Caring for a warehouse building is important. This building is probably the heart of your business and it is likely where almost all of your work efforts take place each day. Being sure that your warehouse building is in good condition can be critical for your overall business success. A well-cared for building will stand the test of time and painting is part of the upkeep that every commercial or warehouse building needs each year.
If you have realized that your warehouse needs some maintenance but are not sure what kind of painting work needs to be done or when the best time to paint would be in your area, you might have been tempted to put this job off. It can be easy to think that the paint on your warehouse building will hold up for years without help, but there is a limit to the lifespan of any painting job.
If you are ready to learn more about the benefits of warehouse exterior painting, you need to read on!
When is the Right Time to Repaint Your Dallas Warehouse?
Picking the painting time that is best for your area can require some research. The painter that you are thinking of working with should have some suggestions for the right time of year or season to plan your painting job. Weather and other considerations like your business’ busy season can impact the choice of when to paint. You might also need to paint in a hurry if your building is experiencing issues with rust or other signs that your paint is no longer protecting the building from damage.
As a rule of thumb, the fall is the best painting time in the Dallas area. This is when the weather is not too hot, cold, or wet for paint to have the best chance of setting up and curing properly. You will also be least likely to experience slowdowns in the paint job due to weather and other considerations during this season.
Because there is a short ideal painting season in this area each year, you will probably need to think ahead and get booked onto a commercial painter’s schedule well in advance of this peak painting time. You will want to be sure that you do not have to wait another year for the right weather to come back around to get your paint job done, particularly if your buildings are showing signs of damage or wear and tear.
Preparing a Warehouse for Painting
The preparation process for painting a warehouse is critical for the success of the paint job. While you might not be completing this work yourself, you should be aware of what the process should be so that you can look at bids for your painting job with some attention to detail. There are also some steps that will need to be done by you as the business owner before the painting job can be done.
1. Cover Things Up
The first thing that you will want to do is move anything out of the warehouse that you do not want to get paint on and you will need to cover items that you cannot remove. You can use plastic or drop cloths for this process but you will need to make sure that you are thorough. The painters will try hard not to damage anything with overspray but you should take the time to cover up everything that you have to leave in the warehouse before you close up for painting to be done.
2. Cover the Floor
The painters will need to cover the floor with plastic or drop cloths to prevent paint from staining carpets or concrete flooring. This should always be done and if this step is skipped, you should be sure to say something and stop the painting process before it is started. Ruining your floors during the painting process will cost thousands of dollars in clean-up.
3. Sanding of the Walls
The painters will need to sand the walls to remove stains, paint that is leftover from other prior paint jobs, and repair materials to patch holes and other imperfections. This stage can reveal issues that might need more significant repairs, so if you have an older building you need to be prepared for this.
4. Primer Application
Primer has to be applied for most commercial grade paints or your paint will not set properly. When the primer step is skipped, the color of the paint might be off and the longevity of the paint will be impacted as well. Primers are often linked to the paint that is being used and many companies will use the primer that is made to be paired with the paint they will be spraying onto your building.
Signs That Your Dallas-Area Warehouse Needs Repainting
There are some key signs that your warehouse needs to be repainted. The need to paint can sneak up on you over time and you will find that you might not realize how much you need to repaint until you see the difference when the painting job is done.
- Peeling and Cracking Paint
If your warehouse is showing peeling and cracking paint, it is well past time to repaint your property. Peeling and cracking paint cannot be trusted to waterproof your warehouse and it also looks unsightly. You will want to address peeling and cracking paint as soon as you start to see it showing up on your building.
- Fading Paint
It can be tough to notice that your paint has faded, but if you think that your paint is much less vibrant than it used to be or if someone comments that the color seems to have leached out of your paint, it is time to replace it. Paint that has faded significantly is likely just about to start peeling and cracking, so you can consider this a warning sign that you need to repaint in the near future.
- Stains or Rust
If you can see stains in your paint or there are rust patches showing up on your building, it is time to consider painting as soon as you can make the time. Rust can impact the stability of your building and this can lead to a very unsightly exterior over time. Rust and stains can indicate that the paint on your building has worn out to the point where it is not protecting your building anymore.
- Water Beading Up On Surfaces
If you are seeing water beading on the painted surfaces in your warehouse or even collecting on certain areas on the exterior of your warehouse, you will need to think about repainting. This can be a sign that water damage has started to break down your paint or that there is water getting underneath the layers of your paint and onto the actual metal beneath.
Benefits of Painting the Exterior of a Warehouse
There are many benefits to painting your warehouse. You will be able to protect your building from damage and you will be much happier with how your building looks when it is freshly painted.
1. Prevent Rust
Rust is the biggest enemy of a healthy warehouse building. Rust can undermine the stability of the various components of your warehouse and lead to issues that might make it necessary to replace large sections of the roof or the walls. Rust happens when moisture gets onto the actual steel surface of the building and starts to break down the bonds inside the metal.
Rusted metal can be so fragile that you can break it with your fingers. It is obvious why this can be a major issue to the integrity of your warehouse overall. Paint can make a huge difference in the longevity of your warehouse building because it prevents moisture from getting onto the metal surfaces of the building.
2. Make a Good Impression
If you want to be sure that customers and visitors will feel confident in your business, you need to be sure that your business looks well-cared-for. This means a fresh coat of paint any time that the paint that is on your warehouse starts to look faded or shows signs of damage. Customers will feel much more trusting towards businesses that look like they are kept up carefully and you can deliver this confidence to your customers just by keeping your paint looking fresh.
This is also a really important factor for curb appeal for your business as well. You can take care of all of your landscaping and the parking lot, but if your warehouse itself looks dingy and unloved, it will impact the impression that you make on customers and employees alike.
3. Boost Employee Morale
There is nothing inspiring about coming to work in a building that looks like no one loves it. It can even be embarrassing for some employees to say that they work for a company that owns run-down-looking buildings. Employee morale is more closely linked to the appearance of the workplace than you might realize.
As the owner of the building, you might not have to visit your warehouse all the time to go to work. If your employees seem depressed or you are losing people left and right, a sad and poorly-maintained building can be part of the reason for this lack of connection with your business. Having happy employees can impact every aspect of your business and you will want to be sure that you provide the right upkeep for your buildings for the sake of your employees as well as customers.
4. Markers and Logos
Another factor that many people forget to do with painting their warehouse buildings is that there are necessary indicators that are often painted inside and outside of the warehouse that are linked with work processes. Your logo is likely also painted on your business as well. When these markers or the logo are hard to read, you can impact your curb appeal and also the work processes that are going on each day.
Markers and logos are critical to all aspects of your business’ success and you should not cut corners on this part of your upkeep for your warehouse. Repainting floors and signs that indicate where processes need to be done is important for the success of your business as well as safe operations each day.
5. Take Care of Concrete and Other Materials
If your warehouse is supported by concrete or you have concrete floors, you might want to be sure that you are keeping up on the painting of your building to protect the integrity of these parts of your business. Concrete is durable but it can be sensitive to temperature as well as moisture and paint can help keep your concrete and other materials from being damaged by weather and other conditions.
Keeping all of the parts of your warehouse in working order is important for your business in a whole variety of ways. Making sure that concrete pillar attachments and concrete floors are sealed or painted can make a big difference in the lifespan of your warehouse building.
Caring for Your Dallas Warehouse Includes Regular Painting
Painting your warehouse is key to taking care of it so that it will last for years to come. Most warehouse-based businesses cannot readily replace or relocate their warehouse operations if something happens to the integrity of their current building. Being sure that your warehouse is in really good condition is very important to your business’s long-term success.
Hiring a commercial painter to come and take care of your painting needs in Dallas is a good idea if you see peeling paint or problems with rust. You will appreciate how much better your warehouse will look with a fresh coat of paint and you will be glad that you made sure that your warehouse will not be damaged by weather or heat and cold each year. Planning to repaint your warehouse is a necessary part of warehouse maintenance that needs to be done on a regular basis.
Our commercial painting teams have the tools and expertise to make your Dallas warehouse look its very best! Request your free quote today or give us a call to get started!
