Just like the walls of your residence, the walls of your office area will require a fresh coat of paint now and then, either to liven things up, or to cover up some existing imperfections or flaws in the wall surfaces. Commercial painting is a bit more complicated than painting your home, but the basic idea is the same, in that the wall surfaces need to be properly prepared before you ever apply any paint.
If this step is overlooked in the process, it’s very likely that problems will develop later on with the coat of paint which gets applied. If you and your fellow employees follow the preparatory steps described below, you can be reasonably sure that you will achieve the success you had in mind when you first envisioned the painting project for your office.
Scope of the Project
Step one in the process is to decide on the scope of your office painting project. For instance, will you be painting the entire office area, only the break room, only the conference room, or just several open areas which have cubicles installed? Next, you should decide on what color paint you will be using, and what you want the office area to look like once it’s done.
Generally speaking, some subdued colors are chosen for office areas, as opposed to loud or bold colors like red or purple. There are plenty of appealing colors you can paint your office area with without making them extremely dull, and without putting all your employees to sleep.
Obtain a Painting Estimate
Once you’ve settled on the scope of the project and the color scheme of the walls which are intended to be painted, you’ll be ready to discuss the project with a commercial painter. These are the first questions that you will be asked, so make sure you’re ready with the answers. You should also have some idea about the time frame that you need the project completed by, because this will impact the schedule for any contractors you hire. In addition, you should have a range of pricing in mind, so that you can be sure to stay within budget when you’re talking to candidate contractors.
Doing Repairs?
This is actually part of the scope consideration, but it’s not something you need to discuss with the contractor. If you have planned to carry out some office repairs at the same time the painting project will be ongoing, you should consider exactly which kind of repairs you’re going to tackle, and how long each one of them will take. For instance, you may have some walls with holes in them, you might have some fire damage, rotted wood, or water damage that needs to be addressed. If any of these areas will be worked on during the painting project, you should time your efforts to coincide with the contractor’s work.
Clear the Area
Before any commercial painter can begin work, you’ll have to completely clear the area, so office equipment and furniture doesn’t get damaged, and so the workers will have room to move about freely as they undertake the project. You might have a number of desks and chairs in a room which is to be painted, and it would be better if these are completely removed for the duration of the painting project. If there’s anything in the room what you don’t want paint to get on, it should be removed prior to the beginning of the project.
Day Off for Employees?
It’s probably a good idea to give your employees the day off if they are the ones who use the office area being painted. If you don’t give them the day off, they’ll have to be performing their daily activities in some other area, and that may not be convenient or possible for you. You certainly don’t want them anywhere in the work area, so unless you can accommodate them some other way, they would actually just be in the way of the painters.
An alternative to this possibility would be to have them work remotely, if you’re set up for that kind of work activity. It’s also a good idea to consider the safety of your employees, because if they are exposed to paint fumes for any length of time, it could cause health issues like dizziness, headaches, and nausea.
Have the Walls Cleaned
When you know when the professional painters will arrive, you should have the wall surfaces cleaned the day before by your janitorial staff. In fact, it’s better that you request the janitorial staff do the wall cleaning well ahead of time, before painting contractors arrive, especially if you know there are areas of grime or unsmooth areas on your wall surfaces.
It may be necessary for your janitors to do some sanding, so as to smooth out any rough wall surfaces prior to painting. If this step is overlooked, the paint may not be applied properly, or your contractors may have to take the time to do it themselves before actually starting the paint project. That will cause you to lose time on the project, and it may also result in additional charges.
If the walls are in the best possible shape for painting, that will contribute to the success of the painting project itself. If your walls have any screws or picture frames hanging from them, they should all be removed prior to the beginning of the painting project. Make sure your janitorial staff understands that a thorough cleaning job is necessary, as well as adequate time for drying, before any painting process can begin.
Inform Other Tenants
If you share an office building with other workers, it’s a good idea to let them know when your professional painting contractors will be there to do the job. This will alert them to the coming and going of the contractors, so they’re not worried about security aspects. It will also give them a heads-up so they can avoid the area being painted, and thus minimize the chances of sustaining any kind of health issues. It’s also just good courtesy to let your fellow tenants know when a painting project is being conducted, so they can rearrange their traffic patterns if need be.
