A new coat of paint is perfect for updating a commercial building to help keep it looking clean and fresh. Some owners approach their commercial space the same way they would their home. But commercial buildings offer unique challenges that are not found in residential painting projects. Treating them the same can result in becoming overwhelmed by the scope of the work.
To avoid potential problems, it’s important to know some essentials before any work begins on a commercial painting project. By following these careful steps, it will help you keep your painting project on time and within budget.
Things to Know Before the Painting Begins
Whether you’re looking to bring on the right team to help with house painting, commercial painting, or any sort of building makeover, finding the best contractors for the job and ensuring the project is a huge success can get tricky. Here are a few tips to help you ensure your painting endeavor is a masterpiece.
1. Find the Right Contractor
There are endless companies, big and small, that specialize in residential, commercial, and industrial painting services, but how do you determine the good from the bad? Always check to make sure they are insured and licensed. Another important factor is researching past work and checking references.
You need to know if the painting contractors have worked on projects of the same size as yours. Don’t be afraid to ask for references from past clients, and if they are not willing to provide those, it is a huge red flag.
Consider the company’s processes in estimating the project. Did they have a representative visit and view the property? All areas that need to be repainted should be thoroughly examined. It’s important to ensure they are fully aware of the scope of the project, so you don’t encounter any unexpected expenses half-way through.
While we are always looking for a good price on any work performed by contractors, we are also looking to find a contractor that uses quality materials and performs essential services that produce high-quality output. Steps like sanding, caulking for cracks and holes, and pressure washing are all key steps in any paint project.
Make sure that your chosen contractor lists all these steps as part of their quote and is willing to use high-quality materials to ensure your paint job lasts for decades to come. It will save you money in the long run.
2. Consider a Color Consultant
Before you start choosing paint colors for your commercial building, whether it be for the exterior or interior, enlist the expertise of a color consultant. This service is overlooked by many business owners.
Whether you own the space for your own business or rent to tenants, an attractive building will keep your tenants in the building longer, as well as drawing additional customers to the location.
Your building represents a huge monetary and time investment for your business. Ensuring you paint it with the right colors and correct paint helps protect your long-term investment.
Choosing the best color scheme should consider the type of building being painted. It would be to your advantage to know the colors that will affect people psychologically and influence their purchase behavior. What colors will improve your professional appearance to clients and customers and increase the likelihood of them returning?
Most business or property owners don’t have the time or expertise to research and choose paint colors. Getting input from a professional color consultant is advisable.
3. Budget and Scheduling
The success or failure of a commercial painting project isn’t solely dependent on the knowledge, skill level, and experience of commercial paint contractors. Establishing budgets and schedules before project initiation are two equally important factors associated with paint jobs.
Setting up a budget will ensure you get what you need without breaking the bank. Effective project scheduling can help building managers minimize disruption to daily operations by ensuring that all the work is carried out according to a pre-established plan. Although the scheduling approach for a commercial paint job depends on the operations of each facility, having a detailed plan can lessen the negative effects of interruptions.
For example, in small clinics, doctor’s offices, stores, restaurants, and public buildings, paint jobs can be completed during weekends, at night, over holidays, or during summer breaks.
On the other hand, in hotels, retirement facilities, hospitals, and medical complexes, some areas aren’t used all the time. Knowing when certain rooms and sections are unoccupied can help managers accurately plan downtime on a rotating basis to make areas available for painting.
4. Make Sure Your Building Is Up to Code
The last thing that you want is having someone come in cause damage to your freshly painted walls. Taking care of any repairs beforehand can save you both time and money.
Before you have professional painters come to paint your commercial building, you must make sure your building is up-to-code. Everything should be functioning properly. If you know that work needs to be done that could cause damage to your walls, the repair work should be completed before painting.
5. Inform Employees and Customers
One of the first things that you should do when you hire a commercial painting service is to let your employees know about it. Give them the dates and times that the painting service will be there. They should also know what to expect.
Coordinate with the painters to minimize any disruption that may occur. This will help your employees to better prepare and plan their work schedules accordingly and will ensure the painters have clear and easy access to all areas.
The same premise applies to your loyal customers. They should be aware of the changes being made to the building. Announcing the projected completion date and holding a grand re-opening would help create some excitement about your building’s new look.
6. Select the Right Finish
Material selection has a direct impact on both the cost estimate and timeline of a project. Top-quality paint materials deliver better-looking finishes. High-quality paint gives a more durable paint film. Choose paint quality over cost. High-quality paint minimizes the risk of paint failure and reduces the frequency of maintenance and repair.
To protect your employees, tenants, and customers, use fast-drying, low- or no-VOC coating products so those building occupants are not affected by fumes. These types of paints are ideal for commercial painting projects because they keep employees and tenants safe from harmful paint fumes and products.
7. Prep Work Is Key
The secret to a good commercial paint job is that most of the work is done before the topcoat is applied to the building. The main reason surface preparation, or prep work, is important is because paint can’t adhere to unprepared surfaces. The paint will peel, crack, bubble up, and flake because it is not sticking to the surface.
Bubbly paint does not do anything to curb appeal or your bottom line. Brushing or spraying paint onto an unprepared surface will look very unprofessional. Time and money will be wasted if the surface is not properly prepared. The coat of paint will not last very long, thus requiring you to hire another team of painters to fix the problem.
A professional painter should assess the surface of your building which is the first step in painting your commercial building. Prep work is a tedious and hard job, but professional and reputable commercial painters will have a team that finishes the work promptly.
8. Conduct a Final Walk-Through
As final inspections and post-project meetings are important for commercial painting projects, managers should include these activities in the schedule. The commercial paint contractor, together with the facility manager, should perform a walk-through and check each area against specifications to validate the completeness and compliance of the project.
During the post-project meeting, all the aspects relating to the project should be discussed in detail. This ensures that you are aware of everything that was done and are satisfied with the project.
Reasons Your Commercial Building May Need a New Coat of Paint
Painting a commercial building has many benefits. It protects the surface from water and sun damage. If your building or commercial property has been around for a while or has suffered some damage, it may be time for an update. Here are a few indications that it’s time to repaint.
- You notice peeling or chipping paint, which can be caused by moisture or an improperly prepared surface.
- There have been some corporate changes that involve using different colors, logos, or a name change.
- There are pockets underneath the paint that create bubbles on the wall.
- The exterior walls are faded or stained.
Experience Matters
At The Painting Pros, our painting professionals strive to make your commercial project as easy and disruption-free as possible. We are highly skilled at updating the interior and exterior of commercial buildings. We offer free color consultations with every project, both commercial and residential.
Our goal is to complete your project on time so you can focus on your business while looking ahead to other needs of your commercial property. The Painting Pros provides superior customer satisfaction, a clean and organized team, and the best finished product.
If you’re looking for a painting crew that can complete your project according to your specifications, on time and within budget, contact The Painting Pros today for a free estimate.