Paint during construction and renovation projects probably draws up images of hours trying to decide which paint swatch to go with the new sofa you bought or the kitchen backsplash. But the right paint can do more than make your home or office visually appealing. It can serve as a preventative maintenance measure that will lower the costs of future renovations and give your space a timeless feel. Let’s dive into the painting tips you should follow so your paint choices are an asset to your construction project instead of a cause of future renovations.
What is Preventative Maintenance?
When it comes to construction and property maintenance, you can be preventative or reactive. Being reactive includes choosing more affordable options and finishing projects quicker. The problem is this approach leads to more construction problems down the road as you then must react to a poorly done job or poorly constructed materials. Preventative maintenance, on the other hand, is making choices which will prevent wear and tear in the future. This can include choosing high quality materials and booking an experienced, good contractor for your project.
In the world of painting, preventive maintenance looks like considering how paint will last over time. It’s about mitigating future costs from repainting, even if you have to pay a bit more upfront. Those who utilize reactive maintenance would choose the cheapest costs without considering how much repainting will cost in the future. To practice preventative painting practices, follow these three guidelines.
Play It Safe
Deep berry and lilac are popular colors right now, but you might regret purple walls in a couple years. Instead, you should try to play it safe with neutral colors. Grays, whites, and other neutrals are a better option because they won’t go out of style. If you still want to incorporate those trending colors, consider using them for less permanent parts of your construction project, such as couch pillows or desk chairs. These accent pieces will also be more affordable to replace when trends change.
Painting Your Way to Structural Protection
Not only is paint important to the appearance of your space, the quality of the paint can impact the entire structure. A high quality paint will add structural protection and protect your construction or renovation project against peeling, mildews, and surface defects. A lower quality paint will show surface defects and won’t offer the same protection against peeling and mildew. Even if lower quality paint has better upfront costs, it will most likely need to be redone in the future.
High quality paints might cost more upfront, but they have a high scrub life and are scuff resistant. Some of the best, high quality paint brands include:
Consider Maintenance Painting
Preventative maintenance goes beyond the initial coat of paint. It can also encompass maintenance painting, where you hire someone to do additional coats of paint every once in a while to avoid more serious issues like mildew and peeling.
While this might seem like an unnecessary annual expense, it can save you money in the long run. If you’re trying to find a plumber, for example, you’re less desperate and can shop around for the best price when it’s for preventative plumbing instead of when it’s for a plumbing emergency. Similarly, you’re in a better position if you’re trying to find a painter to do a preventive maintenance job instead of asking them to come in after the paint has peeled off and must be redone.
Carlton Building Services in Hampton Roads Virginia
Carlton Building Services specializes in repairs, maintenance, renovations, remodelings and build-outs for a variety of clients in Hampton Roads, Virginia Beach, and Chesapeake areas. We have years of experience handling projects in the retail, office, and healthcare space and would love to work with you on your next project!
To learn more about our services, check out past project highlights or contact Carlton Building Services to see how we can help with your next project.
