The Importance of Regular Exterior Painting Maintenance for Commercial Buildings
Exterior painting maintenance is easy to overlook, but it offers many benefits. In this piece, you’ll discover reasons to keep your commercial building’s exterior paint in top shape.
Why Invest in Exterior Painting Maintenance?
If you’re a new business owner or manager in Raleigh or Wilmington, NC, you probably wonder what kind of maintenance a commercial building requires. Commercial building maintenance involves a lot of things, and exterior painting upkeep should be one of them. Not all business owners prioritize this task. After all, how much difference does your exterior paint make?
As it turns out, well-maintained exterior paint can do a lot for your commercial building. It can make your building look fresh and leave a good first impression on customers, visitors, and stakeholders. In addition, a good-looking exterior makes a property more attractive to potential buyers or tenants and may increase its value.
A quality paint job will also protect your building against weather-related damage. For instance, waterproof paint can prevent problems due to moisture ingress, like cracking and mold growth. Generally, exterior paint will help keep your property in good condition and enable you to avoid expensive repairs.
How Often Should You Repaint a Commercial Building?
An exterior paint job is constantly exposed to harsh weather conditions, so it often only lasts five to ten years before needing a repaint. The exact life expectancy of exterior paint varies depending on the surface material. For example, wood surfaces can hold paint for up to seven years, while cement fiberboard can hold paint for over a decade.
Many other factors can affect the average life expectancy of exterior paint. Using the wrong type of paint, low-quality materials, and improper surface preparation or paint application can all cause the paint job to fail prematurely. The local weather also influences the durability of exterior paint. Exposure to extreme weather conditions once or twice will be less likely to damage the paint, but months of heavy rain and snowfall will lead to faster paint deterioration.
Signs It’s Time for an Exterior Repaint
If you are unsure whether or not to apply a fresh coat of paint on your commercial building’s exterior, assess the existing paint job and look for the following:
Faded Color: Constant exposure to UV rays causes paint to fade. If you notice fading paint, it might be time for a new paint job to restore your exterior’s vibrant appearance.
Chalking Paint: Run your fingers across the surface of your building’s exterior. If there is a chalky, powdery residue on your fingertips, it is most likely time to repaint. Paint often chalks after long-term exposure to sunlight and moisture. However, paint chalking can also occur when you use low-quality paint, spread the paint too thin, or do not prime a porous surface.
Peeling or Bubbling Paint: Paint often bubbles or peels when it loses adhesion to a surface. This can happen due to moisture issues, poor surface preparation, or an incompatible paint type. Regardless of the cause, you’ll need to refresh the paint to prevent further damage to the underlying surface.
Any other issues like cracking and chipping are signs it's time for a repaint.
Other reasons to repaint include:
Changing Brand Colors: Rebranding typically involves changing the company’s color palette. Incorporating your new color scheme into the exterior paint will help create a consistent visual identity and reinforce brand recognition.
Gaining a Competitive Edge: If there are many competitors in your area, repainting the building’s exterior in strategic colors and designs may help give you an advantage.
Once your commercial exterior painting project is finished, clean the surface regularly to prolong the paint’s lifespan.
Invest a Little Now, Save a Lot Later!
Regular exterior painting maintenance for commercial buildings can be a bit expensive upfront. However, this investment will pay off over the long haul through minimal exterior repairs, enhanced property value, and improved curb appeal. If regular upkeep of your building’s exterior paint isn’t on your maintenance list, now is the time to include it.
If you’re ready to refresh your building’s exterior paint, Anderson Painting is here to help. We’re your local trusted team of commercial painters in Wilmington, Raleigh, and the surrounding areas. From choosing the right paint color to ensuring thorough surface preparation, you can count on our expert team to do everything properly. We take pride in our unwavering commitment to delivering professional-grade painting services that save you money, time, and effort.
Please request a free estimate to start your project or contact us for more details.
