When you’re considering a painting contractor who will help in giving your business space a brand-new look, sometimes you cannot help thinking, “Do companies offer the same commercial painting services near me?”
All commercial (as well as residential) painting companies offer the basic services like prepping, cleaning and, of course, painting. But compared to residential painters, commercial painting companies cover a far wider range of services and markets. They include interior and exterior painting jobs on coffee shops, restaurants, smaller retail stores, bigger shopping malls, high-rise apartment and condominium buildings, hotels, hospitals and medical facilities, schools, gymnasiums, public and private offices, and much more. Indeed, commercial painters will take jobs of any sizes – no job is too big or too small for them.
Companies may not offer the same line of services, that’s why it is essential that you look for a company who will be able to provide your specific needs. Of course, long years of experience are also what clients are looking for in a commercial painter.
A simple paint roller with an extension pole won’t just cut it. There are certain tools and equipment which a team of painters must use for the job. For painting high-rise complexes, many commercial painting companies use or rent heavy equipment such as a mechanical lift to enable them to paint the higher areas of the building. Others may still use the old-school ways such as ladders and scaffolding, which are ideal for painting smaller-to-medium-sized establishments. The size of your business will help you in hiring the right company who offers the right tools and equipment.
Many commercial spaces are built with exteriors made of masonry (brick, stone, granite, limestone, cast stone, etc.), stucco, and concrete. These exterior surfaces are more exposed to heat, moisture and most of all, pollution, especially in highly urbanized areas. You might be surprised to find out that many commercial painters still use power washing (or pressure washing) to remove dirt, grime, and peeling paint. For getting rid of more stubborn dirt on substrates, some commercial painters use pressure water blasting which generates a more powerful flow to remove dirt than the power washer.
But for clients who want the cleaning job to be done more quickly, they should consider hiring commercial painters who employ the sandblasting method. Although sandblasting is more common in surface preparation for metal, it is also safe for removing dirt from other types of surfaces. If you plan to choose sandblasting, make sure that the company who does this method is equipped with a complete line of machines which uses almost all types of blast media (glass beads, pumice, silicon carbide, plastic, crushed glass, etc.).
Since exteriors of commercial buildings are made of masonry and concrete, most commercial painters use elastomeric paints on them. It is different from traditional paint as the elastomeric paint is more flexible, making it more to adaptable to the weather changes but less prone to cracking. Most commercial painting companies weather-proof the exteriors by applying elastomeric paints, as well as applying sealants and caulks.
Masonry is rough and porous, so priming is also needed to prevent the topcoat from being absorbed on the surface.
For beautifying certain areas such as lobbies, dining areas, suites and waiting rooms, many commercial painters offer wallpaper and wallcovering services, while others do faux painting and finishing. The latter method involves painting the surface to mimic other materials such as marble, stone or wood grain.
If you want a real artwork to grace your space without buying framed art pieces, decorative painting is your best bet. It involves painting breathtaking murals or optical illusion (trompe-l’œil) which can even delight and entertain the guests. If you want faux/decorative painting, you may hire a commercial painting contractor who also offers this kind of service, or an artist who is not employed or affiliated with any commercial painting company.
It’s also important to compare the companies’ level of supervision on their jobs, the kind of relations they have with their customers and, most of all, their safety implementations. It is always better to hire a company who holds exceptional communication between their workers and their clients as critical in meeting (or even exceeding) the latter’s expectations. It is also always better to hire a company with well-trained foremen, project managers and site supervisors who will effectively give their clients daily job status updates, and are ready to offer solutions should their clients raise concerns regarding their job. They manage their workers efficiently to make sure that the projects are finished on time and in accordance to their written specifications, as well as to their clients’ own preferences.
“Is there something wrong with comparing commercial painting services near me?” There is nothing wrong – after all, you only want a painting contractor who will be able to provide you the exact service and results that you expect.