Everyone understands the importance of maintaining the aesthetic appeal of a commercial building in order to appeal to customers and clients. Business owners and property managers want to ensure anyone coming in or even just driving by sees an attractive, well-maintained facility.
What you may not realize is that maintaining your paint is important for a variety of reasons beyond aesthetics. It’s a vital component of protecting your investment and even serves as a safety measure and means of improving employee morale.
Don’t Wait for Signs of Damage
One of the goals of entering a maintenance contract with your painting company is to ensure your paint – no matter where it is – stays fresh and healthy. For example, industrial buildings, and the work performed in them, challenge any point job. Maintenance painting preserves your equipment and structures, extending the life of your painting, reducing deterioration, and improving appearance.
Paint upkeep on equipment helps reduce corrosion. In addition, repairing safety markings and color coding throughout the building keeps the working environment, and therefore your team, safe. Regularly scheduled maintenance includes walkthroughs and inspections to catch potential problems early, allowing you to address these issues while they’re young and therefore easier, and cheaper, to fix.
This saves money in multiple ways. First, of course, is the fact that property maintenance is cheaper than repair. Second are the savings earned due to improved safety. Whether you’re refreshing safety markings on a warehouse floor or color coding throughout the building, you reduce the risk of work-related accidents and therefore workers’ comp claims and even lawsuits.
Planning Ahead
Working with your commercial painting company to develop a property maintenance program keeps it simple. How often do you need to perform this type of maintenance, though?
Repaint Every 2 Years
- Work areas, doors, and railings. Use a wire brush to prepare the surface and remove loose paint and rust, then wash with a degreaser like TSP. Use an epoxy primer on bare spots before painting.
Repaint Every 3 Years
- Common areas that include painted wood or plasterboard walls, ceilings, and metal. You need to prepare the area first by cleaning it, then spackle and repair any damage, such as dents, holes, and scratches. Sand the area, then remove dirt and grease if necessary. If there are bare spots, do a spot-prime. The area is now ready to be painted.
- Common areas that include concrete block. Prepare the area 24 hours before painting by cleaning it thoroughly and allowing the surface to dry. Use a wire brush to remove old, loose paint, and spot-prime as needed before painting.
Repaint Every 4 Years
- Commercial and industrial equipment. Blast away paint and rust until you see the white metal underneath. Before painting, apply primer and epoxy.
Making it Last
Like everything else in life, the key to a lasting paint job that looks great is preparation. When it comes to paint, this means preparing the surface to hold the paint.
There are many differences between brands as regards quality, but one thing all paints have in common is the fact that a clean, dry surface is one they stick to best. They also like it a little rough, so sand glossy surfaces, and wipe with a damp cloth (preferably one moistened with paint thinner or turpentine). Finally, use a clean rag or towel moistened with a cleaning solvent to clean the paint area. Allow it to dry completely before applying your chosen paint.
If you have any questions about painting upkeep and maintenance, the team at CBP is here to help. We’ll check out your property, free of charge, and provide an estimate on any work you require.