Now that winter has arrived, the year’s end is just around the corner. And as the year ends, you might reflect on all the projects you tackled (or weren’t able to tackle) since it started. If commercial interior painting was one of those tasks you never got around to this year, know that there’s still time to get it done. And even if your business is already bundling up for the holidays, you can refresh your facility’s interiors first thing following new year’s day.
Of course, time is always of the essence. Highly active businesses run on a strict schedule – even a minor disturbance can throw your entire operation off course for months or more. So, even if interior painting can’t wait any longer, you might wonder how you’ll manage to get the job done on such a tight deadline (and without interfering with your normal operations).
Managing any project like this can be a challenge. But you can overcome these challenges with strategic scheduling, careful planning, ongoing communication, and the help of professional painters. Let’s break down how to get interior painting done on a strict schedule this winter so you can enter the new year with a fresh look that will last.
Before we dive into the weeds regarding how to approach interior painting at your facility during the winter, let’s first address a common question shared by business owners of all stripes: can you paint interior walls in the winter? In short, the answer is a resounding “yes.” As a matter of fact, winter is often a great time to tackle interior painting (for reasons we’ll discuss below). That said, painting interior spaces during the cold season also comes with a number of caveats – knowing them will help you better navigate your property’s upcoming interior painting project this winter.
First, let’s list the many reasons to schedule interior painting for winter:
Interior climates can be adjusted to accommodate painting projects no matter how cold, wet, or icy it is outside
Winter is a slower period for many (though not all) business, meaning there’s often more leeway for such projects
During winter, resources and budgets can’t be used for a number of outdoor projects (e.g., exterior painting, parking lot line striping, paving, etc.), so time and money may be freed up for interior project such as interior painting
If you do decide to reap the rewards of winter interior painting, keep in mind the following drawbacks:
Some interior paint products contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that emit annoying and harmful fumes – because it’s harder to ventilate your space during winter, you may be limited in regards to the paint products you use, or you may need to ensure that occupants are not present during painting and for some time after
Some businesses get busier during the winter, making it more challenging to schedule interior painting and other indoor services
Despite the advent of indoor climate control, outdoor conditions can still put a pause on interior painting projects – poor conditions (e.g., snow, ice, freezing temperatures, power outages, etc.) might prevent professional painters from traveling or accessing your facility
So, yes: interior painting can be done during winter and is often encouraged – just bear in mind the potential problems that come with the territory. Once you’ve understood these important pros and cons, here are some steps to take to ensure a successful interior painting project this winter.
The definition of a “tight deadline” can mean something different for everyone and is largely determined by your business’ operations and schedule. As such, it’s crucial to figure out what your winter schedule will look like before you plan any other aspect of your interior painting project. For instance, take note of any predetermined downtime for the holidays – if your facility will be shut down for a matter of days or weeks, you’ll want to take advantage of this time to hire interior painters.
Not every business will enjoy extended downtime during the winter, however. If you must remain operational even through the holidays, you’ll still want to clearly grasp your busiest and slowest times so painters can work without interfering with your people and vice versa. You must also be realistic. If you run a large facility with multiple rooms that require repainting and only have a few days to get it done during the winter, you might need to break up the project over the course of several months instead.
After you’ve nailed down your schedule for the winter (and beyond), figure out your facility’s specific interior commercial painting needs. Having a timeline in place will help you prioritize your upcoming project so it can be completed to the highest quality standards on time. Depending on your schedule, the size of your facility, and the number of rooms within it, you might decide to invest in a full facility repaint this winter – or, it might make more sense to focus on a specific area or two this season and then tackle the rest of your facility later in the year or further down the road. Additionally, interior painting might only be one of several interior projects to tackle this winter. Projects like surface cleaning, stripping/paint removal, caulking, and repairs often precede or coincide with painting.
To determine your painting project’s scope, ask yourself the following questions as you walk your facility:
What is the main goal of this interior painting project? To protect and maintain surfaces? To refresh colors for aesthetic appeal? To update colors for a rebranding effort?
Which areas require the most attention? Is interior painting the only project required, or does a particular space also require caulking, repairs, etc.?
When was a particular surface, room, or area painted?
Answering these questions will help you prioritize and narrow the scope of your interior painting project so no time is wasted and every opportunity is clutched this winter.
The ideal situation for any business would be to have interior painting done when there’s no one around. As mentioned earlier, this situation doesn’t always pan out. But even if your facility will be shut down for some time this winter, you don’t want any of your people left in the dark about repairs and renovations. So, once you’ve decided to invest in interior painting this winter, maintain strong communication with your employees, vendors, and anyone else sharing your space. This way, relevant personnel can make appropriate preparations prior to the project (whether or not they’re around during the painting process), such as clearing their areas, gearing up with personal protective equipment (PPE), temporarily moving to another area, and so on.
Keeping your people in the loop will make life easier for your painting contractors, too, as their presence will be expected. When everyone is on the same page, the project runs more smoothly and gets done faster – quite important when you’re on a tight deadline.
As previously mentioned, one of the benefits of tackling interior painting during the winter is that you can control the indoor temperature and humidity levels so they’re ideal for painting. Of course, the degree to which you can adjust your internal climate depends on multiple factors, including the effectiveness of your climate control system, the size of your space, the climate needs of your regular operations, and so on. With all this in mind, it’s important to create a plan for providing the optimal conditions for interior painting inside your facility. Doing so won’t just speed up the painting and drying processes – it will also ensure the best possible results. It’s a good idea to ask your commercial painting contractors about the ideal conditions ahead of time so you can adjust accordingly.
Last but certainly not least, if you want to get your interior painting done this winter on a tight deadline, you must work with commercial interior painting services that are competent, qualified, well-resourced, and efficient. And if you’ll require additional interior services such as caulking, cleaning, flooring, window treatments, and more, you’ll want to hire a company with the capacity to handle all of these services and more.
PAINTech offers commercial painting, line striping, window treatment, caulking, flooring, and specialty services for a wide range of facilities in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Northern Virginia, and The Main Line area. We work closely with our clients to deliver the results they’re looking for on their required timeline. If you’re looking for high-quality interior painting services and more this winter, let our team of professionals get the job done according to your schedule and specific needs.
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