Q: How often a commercial building should be painted?

A: The general consensus for how often to repaint commercial buildings is every 3 to 5 years. However, there are many factors you should take into account. Weather or climate, surface type, foot traffic, and paint quality can often change these estimates. Citing these factors, hiring a professional commercial painter for your business makes sense. After all, your establishment’s physical appearance leaves a significant and lasting impression on both customers and employees.

It is important to remember there are no ideal or standard timelines for when a building should be repainted. However, there are some key factors to keep in mind.

For outside spaces, commercial buildings exposed to direct sunlight are likely to fade sooner than other buildings protected by shade. In addition, buildings exposed to extreme weather conditions could result in faster paint deterioration. Vivid colors usually tend to fade faster than neutral ones.

As for interior spaces, high-traffic areas are likely to require repainting more often than low-traffic areas. Additionally, areas that see regular or frequent use will require more touch-ups or repainting more than rooms that are used less frequently.

There are also other reasons for repainting sooner than expected. The owner may want a new color scheme to attract new customers and maintain their customer base. Or that the company has undergone a new branding or management and intends to signify those changes by painting its commercial building with brand new colors.

Q: Which is better – oil or latex?

A: Both paints have advantages and disadvantages depending on the type of substrate and the desired result. Oil-based paints produce a harder and more durable finish but are not UV-stable and are prone to fading. They are not also environmentally safe as they use highly toxic thinners.

Most commercial painters today prefer latex paints for residential and commercial painting. In many ways, the new generation of latex paint has remarkable improvements, making them significantly better than the older latex lines.

Q: What kind of prep work needs to be done before painting a commercial building?

A: Correct and proper surface preparation is vital in commercial painting. Cleaning, pressure washing, and caulking are usually required on commercial painting projects.

Q: What type of paint do you usually use in commercial buildings?

A: Commercial buildings often see a lot of traffic. For these, we recommend using higher gloss paints. They stand up to frequent cleaning much better than walls with flat or matte finishes. Higher gloss is more reflective, but it can also reveal surface imperfections. A finish acts as a sealer, a protective quality that is perfect for those high-traffic areas. If you want a less reflective and “quieter” finish, the preferred choice would be flat and matte finishes. Below are locations in your building where you might want to use the different finishes in your facility:

• Corner offices and other rooms that get very little traffic might be prime locations for flat and matte finishes. You will want to keep in mind, though, that these finishes don’t offer much durability. The finishes won’t hold up well if you have to do frequent cleaning.
• If you prefer a finish that is in between flat matte and glossy, go for an eggshell finish. Painting contractors often use this finish in areas like conference rooms that are lightly traveled. It offers just enough reflectivity to lighten a room without overdoing it. It is also more durable than flat and matte finishes and can stand up to cleaning and wiping.
• Is a high-gloss finish just a little too much? A satin finish may suit your preferences. This finish is suitable for areas that receive very little natural light. A satin finish offers enough reflectivity to make the room a little lighter.
• If your building has high-traffic areas, like the cafeteria or busy hallways that serve as a central corridor, a more durable solution like semi-gloss or high-gloss paints would be better for use in these areas.

Q: Does using premium paints make a commercial paint job last longer?

A: Yes, if the materials are applied with the correct paint or number of coats. In addition, more expensive paints are made with premium base ingredients, such as high-quality acrylic resins.

Q: How long has Custom Painting, Inc. been in business?

A: Custom Painting, Inc. has been in the business since 1982.

Q: Are you licensed?

A: Custom Painting, Inc. is a licensed company. Our state contractor license number is 512717. Check out our current license status at the state contractor’s board website https://www.cslb.ca.gov/. We are also listed on the Better Business Bureau https://bbb.org, where you can see our license number.

Q: Am I liable if one of your employees gets injured while working on my property?

A: Custom Painting, Inc. carries over $4,000,000 in insurance to protect our crew, customers, and their properties.

Q: Do you provide references?

A: Yes, we provide local references upon request.  For over 40 years we have been serving the Bay area including Danville, Alamo, Blackhawk, Diablo, Livermore, Pleasanton, San Ramon.

Q: How many coats of paint will you apply?

A: Usually, we apply two coats of paint to our projects. Two coats of paint are enough to hide surface imperfections and make the paint last longer. But there are instances where more coats of paint are required. For example, if the stains or patches are still visible through the first two coats of paint, more coats might be necessary.

Q: Do you offer a warranty?

A: Yes, we offer a one-year warranty on all our commercial painting workmanship. We also offer extended warranties and a one-year warranty on floor surfaces.

Q: Do you charge for an estimate?

A: We always provide our estimates free of charge. Call us at 925-866-9610 or complete an online form to set up an appointment and receive an estimate.