Sand blasting steel leaves a rough surface that has to be sanded or coated with a high build primer, before it is painted with a final colour coating. In addition, the metal will start to oxidise within a few hours after blasting, lightly coating all the surfaces with a rust coating. In addition, if the applicator concentrates on one difficult spot, he can over heat a panel enough to cause warping.

Soda blasting is less aggressive and leaves a smoother finish. It also somewhat seals the surface from oxidation, until it is cleaned for repairs or paint applications. Walnut media also works well, but is more difficult to clean off the metal, and can contaminate seams and areas that are difficult to access with a prepping cleaner.