Does Your Business Need a Paint Job?

Does your Northern Virginia business need a new paint job? Is there a magic formula that lets you know it’s time to call a commercial painting company for a painting estimate? Can you squeeze out one more year without incurring an exterior painting cost hitting your P&L?

Well, there is no magic, universal formula for determining when to paint your business. There are two schools of thought on the subject. The first is based on physical conditions, which we will cover here, and the second is based on the emotional and psychological impact that fresh color brings to a business. You can learn more about that here.

But for now, let’s talk about the signs that appear that tell you it’s time to freshen up your business with a new coat of paint.

The exterior of your business is not only exposed to the vagaries of our Northern Virginia climate, but to manmade pollutants as well. If you have a storefront in heavily trafficked Arlington or Alexandria, your exterior is bombarded with emissions from thousands of cars, trucks, and public transportation buses. That’s a lot of carbon and much of it finds a home on your place of business.

Even if you are out in the countryside in Dulles or Reston (remember when those really were the countryside?) the UV rays from the Virginia sun and expansion and contraction caused by temperature swings can still wreak havoc on a paint job.

What are the Signs You Need to Call a Painting Service?

All American Painting Plus, one of Reston’s leading painting contractors, has over a decade of experience painting business exteriors and interiors. We are offering up some helpful tips on what to look for as a sign you need to refresh your exterior:

• Spidery Cracks. Small, spider web-like cracks by themselves usually do not expose the building. However, they are unattractive and can lead to peeling, which of course is a different story. Spider cracks are the precursor of bigger problems to come.
• Black and Grey Stains. If you spot dark stains on a wall or under an eave, particularly after a wet spell in the summer, you may have mold. Mold is a giveaway that you have a moisture problem and moisture problems can spell danger for structural integrity. Mold also has health implications. You need a professional painting company like All American Painting Plus to remove and dispose of the mold, then prep and repaint the area.
• Fading Color. Common when bargain paint has been used to cover the surface. If the paint loses vibrancy or becomes powdery, it cannot provide protection to the surface.
• Peeling and Blistering Paint. Usually caused by loss of local adhesion, blistering or peeling paint is a sign that the coat has hit the end of its useful life and it’s time to repaint.

If you don’t see any of these symptoms but you still feel the building exterior looks dingy, it may just be dirty. An effective and inexpensive solution is to have your structure power washed. If the base paint is high quality, it should sluff off the dirt in a power wash and emerge as almost new.

If you want a professional painting service’s opinion of the best option to freshen your business, don’t hesitate to contact us. We have been serving the Northern Virginia business community for over ten years and we would be happy to share our opinion with you.

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