When all is going well with your commercial property, you probably have a lot of tenants in place. Of course, with more tenants comes more wear and tear, which means that the need to keep up the common areas of your property increases as well. The problem is that painting an occupied building is much harder than painting a vacant one. So here are a few tips to help you manage the project without all the headaches.
Let Everyone Know Well In Advance
The first key to successfully painting an occupied commercial space is making sure that all occupants of the building are fully aware of the upcoming maintenance. Give them specific times and dates that the painters will be around, and try to notify them if there will be any changes to parking, entry, or general use of the building during that time. The further out you can give them warning, the easier it will be for them to plan accordingly. Remember, they want the building to look nice for their clients too, so this minor inconvenience is really good for everyone.
Plan to Paint When Fewer People Are Around
While it may not be possible to paint the entire building while everyone is out of the office during the evenings or on the weekends, you can take advantage of those times to paint the busiest areas. For instance, bathrooms and main thoroughfares can be painted while most people are out of the building, and then you can focus on lower traffic areas once people come for the workday. When hiring the right painting company, painting after hours is not a problem.
Stage for Functionality
Similar to planning your paint job around regular business hours, you should also make sure to stage your paint project in a way that leaves most of the building functional at any given time. For instance, you don’t want to block off all of the bathrooms at one time. Instead, alternating bathrooms as you work will ensure that there is always access available. The same will be true of the main entryways and break rooms. An experienced paint crew will likely have a system in place for handling these things so as not to disrupt normal business operations.
Make Sure Your Paint is Safe
No matter what kind of commercial building you have, you need to pay close attention to the amount of paint that is floating around in the air while the crew is working. By choosing low-VOC paints and bringing in fans, your paint crew should be able to manage the environment well enough to avoid any serious health risks. However, it is your responsibility to make sure that your tenants are safe and protected during this period of time.
Paint During Off Season
If all you’re doing is interior work, you might be able to get away with painting during the off-season. This will ultimately save you a headache, especially if you want to have your painting done in the evenings or on the weekends. Your paint contractor will probably have more flexibility from fall to early spring when they are not rushing to get exterior jobs done.
Don’t put off your regular maintenance and painting just because your building is occupied. Instead, enlist the help of an experienced contractor who knows how to work with occupants to get the best results. The more information you give your tenants in advance, the easier it will be for everyone to prepare for the work to be done, and the sooner you can get it over with. For more information about paint safety in occupied buildings, contact Performance Painting today.
