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How Painting Can Extend the Longevity and Improve the Appearance of Your Commercial Building
When you own commercial buildings, maintenance and upkeep come with the territory, you’re looking for ways to improve value over the long term, in addition to providing your tenants with a comfortable, safe, effective space to live, work, or do business. Paint is one of the most affordable and simplest options that you have.
Paint requires routine maintenance to keep the building looking its best. Cleaning and upkeep can do wonders to help your paint last longer, but there comes a time when it will just need to be repainted. Whether you’re updating old paint or just refreshing your commercial building’s curb appeal, there are a lot of benefits that come from commercial painting:
- Preserved market value
- Increased foot traffic
- Improved first impressions
- Protection from damage and deterioration
- Improve morale and productivity (when painting a business)
- Removing lead and outdated hazards
Here’s how to make the most of these benefits.
Protect Your Structure
Exterior paint isn’t just for looks. It also provides a moisture barrier and seals the home to protect it from outside intrusions. If your commercial building has a wood structure, that can help prevent issues like rotting and pests. The elements, including sun, wind, and storms, can all have an impact on your building, too. If the paint isn’t in good condition, the damage could be much worse.
When you have professional commercial painters repaint your building, the work will last for several years and help you protect your investment. Although every building has different needs, most experts recommend repainting for maintenance about every seven or eight years. This will protect the building and breathe new life into the space.
Repaint to Align Brand Identity
If you own your commercial building or rent one that you’re permitted to paint, you could use fresh paint to help update and improve your brand identity. Even if the building is just a storage facility or warehouse, it represents the business. A lot of people will judge commercial businesses based on the upkeep and appearance of the property. That alone can cost you business when your paint is dull and outdated.
Perhaps you’re refreshing your brand image or colors to help get new life flowing through your business. Choose a few complementary colors that go with your logo or brand colors and change things up. You can even ask your painters for assistance in choosing a color palette for your new paint job. This will help you improve first impressions and make sure that everyone knows exactly what your business is. It can also add style and increase the value of the building, giving you even more to appreciate.
Attract New Tenants
If you are a commercial building owner who rents the space to others, you can use a fresh coat of paint to get the attention of tenants who are looking for a space to conduct business. As mentioned, a building needs to be in good condition if it’s going to be seen as professional and your paint job might be a little outdated or worn. Perhaps you rented the space to one tenant with specific brand colors, and now you want to make it easy for another tenant to move in.
Painting for tenants can do wonders to get their business. When someone comes into a leased space and they have a fresh canvas or coat of paint, they’ll see that the building is cared for and updated regularly. It also allows them to get a better idea of what their business would look like in the space since it’s not muddied by outdated paint or someone else’s color scheme.
Even just regular repainting of the building can keep tenants happy and help increase the value of your buildings. From office buildings to apartments to commercial retail and warehouse space, a fresh coat of paint can attract all kinds of new tenants.
Dress to Impress
We’ve talked a lot about how to make a good impression with paint in all the tips thus far. When you are presenting your business or commercial building to the world, you want to make sure that you create the right impression. The adage of “dress for the job you want, not the job you have” applies here.
Paint your building for the clients or tenants that you want, not the ones that you have. Take some time to talk to professional painters about how you can update your paint job to create a more professional, polished space that impresses potential investors, the competition, and everyone else who encounters your business.
Don’t Be Afraid of Color
Especially in commercial painting, people tend to stick to neutral colors and basic color palettes. This is fine, but with so many different color options out there today, it’s worth exploring a little more. Why settle for basic, dull colors when you can choose something that really pops and sets your building apart?
We’re not saying you should paint it bright pink or anything, of course. However, a nice sapphire blue or even a coral red that mimics brick can be a lot more attractive than grays, browns, and other neutral shades. Take the time to look around online and get inspired to see how you can create a whole new look by adding color to your commercial space.
Safety First – Lead Removal and Other Hazards
Some commercial buildings are still wearing paint from before 1978 and may have lead present. There may also be buildings that still contain asbestos. While the latter isn’t usually a problem for surface painting (unless the exterior surface is asbestos), lead is a serious issue when painting.
If you suspect that you have lead paint on your commercial building, you will need to contact a painting contractor who is experienced with lead removal and certified to handle the job. Check out local and federal maintenance regulations for commercial spaces, too, as those may dictate how often you must paint or update your building.
Any renovation project or upgrade comes with potential concerns. Although it’s rare, if you’re dealing with asbestos or lead, you need to reach out to the experts who can help you get rid of it and get your building looking like new again.
Tips for Choosing Colors
Paint affects mood, motivation, and behavior. Formally, this is a field known as color psychology. Informally, it’s about knowing which colors evoke which emotions so that you can paint accordingly.
- White is clean and fresh, but it can also appear sterile and cold. On the exterior, it will also need a lot more routine cleaning because it attracts and shows dirt more than other colors. Use white as a base or accent for the best results.
- Black is a great accent color that exudes sophistication and strength. However, you shouldn’t paint your entire building black because it can make it appear dark and small. That’s usually going to mean “unattractive” to most people. Use black in moderation.
- Gray is practical, professional, and modern. Certain shades of gray may come off as sterile or cold, but there is an entire family of warm gray shades that you can use to avoid this. This is a great main color when you accent it with other colors, or even black and white.
- Blue is a popular color for commercial buildings and businesses because it is professional and trustworthy. It also creates peace and relaxation and is often used in banks, hotels, and other professional spaces.
- Green evokes nature and sometimes refers to money. It can be used in several shades as an accent or main color. It’s popular for financial institutions, environmental companies, organic companies, and so forth.
- Purple is a color of wisdom and royalty. It’s creative and stimulating but should be used in small doses so it’s not overwhelming. High-end shopping venues and professional services companies do well with purple in their color palette.
- Yellow and orange create an inviting, cheerful ambiance. Orange can sometimes be seen as creative or adventurous. However, some yellow and orange shades are also associated with warnings and cautions, so be careful.
There you have it – a rundown of the most common colors used in commercial painting and their meanings. This should help you narrow your options and come up with the perfect colors for your new paint job.
How to Plan a Commercial Painting Project
Now that you know all the benefits that come from updating your commercial building with paint, it’s time to think about actually getting the project started. The first thing that you’ll want to do after you’ve decided to paint is to reach out to a professional painting contractor like the team at Elite Trade Painting. Not only will this ensure you get the best results, but it can help you with planning the project every step of the way.
Talk to your painting contractor about the colors that you want to use and the look that you’re trying to create. They can often provide a lot of valuable insight to help you make the right decision. If you’ve already got your colors chosen, or are looking to color-match brand colors, you’re a step ahead in the process.
On that note, remember that professional painters can color match any color in your logo, business brand identity, or marketing toolbox. Whether it’s Wild Rose Orchid or just a unique shade of gray, it can be mixed to make sure that it creates the perfect finished look and matches your brand colors.
The steps for commercial painting typically include:
- Clean the exterior of the building (or interior walls) and get any debris, paint damage, or other items removed. That will give the painters a clean slate to start with and make the project easier.
- Once the structure is clean, necessary repairs to the walls or other elements can be made. Repair things before painting so that you can protect your building to the fullest.
- Make sure that there are no obstructions or obstacles around the building that need to be removed or considered in painting. Thanks to scaffolding, ladders, and other supplies, commercial painters are fairly agile, but they need to know what to expect.
- Ask your painters if there is anything else that you should do before they arrive. They’ll generally have a preparation list to help you along the way.
- Once the paint job is complete, you’ll need to let it dry fully before you start replacing items or returning to business as usual.
Painters will take care of all the prep and cleanup for you. All you have to do is give them a call, choose your colors, and let the work begin. When you choose commercial painting, you can revamp your space and breathe new life into the building without breaking the bank.
Final Thoughts
As a commercial building owner, it is your responsibility to take care of your buildings and make sure they look their best. Painting is part of that and it can do wonders without requiring a huge renovation budget. Whether you’re trying to attract new clients, update the building for aesthetic appeal, or anything else, you can count on paint to get the job done. That is, of course, when you rely on professionals to help you do it right.
At Elite Trade Painting, our team has years of experience in all manner of commercial painting projects. We can walk you through the process and help you every step of the way, from color selection and preparation to clean-up, too. Protecting your investment is important, but so is making the most of it. Paint can do both, so if you’re looking for a way to make an improvement, call the pros at Elite Trade Painting today.
Our professionals are standing by to answer your questions and help you get started on your next painting project. Reach out now!
