The True Cost of Believing All Commercial Paints Provide Equal Long Term Durability
The base price for commercial paints doesn't always tell the whole truth. Cheaper paints for a tenant improvement may look great at first, but that doesn't take into account the potential of scuff marks, discoloration, or even the need for frequent repainting.
Curb appeal is such a vital part of a business's brand identity, both inside and out. Paint choices are the very foundation of what makes a building appealing. You don't want to skimp out on a key aspect that can play a big role in how customers, clients, and employees view the building.
This is why you should consider the hidden costs of cheaper paints and how a high-quality painting service can actually save you money.
What Alters Paint Costs?
Not all commercial paints and applications are the same. When you look at premium architectural finishes, several characteristics make a big difference in the result when compared to cheaper finishes.
While these characteristics can alter the overall cost of the paint, they also give many benefits that cheaper paints can't provide.
Product Chemistry
The very type of paint you choose for your tenant improvement can have a big impact on the longevity of the design, as well as its cost. Common commercial paint bases include:
Acrylic
Latex
Polyurethane
Epoxy
Both acrylic and latex are commonly used for their affordability, but if not applied by a professional painting company, they can suffer wear and tear faster than other paints.
Other styles of paint require an experienced hand to apply without causing damage to the building or the workers. Their robust chemistry makes the application more tricky but can provide tenants with better durability, UV protection, and protection against fluctuating temperatures.
UV Stability
Once painted, an office doesn't want to worry about how UV light coming in from their windows will shift their chosen colors. This is why office wall protection works best when companies think about UV-stable paints when choosing a service.
No one wants their iconic brand of bright green to turn into a faded blue after hours in the sun. High-quality paints can help avoid this problem by offering more UV stability in the binder chemistry.
Durability
High scrub interior coatings allow tenants to easily clean the space while lifting away as little paint as possible during the process. This need for intense cleaning methods can be vital to companies that deal with food and beverages. They'll need paint that stays where it's meant to stay.
Commercial hallway paint durability also needs to consider the foot traffic throughout a normal day. With hundreds of employees and customers making their way through the space every day, substantial durability is a necessity.
It may not seem like much at first, but every brush against a wall accumulates more quickly than a person might think. With a cheap paint application, wear and tear will start showing far faster than with a more durable paint.
The Hidden Cost of Cheaper Paints
The bottom line is that cheaper paints have an appealing price tag at first, but you need to consider the hidden costs that come with applying lower-quality paints to your tenant's space. As we learned above, the application and chemical makeup of paint can make or break how a painted space functions overall.
For instance, in a place with heavy foot traffic, cheaper paints won't have the durability to keep up with the usage. You'll need to reapply paint frequently to keep the area looking good for everyone involved.
Temperature changes can also impact the longevity of your chosen paint. Cracks and peeling in the paint are common in cheaper quality applications because they can't survive drops and rises in temperature.
This could have a bad influence on a tenant's brand and how their customers perceive their services and products. Add this to the maintenance lifecycle expenses, and you'll end up losing more money than the initial cheaper paint saved.
Why High-Quality Painting Services Save You Money
By hiring a trusted and experienced painting company, you'll ensure your brand always has that top-notch visual appeal that can help you outrank your competitors. A space that looks rundown due to poor paint quality could end up costing you a lot of money in the long run.
Since the paint application will be professionally done, you'll know that the quality of the paint will have better longevity than a cheaper variety. You'll save on repairs and repaints, all of which can stall production within your company for hours or even days.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to Improve Tenant Experience?
The tried-and-true methods of improving your tenant's experience include:
Quick response times to inquiries
Easy communication options
Transparent security measures
Up-to-code building safety standards
Can Tenants Make Improvements?
Unless negotiated otherwise, tenants are allowed to adjust the space to suit their wishes. Most tenants need to run large ideas, such as repainting, by the owner before moving forward with their project.
Are Scuff Marks on Walls Considered Normal Wear and Tear?
When the scuff marks are fairly light, it's considered to be a normal part of the natural wear and tear process. It isn't something your tenants can typically prevent from happening as they use the space.
However, marks that will require a full repaint or even wall repair are a different matter, such as:
Dents
Deep scratches
Permanent stains
Heavy accumulation of marks
These are most often categorized as the tenant's fault and will require further investigation before you move forward.
Make Your Next Tenant Improvement a Colorful Success
Using cheaper materials can feel like it makes your tenant improvement better for your budget, but the hidden costs can outweigh those initial savings. The best way to ensure your project is a success is to choose a trusted Charlotte painting company to do the work for you.
When you hire Mecklenburg Paint Company for a job, you're getting over 163 combined years of experience in commercial painting. We know the importance of high-quality materials and how to apply them properly. With our help, your building will look brand-new again and can bring in even more business than ever before.
Make sure to contact us right now to give your business the new vibrancy it deserves!
