Costs of Painting a Facility

When choosing painting services for a commercial facility, the price of the materials, paint and labour are of course taken into account. Looking at the initial cost of painting  in isolation with other factors, would make the choices as simple as an apples to apples comparison between painting contractors.
In that case,  the most cost effective option at the moment  is the best option, right?
By choosing cheap commercial grade paints and the lower priced painters  to apply them, are the initial savings real savings?
Of course ASTM standards can be used for a more scientific evaluation (ASTM E-917) but for the purpose of this article the following are basic factors to consider:

• Good quality paint can be researched. Manufacturers should, and most do, make their Technical Data sheets available in their website. TDS contain enough information to make paint choice easy for anyone interested in finding if certain paints offer cost benefits. For example,  the percentage of solids in a paint can be a determining factor (among other qualities) of how well a paint hides previous colours.
• Low VOC paints are not as harmful to the indoor air quality, so using zero VOC paint will reduce life-cycle costs by not disrupting the work flow. Most zero VOC manufacturers require the use of universal colourants. As a result, using dark colours will introduce VOC to the paint and the smell may have a disruption to employees and create downtime  after all .
• Standard zero  VOC paint used on trim and surfaces that experience a lot of wear and tear may not offer the best life-cycle cost benefit. These paints are “softer” and don’t resist abrasion as well. A  lower VOC  paint designed for trim will last longer.
• The choice of the painting contractor is important.
  Are the painters trained in working around occupied spaces?
  Are they able to offer after-hours and weekend service?
  Do they have a track record of servicing their paint jobs?
  How much preparation work is specified in the scope of work?
  All the above can have a significant effect on the long term cost of a paint job.

COMPASE is a Commercial Painting company serving customers in the Greater Toronto Area. To request additional information call 416 479-0131 or request service online.