The time has come to paint your commercial building, and you have your ideal of what you want. Before you can achieve that ideal, though, you’ll need to consider a lot of details: details that are specific to a commercial exterior painting job and so don’t affect the average homeowner. At Shepard Contractors, we always tell business owners in Tampa FL that before they hire our commercial painters, they need to know about:

• The scale of the project
• Their building’s style and materials
• Their building’s surroundings
• The effect of different colors and accents

Fortunately, you won’t be left alone to do this; our team is here to help you navigate every step in the planning. We’re a state-certified contractor that has been serving Tampa FL since 1949. During all these years, we’ve kept up with the latest equipment and painting techniques, and we have an in-depth understanding of the properties and characteristics of paint. We can work in the most challenging of environments and with tight deadlines. Commercial exterior painting is one of our specialties.

The Scale of Your Project

As commercial painters, we know how much more extensive a commercial exterior painting project is compared to a residential one. First, you’ll be painting a larger area, which means involving more workers, more tools, and more materials. This makes it all the more pressing that you hire a company that’s reliable and experienced.

Our company has handled large-scale projects, so you can rest assured that whatever downtime you experience will be minimal. We may even help you avoid closing down your business altogether but prepare to close down anyway. We emphasize our experience because inexperienced companies, even if they boast honest workers, the right tools, and enough materials, will take longer on a commercial exterior painting job, which translates to greater lost revenue for you.

Your Building’s Architecture and Materials

Keep in mind that different surfaces require different types of paints and sealants. Whether your building is made from stucco, brick, stone, or vinyl, you can trust that our technicians will select the right products while staying within your budget. We’ll be up-front about how long the results will last because this, too, varies based on the material that makes up your exterior. Paint on wood and vinyl, for instance, may not last so long (five to seven years with the former, 10 years with the latter).

With some surfaces, you have a choice between multiple types of paint: oil- and water-based paint, for example. Oil-based paints are superior in many ways, as they are more durable and are self-leveling, but they also cost more and can harm your health and the environment.

We mentioned architecture as well. This will come into play if, by any chance, you’re located in a historic district. The city will likely have restrictions in place that limit your choice of exterior colors. Similar restrictions would be in place in an industrial park. You would need to ask for special permission if your ideal falls outside of what the historical society or the property management company deems fitting.

Your Building’s Surroundings

This leads to the third item you must consider before embarking on commercial exterior painting. Look at the buildings around you and think about whether yours will stand out too much if you apply a certain color to it. Also ask yourself if your desired color will fit well with the current color of your driveways, walkways, and parking lot. What about the landscaping? Is it a lush green all year round?

Note that colors can make a building seem larger or smaller than it is. Commercial painters would recommend darker colors for buildings on small lots because these make something look smaller.

Besides your immediate surroundings, take the environment and the climate into account. In cold climates, you would want paint that stands up against chipping and cracking. In hot climates, of course, the danger is fading from excessive sun exposure; in such cases, commercial painters would recommend UV-resistant paint. However, go with acrylic paint if your area suffers from both extremely hot and extremely cold weather. There’s also mildew-resistant paint to consider if it rains a lot.

The Psychological Effect of Colors

Remember that you can “say” much with the exterior paint. This understanding is already reflected in your company’s brand, ranging from the logo and media graphics to the website and business cards. Make sure your new color scheme will align with this.

More importantly, though, try to pinpoint what it is that the color scheme communicates to you and to potential clients. A neutral, symmetrical color scheme between sets of buildings will give off a professional air, for example, whereas a diverse scheme can provide a more fun, trendy atmosphere. As long as it reflects your company’s values and mission, you won’t be disappointed during your next commercial exterior painting project.

Colors, just taken in the abstract, do influence how people think and feel. Consult with our commercial painters, then, about what colors would create a positive mood and lower stress. This goes for interior painting, too, as you don’t want clients to feel suffocated while inside.

Accent colors will do their part, too, in affecting your company’s appearance. First, we want to highlight the need for accent colors. Simply painting a building one solid shade of color will cause it to look flat. Accents break up the color and make the property more interesting. Usually for an accent, property owners will use a lighter or darker shade of the primary color they have chosen. Using complementary colors may also work.

Contact Us Today Shepard Contractors is ready to consult with you about your commercial exterior painting project in Tampa FL. We’re flexible with scheduling. Call our office staff today!