Planning for an upcoming painting project is a daunting task for many facility managers. There are many factors to take into account, including scheduling, finding the right materials, and, of course, your budget.
Commercial and industrial paint jobs can be a large financial investment, but there are several ways to get the most for your money while also avoiding any unnecessary expenses in the future.
Here are the factors to consider in order to maximize your budget:
Time of Year
The weather can play a large role in your commercial paint job, both interior and exterior. Weather conditions such as heat, cold, or humidity can cause your project to take longer than you intended.
The answer to this problem is proper planning ahead of time for your project. For example, you may choose to plan your interior projects during the winter as opposed to the summer. This way, the paint will be able to dry quicker in cool air, as opposed to humid, summer air.
Planning with a professional painter ahead of time means you’ll have ample time to decide when the best time of year is to complete your project.
Not only do you want to ensure you plan your projects at the right time of year, but you want to ensure you get them done early in the seasons. For instance, since exterior work tends to happen during the summer months, exterior painting resources get taken up quickly.
By planning early and getting your projects scheduled early in the summer months, you’ll be able to secure early, lower pricing.
Stick to a Schedule to Avoid Downtime
Oftentimes commercial painting projects include a series of indoor offices and hallways, exterior touch-ups, and even work on several floors of a building. So, how do you decide how to prioritize them?
A seasoned commercial painter will assess your specific needs and help you create a project schedule that works for your business.
For example, a commercial painter might recommend that:
- A hotel’s rapidly deteriorating exterior paint should take precedence over their recently updated interior walls
- A multi-level office building be painted floor by floor, as to not interrupt their business operations
- A small boutique should be painted during off hours and all in one day to maximize their time and budget
- Factories that are used for high-volume work during the weekdays should be painted over the weekend to help minimize disruptions to operations and production schedules
By working with a professional, you’ll get a project plan that prioritizes your business needs, schedule, and budget.
The Right Materials
A professional painter will be able to ensure that you’re using the right materials for your building, meaning you won’t waste more money on having to fix a bad paint job.
From the beginning of the project, they will help spec out the right products and preparations for your job. This includes determining needs for materials like fire resistant, weather resistant, and water resistant paint.
At Independence Painting Co., our team not only helps determine the materials to use on a project, but also leverages our experience and relationships with manufacturers during the process.
This ensures the team uses manufacturer specific recommendations on paint system applications, so you’ll receive best surface preparations and products for your facility’s needs. Plus, this process means that the manufacturer will stand behind the application. This is a critical step to ensuring that your new paint job will last.
One last thing to consider with your preparation, materials, and finishes is the type of work you’re doing. Different techniques and materials are needed for a painting vs. wallcoverings. And if you’re hanging wallcovering, had you considered whether or not it would be over a previous wallcovering?
By working with a professional, you can rely on them to help determine your needs, so you can ensure the right work is done the first time.
Maintaining Your Paint Job
By having your commercial paint job routinely touched up and maintained, you will extend the life of your paint job.
Peeling, flaking, and cracking paint are symptoms of not just old paint jobs, but also weather and water damage. These can become expensive to fix if they aren’t addressed early.
By maintaining your building’s interior and exterior finishes, you can be sure that your building’s appearance – and its financial value in the future – will be preserved.
Work with an Expert
As we look at all the ways to maximize your commercial painting budget one thing remains consistent – working with a professional. But why work with a professional vs. two guys with a truck and a ladder?
A professional commercial painter is an invaluable resource when it comes to deciding what projects you should prioritize, what surface preparation and materials will work best, and what time of year the work should be completed
If you’re looking to get started on your next commercial paint job, contact Independence Paint Co. We’ll not only work with you to help maximize your budget, but we’ll ensure a long-lasting project. With our 10-year labor warranty, you can be certain you’ll have finishes that last.