uncommon uses? Get ready to have your mind blown (pun intended)!
Here are a few uses for hot air blowers you probably didn’t know about.
Fixing up vehicles
Let’s talk about your vehicle for a few minutes. What can a hot air blower, also referred to as a heat gun, possibly accomplish when it comes to fixing up your ride?
- Fix Dents: Those pesky creaseless dents that sometimes mark our cars can easily be fixed with a hot air blower. Just heat around the dent on a low setting in a circular motion for a few seconds (never point the head in just one place as damage could occur). Next, grab a can of air and blast the dent. This causes a layer of ice that pops the dent out when the ice melts. No more dent!
- No more foggy headlights: It happens to all of us; the plastic surrounding our headlights become very foggy. No need to purchase expensive and often useless de-fogging products, though. Instead, use your hot air blower. Just do a quick pass over the headlamp and watch all that fogginess disappear.
- Dull car trims: Are you noticing that your car trims have gone from black to dull gray? With a heat gun, you can turn those trims back to black and looking new. Simply pass the heat over the trim for a few seconds and watch your trims come back to life.
- Window tinting: A hot air blower can make the look of a tint much smoother and more pliable. Just make sure when you’re blasting the tint with heat to do so with the window between the hot air and tint to prevent the tint from melting.
Removing floor vinyl
Yes, a hot air blower is excellent for stripping paint. Yet that’s just the start of its versatility for those in the decorating and remodeling sectors. Gone are the days when your floor vinyl was removed by time-consuming and rigorous scraping. A heat gun is going to make the process much faster and easier.
Lifting old floor vinyl is notoriously tricky. It cracks, it tries to stick around as much as possible, and even when it is removed, the base flooring is still home to a load of adhesive.
With a hot air blower, you can soften the glue that holds the vinyl in place, making its removal an effortless task. Not only that, but remember that troublesome adhesive? That is also removed with ease. Simply run the hot air blower over the flooring at a steady pace, on its lowest temperature setting, and gradually increase the heat when required. Before you know it, the vinyl will be pulled up along with that ugly adhesive.
Removing all kinds of adhesives
Speaking of adhesives, floor adhesive is not the only kind that hot air blowers can remove. You likely have heard that wallpaper can be removed, but did you know that you can also remove stickers or labels from mirrors and glass?
Also, a hot air blower can lift adhesives like grout and putty. So if you’re pulling up tile or changing out a window in which putty was used, grab a heat gun and make the process easier. Remember, though, low and steady. Don’t jump to a high heat right away.
Shrink wrap
An endless number of items can be shrink wrapped, such as electronics, food, beauty products, and pallets of merchandise – just to name a few. Shrink wrapping is most effectively done with heat. Due to the heat concentration and power they deliver, a heat gun gives a perfectly tight seal, the type required for professional applications. You can even use a heat gun to wrap your car!
Repair leather and vinyl
You might think that heat should be nowhere near any leather or vinyl upholstering. However, heat can fix tears in leather and vinyl. How? You’ll need a patch and heat-activated glue. Place the patch over the tear (glue side down) and use low heat to activate the glue. No more visible tear!
A great thing about applying heat to vinyl is that it makes the vinyl more malleable. So if you need to stretch vinyl over something, like a piece of furniture, using a heat gun will help stretch the vinyl.
A few more cool ideas for a hot air blower
Want to kill germs hiding out on your tools? Blast your tools with heat.
Want to make your newly painted piece of furniture look more vintage? Use heat to create a crackled look.Did your child color all over your walls with crayons? A heat gun will easily remove that waxy color.
Need to dry out damp wood to prevent mold or rot? Use a heat gun on a low setting to get the job done quickly.Hot air blowers are one of the most versatile tools out there. Now that you have some more ideas about what they can do for you, maybe you’re already creating a list of repairs and projects that need a little hot air. If so, we have a variety of hot air blowers for you to choose from, including starter kits. Feel free to contact us if you need any assistance choosing the best one for you. We’re here to help!