Want to know if it’s time to repaint the exterior of your commercial building or office space? Well, a good rule of thumb is to consider two key factors:

1. The age of your commercial property
2. How many years it’s been since it was painted last

Most professional painters consider five years as a good benchmark for when a building’s exterior needs to be repainted. However, that figure can fluctuate up or down depending on many factors.

In fact, our painting technicians have seen commercial buildings that have been painted 8 or even 10 years ago that still look amazing. Yet, on the flip side, they’ve also highly recommended a re-paint on buildings that were painted less than 2 years ago!

Let’s take a closer look at each of these factors.

Main Factors That Can Negatively Affect the Lifespan of Your Commercial Property’s Paint Job

While your home’s painted bedroom or kitchen can look like new for many years, the paint on your building’s exterior has one huge disadvantage: the weather.

Here are the top conditions, climates and factors that can make the outside of your building show its age:

Exposure to the Elements

Think of the harsh weather we get in Pennsylvania. Freezing temperatures, snow and ice, heavy rainfalls and quite a bit of wind. Sunlight, rain, wind, ice and extreme temperatures — both high and low — can all cause paint to fade, crack, peel or blister prematurely.

Exposure to the Elements

Think of the harsh weather we get in Pennsylvania. Freezing temperatures, snow and ice, heavy rainfalls and quite a bit of wind. Sunlight, rain, wind, ice and extreme temperatures — both high and low — can all cause paint to fade, crack, peel or blister prematurely.

Moisture is one of the leading causes of an aging paint job. Rain, snow and humidity causes moisture to seep into cracks and under the paint. Months after months of an abundance of moisture leads to paint blistering, peeling and even mold or wood rot

Ultraviolet rays from the sun also wreak havoc on a coat of paint. While we don’t live in Florida, the UV rays we get in the spring and summer months can break down paint’s binder, which leads to fading and weakening. The south-facing surfaces of your building attract the most sun and tend to fade first.

Freeze-thaw cycles are horrible for paint.. In Pennsylvania, we know these cycles well. When we continuously go through repeated freezing and thawing, the paint naturally expands and contracts. Cracks in the paint and peeling are the visible results.

Surface Preparation

Not all painting companies exercise the strict attention to preparing a commercial building’s exterior as Key Painting & Decorating does. Some cut corners. They try to save time or reduce expenses by skipping vital steps in the preparation of the exterior of your commercial space.

Your paint job may age prematurely if you neglect preparing the surface correctly, including:

Proper cleaning and preparation. Before painting, the exterior of your commercial building must be thoroughly cleaned. Remember, this surface has been exposed to harsh weather, wind, rain and snow for years. A good cleaning ensures any debris and dirt are washed away. It also removes any loose paint. Neglecting this step is an invitation to premature peeling.

Using a primerApplying a good quality primer can improve paint adhesion and durability, especially on new or previously painted surfaces. Yes, it takes extra time. Yes, it may cost a little more. But, neglecting this critical step leads to poor paint adhesion, uneven color, increased moisture issues and a reduced paint lifespan.

Paint Quality

Yes, the quality of the paint is paramount. Exterior paints are formulated to withstand the harsh elements better than interior paints. If you’re getting multiple bids for your next paint job, get proof they are using exterior paints for your exterior walls

Also higher quality paints with better binders and pigments will generally last longer than cheaper alternatives.

Location and Use

Finally, where your commercial building is located matters. Are you close to the shores of Lake Erie where salt air can erode your paint job even faster? Are you in a high-traffic area that gets a lot of pollution from cars and trucks?

All of these factors determine when your commercial space is due for a paint refresh.

Not Sure If Your Building Needs A Paint Refresh of Not? Let Us Take a Look and Give You an Honest Answer.

The experienced technicians at Key Painting and Decorating let you know if your last paint job will be good for a few more years or if you might consider a paint touch-up or entirely new paint refresh.

It starts with our FREE exterior painting services estimate. Simply call us at 717-566-0280 or fill out this simple form.

Want to know if it’s time to repaint the exterior of your commercial building or office space? Well, a good rule of thumb is to consider two key factors:

1. The age of your commercial property
2. How many years it’s been since it was painted last

Most professional painters consider five years as a good benchmark for when a building’s exterior needs to be repainted. However, that figure can fluctuate up or down depending on many factors.

In fact, our painting technicians have seen commercial buildings that have been painted 8 or even 10 years ago that still look amazing. Yet, on the flip side, they’ve also highly recommended a re-paint on buildings that were painted less than 2 years ago!

Let’s take a closer look at each of these factors.

Main Factors That Can Negatively Affect the Lifespan of Your Commercial Property’s Paint Job

While your home’s painted bedroom or kitchen can look like new for many years, the paint on your building’s exterior has one huge disadvantage: the weather.

Here are the top conditions, climates and factors that can make the outside of your building show its age:

Exposure to the Elements

Think of the harsh weather we get in Pennsylvania. Freezing temperatures, snow and ice, heavy rainfalls and quite a bit of wind. Sunlight, rain, wind, ice and extreme temperatures — both high and low — can all cause paint to fade, crack, peel or blister prematurely.

Moisture is one of the leading causes of an aging paint job Rain, snow and humidity causes moisture to seep into cracks and under the paint. Months after months of an abundance of moisture leads to paint blistering, peeling and even mold or wood rot.

Ultraviolet rays from the sun also wreak havoc on a coat of paint While we don’t live in Florida, the UV rays we get in the spring and summer months can break down paint’s binder, which leads to fading and weakening. The south-facing surfaces of your building attract the most sun and tend to fade first.

Freeze-thaw cycles are horrible for paint In Pennsylvania, we know these cycles well. When we continuously go through repeated freezing and thawing, the paint naturally expands and contracts. Cracks in the paint and peeling are the visible results.

Surface Preparation

Not all painting companies exercise the strict attention to preparing a commercial building’s exterior as Key Painting & Decorating does. Some cut corners. They try to save time or reduce expenses by skipping vital steps in the preparation of the exterior of your commercial space.

Your paint job may age prematurely if you neglect preparing the surface correctly, including:

Proper cleaning and preparation. Before painting, the exterior of your commercial building must be thoroughly cleaned. Remember, this surface has been exposed to harsh weather, wind, rain and snow for years. A good cleaning ensures any debris and dirt are washed away. It also removes any loose paint. Neglecting this step is an invitation to premature peeling.

Using a primer. Applying a good quality primer can improve paint adhesion and durability, especially on new or previously painted surfaces. Yes, it takes extra time. Yes, it may cost a little more. But, neglecting this critical step leads to poor paint adhesion, uneven color, increased moisture issues and a reduced paint lifespan.

Paint Quality

Yes, the quality of the paint is paramount. Exterior paints are formulated to withstand the harsh elements better than interior paints. If you’re getting multiple bids for your next paint job, get proof they are using exterior paints for your exterior walls.

Also higher quality paints with better binders and pigments will generally last longer than cheaper alternatives.

Location and Use

Finally, where your commercial building is located matters. Are you close to the shores of Lake Erie where salt air can erode your paint job even faster? Are you in a high-traffic area that gets a lot of pollution from cars and trucks?

All of these factors determine when your commercial space is due for a paint refresh.

Not Sure If Your Building Needs A Paint Refresh of Not? Let Us Take a Look and Give You an Honest Answer.

The experienced technicians at Key Painting and Decorating let you know if your last paint job will be good for a few more years or if you might consider a paint touch-up or entirely new paint refresh.

It starts with our FREE exterior painting services estimate. Simply call us at 717-566-0280 or fill out this simple form.

Do you remember the episode of the TV show Cheers (probably dating myself here) where buddies Norm Peterson and Cliff Clavin fought about their professions? Norm said even a monkey could deliver mail, and Cliff argued that a monkey could paint houses. While it was comedy gold, especially because they used a trained orangutan, there are probably those who think a monkey COULD possibly paint.

Those same people probably think that anyone in the Central Pennsylvania area who paints houses could also paint your commercial space. However, painting a kitchen or living room is quite a bit different than painting the exterior and/or interior of an office building, hotel, restaurant, hospital or apartment building.

For Commercial Painting Projects, Experience Matters Most

For large commercial projects, we recommend interviewing multiple professional painting companies and getting multiple bids. Here are 5 questions you should ask each painter you interview.

Do you have EXPERTISE when it comes to commercial painting?

Among all the professional painters in the Central Pennsylvania area, the large majority stick to their bread and butter: painting houses. On occasion, they may have painted an office building or restaurant.

We suggest getting a better understanding of how many commercial properties they’ve painted and which ones they painted. Then, I would ask for testimonials or reviews proving they have experience in commercial painting jobs. 

When it comes to painting commercial buildings, that’s our specialty. From the hundreds of commercial paint jobs Key Painting and Decorating has done, we have an entire portfolio of impressive results and satisfied customers. We are well versed in working in high traffic areas, moving large furniture and offering minimal disruptions in your commercial space.

What TOOLS and TECHNOLOGIES do you employ that these commercial paint jobs demand?

Simply by asking this one question, you’ll immediately know if their painting company has commercial painting experience. If they simply say they bring rollers, brushes and a ladder, you’ll know they are underprepared.

Large-scale commercial buildings like apartments, offices, restaurants, hospitals and warehouses require much more in terms of equipment. At Key Painting and Decorating, our crew comes to your building with sprayers, scaffolding, industrial coatings and other tools and technologies to perform a faster, and higher quality job.

Do you have the INSURANCE and LIABILITY COVERAGE that commercial paint projects require?

Carrying insurance to handle residential painting is quite different than the insurance necessary to cover commercial paint jobs. If there’s an accident onsite in your building, improper insurance can cost you and your company.

Rest assured, your business and property are fully covered with Key Painting & Decorating’s insurance. We protect your business from liability.

Will your crew minimize our team’s DOWNTIME?

Again, there’s a big difference between painting a kitchen in a couple of hours or painting an entire office building. A small one- or two-person painting business will consume so much time and distractions in your commercial space.

Your business operating as usual is Key Painting and Decorating’s #1 priority. That’s why we employ the right amount of people and use the right tools to get your commercial painting project done quickly and correctly. Minimal downtime, if any, is always our goal.

Will your paint offer DURABILITY and LONGEVITY?

If your painter tells you they will use the same type and quality of paint that is often used in bathrooms and bedrooms, you may not be getting what you need. A commercial space, such as an office, a restaurant, a hospital or a hotel has a ton more traffic that may requires better paint.

Key Painting and Decorating always thinks of your commercial space first. Then, we find the highest quality paint that will stand up to traffic. By providing paint with durability and longevity, your commercial space will look like new for years.

Now That You Know What to Ask Your Painter, Why Not Ask Key Painting: “When Can You Start?”

Call Key Painting and Decorating at 717-566-0280 for your FREE exterior painting services estimate or fill out this simple form.