Fume rarely stays where it is made. Warm plumes rise, cool and spread, and the building’s air movements do the rest. Understanding these pathways helps you keep fume inside the booth and out of adjacent work areas, stores and welfare spaces.

Common drivers of migration

• Thermal lift: Rising plumes hit colder layers or roof voids and travel laterally.
• Draughts: Open doors, fans and vehicle movement pull fume along corridors and through gaps.
• Pressure imbalances: Nearby extracts can suck fume out of the booth if make‑up air is poor.
• Overhead leakage: Gaps above curtains or between panels let buoyant fume escape.

Containment by design

• Seal the envelope: Extend curtains to the floor and ceiling or add valances to close gaps.
• Provide make‑up air: Bring clean air in low and gently so it feeds the hood, not the corridor.
• Bias the flow inward: Use booth extract and, where needed, a small negative pressure to keep fume from leaking out.
• Place hoods to pull across the work and away from exits; avoid cross‑draughts from cooling fans.

Layered control in and around the booth

Source capture remains the primary control. For residuals, a room air cleaner can reduce the background load and slow migration. Positioned correctly, units like MAXVAC Dustblockers can assist containment by polishing air within the booth rather than pushing fume out.

Verification and adjustment

• Visualise flow with smoke: check at doorways, gaps and the top of curtains.
• Walk the perimeter: if you can smell or see haze outside, improve seals or increase booth bias.
• Use a simple particulate monitor to compare inside/outside readings and guide placement changes.

Containment is mainly about air direction and small gaps. Keep the booth slightly under surrounding pressure, feed clean make‑up air, and ensure the capture hood works with, not against, these flows. Re-check when seasons change or layouts move.