Commercial painting: more than just pretty walls

Provided by Networx.com

If you are a commercial property owner, investor, or manager, you tend to have a lot on your plate when it comes to maintenance. Certainly, you want your building or complex to look its best, but at the same time, it is essential to keep in mind the bottom line. Functionality and productivity are just as important as appearance, sometimes more so. In addition, any refurbishing needs to be done with minimal disruption to your business or tenants. A good commercial painting contractor will help you achieve your goals. Beyond a fresh new appearance and an appealing color scheme, experienced commercial painters can provide a whole range of related services, together with the smallest possible amount of down time and inconvenience.

Image

Whether your aim is to convey a particular image or establish a distinctive brand, you want your office, mall, plant, school, religious institution, or other commercial property to look welcoming to visitors. With a neat, attractive physical appearance, you will create a good first impression and foster a sense of confidence in your business. A painting firm which is experienced in commercial work will be qualified to give advice on current color trends in your field (for instance, the hotel industry) and how to use color to create an appropriate mood -- soothing blue for a spa, energetic yellow in a factory, or lively red in a restaurant are a few examples. They will use digital color imaging to give you a clear idea of how different hues would look in the context of your setting.

Type of Paint and Related Products

Find a contractor who uses high quality paint, for a good-looking, hardwearing job. Well chosen and applied, commercial paint ought to be able to stand up to five years of heavy use. Your painter should be equipped to advise you about such important topics as the best products for various surfaces (including wood, drywall, concrete, metals, and others), wall and floor solutions for high-traffic areas, and exterior sealants that will increase resistance to severe weather conditions like heavy storms or harsh sunlight. For interiors, low-odor paint will allow redecoration to take place with minimal disturbance to employees and clients, while anti-mold paint and products with low or, even better, no VOCs will safeguard their health.

Preparation

A good commercial paint job begins with proper preparation. Look for a professional painting contractor who will perform a thorough cleanup of the surfaces to be treated, including pressure washing of the exterior, and take care of existing problems such as chipping or peeling paint, water damage, mold, graffiti, rust, damage to the substrate, or concrete spalling. Inside the building, other types of repair may be necessary -- repair or replacement of drywall; patching of nail holes, cracks, dents, and gouges; and retexturing of acoustic ceilings.

Customer Service

Discuss with commercial painters how they will proceed with their work while causing the least interruption to normal business or inconvenience to your clients and employees. An especially service-oriented contractor may offer you flexible scheduling -- that is, working during your off-hours or slow season so that your business can continue to function relatively normally. Consider, also, the safety measures they plan to put in place to protect occupants of the building as well as its equipment and furnishings.

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Commercial painting: more than just pretty walls