Commercial Painting Projects to Upgrade Your Facilities
As you start looking at your schedule for the new year, you will want to consider commercial painting for your facility along with other projects. This guide will answer some common questions about commercial painting services, from the types of projects needed to your reasons for including them in your facility’s schedule.
How Do You Plan a Painting Project?
The key to planning commercial painting projects is choosing the right contractor. From there, your contractor will assist you in each planning stage. They will help you identify and determine the repairs needed for the walls or any other carpentry work before they begin painting. Your contractor will also help you determine an appropriate timeline and budget, as well as the best colors and type of paint to use.
Once you plan the project, make sure you update your employees about it, especially if the commercial painting may interfere with their day-to-day responsibilities in any way.
What Paint to Use
The paint you select for your commercial painting project has implications for the longevity of the paint job and the kind of impression you make on customers and passersby. Your contractor should be able to suggest the appropriate brand to use for your surfaces. For example, Anderson Painting uses Sherwin-Williams SuperPaint® Satin for siding on commercial properties for its durability, resistance to dirt and mildew, and smooth finish.
What to Expect From the Commercial Painter During the Project
As mentioned, your commercial painting contractor will provide guidance throughout project planning. Their process will begin by talking to you about your goals. From there, they will likely inspect the area to be painted and devise an appropriate plan for your facility.
Expect the actual painting project to begin with preparation, which will involve using caulk to fill small imperfections and placing drop cloths to protect the surrounding area. The best contractors will also clean the surfaces to maximize the paint’s capacity to stick. From there, the painting contractor will apply a primer to extend the longevity of the paint.
After the project is complete, your painter will inspect their work to ensure it meets their standards and that you are satisfied. They will handle the cleanup required, such as removing painter’s tape and drop cloths.
How Do You Choose a Commercial Painter?
Your commercial painter should have enough experience to give you confidence in the quality of their work. Ensure they use high-quality paints and have experience with your type of building, which includes working on both the interior and exterior elements.
The best commercial painter will do more than just paint, too. They will also handle minor repairs that need to be done before the paint can even be applied. Most will gladly handle minor caulking or drywall patching, but some will also do carpentry repairs. By hiring contractors that handle these additional renovations, you enjoy added convenience in your commercial painting projects, as you have a single contractor to handle everything.
How Often Should You Paint a Commercial Building?
One of the most common questions about commercial painting services is, “How often should you paint a commercial building?” There’s no single answer, as it depends on multiple factors. But as a rule of thumb, you should repaint the exterior every three to five years and the interior anywhere between two and eight years. However, this precise frequency will vary greatly depending on how the building is used (e.g., level of activity, rebranding efforts, etc.) and other environmental factors, such as direct sunlight and the cleanliness of the surrounding areas.
You can tell that your property’s exterior needs to be repainted if the colors are fading, the paint is peeling or cracking, or you notice chalking, mold, mildew, or other environmental damage. Chalking refers to a chalk-like powder developing on the paint’s surface, which can happen because of weathering. While some chalking is normal, it can create a discolored appearance on your surfaces.
When dealing with mold and mildew, keep in mind that it’s not enough to merely paint over these substances. The root cause of the mold or mildew must be addressed before anything else. It’s also smart to repaint the property if you can no longer remember the last repaint or if you plan on updating or refreshing the color scheme.
Benefits of a Fresh Coat of Paint on Your Commercial Property
Now that we have answered the questions “How do you plan a painting project?” and how often to do so, let’s discuss the many upsides of repainting your commercial property.
When you repaint your property, you prevent potential damage from pests like rodents and termites. You also prevent moisture from penetrating the surface of the walls. Painting can reduce the amount of maintenance needed on your property while extending the lifespan of sidings and trims.
Of course, commercial painting projects also ensure that your building looks clean and updated, improving your property’s value and company’s image. As you do this, you can attract more customers and grow your business.
Don’t Forget About Carpentry Repairs
Before professionals can apply a fresh coat of paint to your commercial property, you’ll need to take care of the underlying carpentry of your structure. Commercial properties typically need repairs on siding and other wooden features. As mentioned, the best commercial painters will offer carpentry services, preventing the need for you to hire multiple contractors – this saves you the hassle of finding and vetting multiple contractors. It also reduces the amount of paperwork you have to deal with, including invoices.
Consider Finishing Your Floors
Because the best commercial painters will offer other relevant services, you might also take it as an opportunity to update your floor finishes. You can easily schedule a new commercial concrete floor finish while commercial painting services are being done at your facility. Better yet, your painting contractor might offer flooring services, too.
Sturdy commercial flooring often requires a strong finish, which is crucial considering the constant traffic your floor withstands. Without the proper finish, even moderate foot traffic can lead to cracks and damage over time. If your facility uses heavy equipment or regularly has vehicles moving across the floor, this finish becomes even more important.
When it comes to choosing a new floor coating for your commercial space, Penntek polyurea coatings offer a durable and aesthetically-pleasing solution. These coatings are multi-layered with a polyurea topcoat, which is incredibly durable yet flexible. They also prevent cracks from forming and chemicals and moisture from penetrating the floor. Even more impressively, Penntek coatings can last over 25 years – compare this with basic epoxy floor paint, which tends to last about two or three years before needing resurfacing. As a bonus, Penntek coatings make your floor easy to clean and maintain.
What if You Don’t Need Commercial Paint Services Just Yet?
If your paint still looks fresh and shows no issues, it’s still wise to receive a thorough inspection at least once a year. This enables you to know your facility’s condition and helps you budget for the necessary repaints the following year.
Remember that even if you don’t need to paint your property at the moment, you can still opt to do so. If you want to revamp your facility’s appearance, nothing is stopping you from refreshing your commercial space. There’s no need to repaint your entire facility at once, either. You can make paint improvements one area at a time, which may help in terms of managing your budget.
Upgrade Your Commercial Property With Paint and Some Help From Anderson Painting
Choose Anderson Painting for your next commercial painting project in Raleigh, NC or The Greater Triangle Area. You will be working with a team who can recommend the best paint and make all the necessary repairs to your walls. We’re so much more than a painting company – count on us to “do it all” so you don’t have to go anywhere else. Contact Anderson Painting for a free estimate for your commercial property.
