Did you know that the average customer will form an opinion of you and your business within 7 seconds?
The exterior of your business premises is probably the first impression you make on your customers. If you hired a commercial painting company and your signs are legible and clean, they will likely draw the conclusion that you are an all-round professional company.
However, if your company paintwork is chipped, un-maintained, and faded, likely the customer will soon wonder if you neglect your customers as much as you do your workplace.
Make the right impression the first time by ensuring you employ a professional commercial painting company from the outset. This will help you to avoid some of the basic paintwork problems that could easily affect your reputation.
What are some common paintwork problems? What can a professional company do about them? Let’s find out more.
Fading Paintwork
Faded paintwork will be the first thing that your customers will notice. All paintwork will fade over time; however, some climates will affect paintwork more adversely than others. Specifically, paintwork that is directly impacted by sunlight will fare the worst.
Faded paintwork causes your workplace to look much older than it actually is. It can even indicate that a business is financially not able to meet the costs of caring for its appearance. This is tragic, and a professional painting company can easily remedy the problem.
Simply arrange for a company to come and assess the problem. If your business is subject to conditions that will cause the paint to fade quickly, they will be able to recommend a fade-resistant paint.
They can then get to work to remove the faded paint. Preparation is needed to remove the old paint and prepare the surface. After this, they will apply new higher-grade paint.
Your business will now have a more attractive appearance with increased curb appeal. It will show professionalism and encourage a higher footfall into your premises.
With carefully selected fade-resistant paint, you will not have to repeat this step for up to several years.
“Alligatoring”
Do you have an “alligatoring” problem? When you look at the painted wood surfaces of your premises, if you see that wrinkles or blistering have started to occur, and that large cracks are starting to appear that reveal the wood underneath, you probably have an alligatoring problem.
This is caused by unwanted moisture underneath the paintwork. Eventually, as the moisture spreads, the paint no longer adheres to the woodwork and starts to separate, causing cracks or blisters. These often join to form more noticeable damage.
A combination of factors cause Alligatoring. An environment with a high level of moisture will encourage it. However, it is also caused by the incorrect application of primers and poor surface preparation.
Remediation of alligatoring requires a complete stripping of the surface. It involves getting back to the wood surface and re-priming it and protecting it before applying the final coats.
This might seem like very invasive work, however afterward you will have a long-lasting attractive topcoat that represents your business and reputation.
Fungal Growth
If you have fungal or mold growth on your paintwork, it could be tempting to simply paint over it. However, this should be avoided at all costs. Instead, ask yourself why mold is growing in that location.
Mold and fungus in general will grow in locations where there is substantial shade. A dark, damp location with little air movement are perfect conditions for mold growth.
What can you do if you have mold growth on your paintwork? The following steps will help you remove the problem.
- Observe the location. Is it possible to encourage air movement by removing obstacles to air or sunlight such as trees or plants?
- Next, fully remove all traces of mold. Remove existing paintwork if necessary, to ensure that it is all gone
- Treat the area with a suitable chemical to remove unseen remains or spores.
- Repaint the area with mold-resistant paint
- Continue to observe the area after painting to ensure that the mold has not spread to adjacent surfaces and is growing there
This remediation requires significant work and knowledge of effective products available to treat different types of mold.
For the best results contact a professional restoration company that can both remove the mold in the safest way and will treat the location with the most effective chemicals.
Severely Cracked Paint
As paint ages, particularly in hot climates, it will contract and eventually form cracks. This can cause unsightly damage to the paintwork and obscure any messages, logos, or branding included within.
The key to correcting severely cracked paintwork is the removal of the old paint. A professional company should be involved, as they will have the tools to thoroughly remove old paint.
They will start with a wire brush or sandpaper to remove paint that is obviously separating from the wall. Following this, they will use a pressure-washer to test the integrity of the remaining paint. After this, they will prepare the surface for the new coat of paint.
You will commonly see cracks in older paintwork. When you are choosing your new topcoat it could be an opportunity to improve or modernize the look of your work. Why not consider modern color psychology thinking before deciding how your new exterior will look?
Commercial Painting Problems and How to Fix Them
Let’s face it, first impressions last. If customers come to your commercial workplace and see a shoddy exterior, it’s going to affect their view of you and your company.
However, by hiring commercial painting professionals who get it right the first time, your business will shout “high quality” from the first look.
If you are interested in improving the exterior of your workplace then we are here to help. We leverage our years in the business and exteriors industry to offer quality services and trustworthy advice.
Contact us to find out more.