Keeping the high-traffic areas in your commercial property looking their best can create a maintenance headache for property owners and building managers. In this blog, we will share 10 helpful painting tips from our commercial and house painting Victoria experts to help reduce maintenance costs while improving property value.
1. Choose the right type of paint finish
Paint finish refers to the glossiness and sheen of the paint. For high-traffic areas, we recommend either a satin or gloss finish.
Satin Finish
Satin has a subtle sheen and velvety smooth finish that’s ideal for high-traffic areas. They are often a top choice for commercial property walls because they’re easy to clean. Their mid-gloss sheen isn’t overly shiny, yet it is more reflective than a matte finish. As a result, satin tends to feel a little higher-end.
Gloss Finish
Gloss finishes tend to stand up better to daily wear and tear, making them another popular choice for commercial spaces. Due to their durability, they are well-suited to vulnerable surfaces such as doors, door trims, and baseboards. It’s also a very easy surface to clean.
That said, commercial-grade paints come in any finish and are designed to last longer than residential paints. These paints are only available to professional commercial and house painters in Victoria, which is why it’s best to call in the pros for commercial paint jobs.
2. Pick colours that don’t show dirt
While not always practical from a design standpoint, it does help to choose colours that don’t show dirt and scuff marks. It might seem that neutral colours are too pale to hide dirt, but the fact they are neutral means they’re very mid-toned, so both light and dark scuff marks won’t stand out as much.
If you go too dark, things like chips and dents can be more noticeable, and when you go too light, you end up showing every single mark. So, the mid-tone neutral is the safest bet.
3. Don’t skimp on the coats
It might feel like a time and money-saver to skimp on the number of coats for commercial paint jobs. However, in high-traffic areas prone to scuff marks and dings, having at least two (and preferably three) coats reduces the appearance of scuff marks while helping to stand up to dings that can chip the paint. This saves you money in the long run.
4. Use the proper technique
It can be tempting to skip a few steps in order to save time. However, every step skipped increases the likelihood you’ll need to repaint sooner than you’d like. Some of the most important steps include the following:
- Filling in holes, dents, and damaged areas, and sanding the dried filler into a smooth finish before painting.
- Sanding down wood areas such as doors, door trim, window trim, etc. to ensure you have a clean surface ready for primer.
- When painting a lighter colour over a darker surface, consider using a primer to create a more even finish.
- Using a primer on raw wood and metal surfaces to ensure proper adherence to avoid chipping, peeling, and cracking.
- Making sure the surface, brushes, and rollers are not wet to avoid bubbling.
5. Use the right paint based on the surface
The finishes on different types of surfaces require proper paint to ensure they adhere. For example, if you’re painting a hallway that also has metal doors, the paint used for the walls will be different from the paint required for the metal door.
As well, when painting trim and ceilings, always use paint that’s designed specifically for these surfaces. You can have the paint supplier customize the colour for most paint types if you want to colour drench a space across all surfaces from ceiling to floor and trim to doors.
6. Apply touch-ups
It helps to include occasional touch-ups as part of your annual maintenance plan. High-traffic areas will wear down a lot more quickly than less frequently used areas, which means you should include some minor touch-ups to keep these spaces looking their best.
Although not necessary for all high-traffic areas, the most high-profile spaces, such as the lobby, definitely need some additional TLC. You want to reduce the appearance of obvious damage and wear and tear on the areas where first impressions count!
7. Work during low-traffic times
Commercial and house painters in Victoria take up a lot of space, which can cause disruptions to traffic flow in the building. It’s best to schedule painting during low-traffic times when the work won’t pose an inconvenience for tenants and customers. It allows painters to work efficiently and safely without worry of their equipment being knocked over or having to pause to allow people to get by.
8. Cover up surrounding areas and assets
Always cover up surrounding areas and assets like flooring, furniture, office equipment, inventory, etc. before painting any commercial spaces. This reduces the risk of costly damage from drips, as well as accidents such as knocked-over cans, tipped paint trays, and dropped paint rollers.
9. Inform tenants of scheduled painting
In cases where painting during off hours is not an option, be sure to inform tenants and/or customers of scheduled painting jobs in the building. Information to share includes:
- The projected duration of the project
- Alternate routes you might be redirecting foot traffic
- Dealing with potential fumes
You might also have other details you wish to share based on the commercial space use, tenant satisfaction, etc. Transparency during the process will reduce frustration in order to maintain strong relationships and reduce the risk of tenant churn. It will also provide improved customer service.
10. Hire professional commercial and house painters in Victoria
The best way to ensure the high-traffic areas in your building maintain a polished appearance with limited disruption to tenants is to hire professional commercial and house painters in Victoria.
They will have access to the high-quality, commercial-grade paints that offer the best durability and appearance. They will also work efficiently to complete the work as quickly as possible, and use painting best practices for improved appearance and long-lasting results.
Contact the Painting Professionals
Painting high-traffic areas in commercial spaces requires a quality job with proper prep work for optimum durability. Combined with a fair price, and complete transparency through ongoing communication, you will see the best possible outcomes with limited stress for added value.
At Parkside Painting, we offer honest, professional painting services that deliver a great customer experience throughout your project. For a free quote and advice on how to paint high-traffic areas in your commercial property, call us at 250-891-2999 or contact us online.
