Hectic workplaces can leave a mark or two, literally. If your office features high traffic areas, it might not take long for that once perfect commercial paint job to get scuffed, scraped, or damaged in other ways. These blemishes degrade your office’s atmosphere and can hurt your business’s reputation, so they can’t be neglected. Frequently touching up your walls, however, is a major burden as well.
Therefore, it’s best to prevent this damage altogether. This can be difficult in a busy work environment, but it’s not impossible. Here are some ways to protect your office paint job in high traffic areas.
Pick the Right Paint
Protecting your office paint job is a much easier task if you’ve chosen a durable, high-quality product to begin with. Quality paints are more adhesive, easier to clean, and more resistant to wear and tear overall. Some of the best products used by commercial painting services even feature anti-scuff technology and other chemicals designed to withstand the hustle and bustle of high-traffic areas.
Choose the Right Finish
Be mindful of the finish you choose. Even the best paints will range in durability slightly, depending on their level of sheen. The glossier the finish, the more durable (and easier to clean) the paint job will be. You’ll often find high-gloss paints in industrial settings. Of course, super-shiny finishes don’t often work well in office settings. For this reason, consider eggshell or satin finishes, as these provide more protection than flat finishes but don’t overwhelm the eye like glossier ones.
Install Chair Rails, Baseboards, etc.
Many factors contribute to paint deterioration in high traffic areas. Bodily oils, dust and debris, and various other objects and liquids can end up clinging to painted surfaces. However, perhaps the most sudden and damaging cause of damage is from impact. The movement of furniture, equipment, and personnel can mercilessly bump, scuff, and scratch paint.
To guard against these blunt forces, try installing chair rails on walls and baseboards between floors and walls. Chair rails protrude a bit from the wall, preventing objects such as chairs and desks from coming into contact with the paint itself. Baseboards provide a buffer between one’s feet and the lower wall’s paint job. Best of all, these features can add aesthetic value to your office as well.
Communicate Clearly
Most people have the common sense to not hit or rub up against a fresh paint job, but a soft reminder never hurt anyone, especially in high traffic areas. Whenever interior painting contractors are hired to touch up or repaint surfaces, make sure there is clear signage indicating the presence of wet paint. Leave these messages up even after the paint has completely dried just to be safe. You really can’t overdo it.
Keep it Clean
Even if you hire the best professional painters in your area to coat your office, it’s your job to maintain it after the fact. Painted surfaces should be dusted on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. If any scuffs or marks occur, they should be cleaned immediately, or else they might become difficult to remove. Cleaning your interior paint job regularly will help ensure that all issues are addressed promptly. Plus, your office will look and feel better.
Don’t take your office’s paint job for granted. Protect it to the best of your ability. The commercial painters at All American Painting Plus use the best quality paints for our customers so you can focus more on business and less on touch-ups. To learn more about us and everything we do for our clients in Northern Virginia, give us a call at 703-620-5563!