It’s only natural to hear customers asking things such as, “What do commercial painters near me do?” They need to know what painting service companies exactly do and what kind of services do they offer.
People tend to think that commercial painters and residential painters may appear very similar. But do a bit more research and you will find out that commercial painters offer a significant number of other services that you cannot find on residential painters.
What can both residential and commercial painters both have in common are the basic steps: cleaning and de-cluttering, prepping and repairing, painting and cleaning up. Depending on the condition of the surface, painters would opt to apply primer to help the topcoat bind better to the surface, to block out stains, to prevent moisture and molds and mildew, etc.
Other than that, the jobs between residential and commercial painters differ a great deal, in many levels. The job of residential painters mostly concerns with painting houses and other living spaces. Commercial painters, on the other hand, deal more with painting business establishments. It means that residential painters usually work on materials that are usually built for homes such as wood, some types of metals and siding. Commercial painters, on the other hand, work on a wider range of materials: wood, cement, brick, concrete, stucco, reinforced plastic, steel, and many others.
Residential painters mostly work on smaller structures – they can be just one room or area, or the entire house. Commercial painters, on the other hand, work on establishments that range in sizes — a coffee house, a retail store, a sprawling shopping complex or a high-rise condominium building – any building that is considered high-traffic.
Commercial painters may use different types of paints and related products for a variety of surfaces – they may be formulated to withstand many factors such as heat, moisture and pollution by the best exterior painting in Walnut Creek companies and those in the surrounding areas.
Painting an area needs careful planning to carry out the job well and smoothly. But in commercial painting, it should require a well-designed, well-thought-out planning, particularly when it comes to dealing with establishments that are still open for business. Workers would usually put up signs such as “CAUTION: WET PAINT” to warn customers from getting smudged with wet paint. In many cases, companies may have to move out temporarily while their actual office is being painted.
Painting the exteriors pose more challenges. Workers may step on scaffoldings or cranes. As part of their safety measure as well, workers are required to wear harnesses to prevent accidental falling. You may sometimes see safety nets down below to protect the crew from accidentally falling straight to the ground and protect the passers-by down below from being hit by the falling debris.
Residential painters usually work within the 5-day week, from Monday to Friday. Commercial painters, on the other hand, are required to work on tighter schedules. The project may take several days or even weeks depending on the scope of the project. It’s not unusual to see commercial painters working at night shifts, or on weekends.
Commercial painters may also have a different approach when it comes to preparing the surface. Aside from the usual washing, scrubbing and dusting, commercial painters may also use other methods such as abrasive blasting (which can be wet or dry, or both) to prepare the surfaces for painting.
Many commercial painters have also adopted a special technique for painting surfaces called “powder coating.” It consists of dry paint that is typically cured by heat, producing a strong and high-quality finish. It is also environmentally friendly as it doesn’t produce VOC emissions, which are harmful.
When it comes to commercial painting, there is no room for mistakes, and no chance for cutting corners. Clients who are looking for commercial painters should make sure that the workers are highly trained, licensed, insured and bonded.
“Do commercial painters near me follow industry safety practices?” That’s an all-important question. There’s no taking chances when it comes to safety – clients should check that the commercial painting company they’re considering should rigorously follow industry safety and environmental standards and use appropriate safety gears to prevent accidents on the site. While you’re at it, you should also ask painters for any proof or certification that they have passed the safety and environmental requirements.