Commercial Decorating 101: Everything You Need To Know

Building Repairs 28.05.23
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Is your building looking a bit tired from the outside? Or maybe it’s the interiors that need a bit of a makeover. 

Either way, commercial decorating will be high on your agenda. Commercial decor is similar to domestic decor; it just tends to be on a larger scale and uses more industrial materials. 

But what does commercial decorating include? And what should you be asking for?

You’re about to find out.

Commercial Decorating: The Whole Building

Commercial decorating covers the inside and outside of the building; at GI Sykes, we’ve got you covered. 

But why should you bother? Why is commercial decorating so important?

It’s simple. If you own the business that runs from your property, how you portray your business through the aesthetic of the building will have an effect on both your employees and any visiting customers. 

No one wants to work in a shabby office block; we want to feel comfortable – and even proud – of where we work. And for potential and existing customers, a clean, smart and stylish business hub says much about how you run things. 

And if you’re simply the property owner? The people who rent your spaces will expect and may even pay more for a building that gives them a professional and upmarket appearance.  

Every building will need different tasks undertaken to achieve the desired result. For example, a warehouse will require very different aesthetics than a retail business. So next, we’ll explore some of the typical services that commercial decorators tend to offer.  

Interior Commercial Decorating

Let’s start inside the building. Here is a list of some of the aspects commercial decorators can tackle.

Walls And Ceilings

When you want to revamp the walls and ceilings of a building, you’re looking at a huge job. Undertaking the whole thing yourself is unlikely to be something you have the time or experience for. (Think about all of that cutting in!)

Whether the decorating is driven by a rebrand or tired walls and ceilings that need a bit of love, commercial decorators can deliver an exceptionally pristine finish that will inspire employees and give potential customers a good impression. 

Not sure what colour to choose? There’s a huge choice of shades to browse. And if you’ve got something specific in mind, we can even mix colours to your requirements. Either way, commercial decorators like GI Sykes can offer professional advice and guidance on colours and finishes. 

Stairways

Decorating business premises is a world away from decorating your house. 

Often, your building will feature numerous multi-storey stairwells, and these can begin to look worn quickly due to the sheer amount of footfall they experience daily. And, on a more practical level, they are extremely tricky to decorate because of their size, height and awkward angles. 

Commercial decorators have extensive experience in tackling stairwells and know how to work safely to achieve the look you’re going for. Their expertise also lends itself to providing a fast and seamless finish, and they will be able to advise you on various durable paints that work well in high-traffic areas, meaning your stairwells will look great for longer.

 

Doors And Woodwork

Doors and woodwork shouldn’t go ignored and can greatly impact how your building looks. 

If it’s a new look you’re after, simply changing the colour can work wonders. Or if a rebrand is on the table, doors and woodwork can be painted (or stripped) to match the colour scheme and transform the building from drab to modern.

And it doesn’t just stop at wooden doors; we can revamp steel and aluminium doors and frames too. 

Exterior Commercial Decorating

How your building looks from the outside speaks volumes. Here are some ways commercial decorators can improve the appearance of your building’s exterior.

Window Frames

For worn and discoloured window frames that look dull and in poor condition, GI Sykes can give them a new lease of life.

Spraying the window frames of your property can improve how it looks externally and also help to protect against weathering. Whether it’s a rebrand and a change of colour, or just a touch-up to keep your building looking fresh, spraying the window frames is a relatively small job that reaps big rewards. 

Cladding

GI Sykes are market-leading commercial cladding maintenance specialists, and we’re experts at spraying it, too.

Long-lasting and perfect for protecting your building from the weather, cladding is a feature of many commercial properties UK-wide. But when it looks dull and dirty or has been damaged, it can become a risk to the structure of the building, not to mention give a poor impression of your corporate image. 

To transform your exterior, get commercial decorators to apply a fresh coat of specialist paint, fix any parts suffering from the usual wear and tear and organise routine, annual maintenance checks to ensure your cladding remains in good nick.

Your cladding is an integral part of your property; not only does it protect your building from the worst of the weather, but it also serves as a visual representation of your business. Dull, damaged and dirty cladding is a risk to both your structure and your corporate image. Update the colour with our onsite spraying and maintain it with our commercial cladding maintenance service. This will ensure that the condition of your cladding is protected and preserved as time goes on. 

 

External Walls

Paintwork, inside and out, can suffer in busy commercial and industrial environments. External walls can become marked and unsightly, even to the point where it begins to devalue your property, not to mention your reputation.

With over 100 years of combined industrial and commercial decorating, GI Sykes can quickly and expertly refresh external walls, improving the appearance of your premises, protecting it against graffiti and giving them a professional flourish that will impress clients and improve your corporate image. 

What Makes A Commercial Decorating Company Professional?

We knew you’d ask.

When you bring in a commercial decorating company, you can spot the signs of professionalism through these four main areas:

Experience

Professional commercial decorators will have extensive experience in all areas of their trade and be able to prove it. 

GI Sykes is a fourth-generation family-owned and operated contracting business with a strong team of over 65. Between us, we have over 100 years of experience doing what we love, and doing it well – you can read all about the exceptional work we do in our case studies. 

Training

Extensive and appropriate training and development for all workers is a crucial part of running a commercial decorating business, and GI Sykes doesn’t take this element of professionalism lightly.

Not only does every contractor and technician we bring on board hold exceptional ability and skill at protecting your building, but ongoing training and development in their areas of expertise also keep our standards high and our minds engaged.  

Accreditations

Professional commercial decorators will hold extensive and up-to-date qualifications and accreditations that are recognised in the industry.

GI Sykes has been delivering excellence for 55 years and is fully insured and qualified. A few of the organisations we are approved by and registered with include:

  • CHAS, the UK leader in compliance and risk management
  • Constructionline, a register for pre-qualified contractors and consultants in the construction industry
  • The FMB, a UK trade association that protects small and medium-sized building firms
  • The NHBC, an organisation that provides consumer protection for homebuyers through its 10-year Buildmark warranty

To find out more about us, head to our website.

Why Invest In Commercial Decorating?

When you fork out for commercial decorating for your property, you’re ensuring any work carried out is completed to the highest level, leaving you with a professional finish.

Quality Products

Commercial decorators like GI Sykes will use professional quality paint and other materials that aren’t available to the public. This stuff is far superior to the off-the-shelf equivalent you’d find in a hardware store, meaning your money is well spent, and the work will last.

Speed 

Need to schedule a partial or whole school revamp? Book us in for the holidays, and we’ll be sure to transform your space before the kids are due back.

With a team of over 65 expert contractors at our disposal, any jobs we’re hired to do – no matter their complexity – happen fast and leave our customers smiling. 

Insurance 

Insurance is a must, no matter the project, and it protects both the contractor and the client.

Any competent and professional building contractor should have insurance that covers the type of work you’ve booked them for, including public liability insurance. GI Sykes are insured to the highest standard, giving you peace of mind that should anything go wrong, you, your property and your people are protected. 

Complex Jobs

Professional commercial decorating contractors are highly skilled at carrying out complex jobs, like painting stairwells, spraying cladding – even at height – and treating the steel structure of your building with intumescent paint to protect it against fire. 

Professional Service And Minimum Disruption

When a commercial decorating company carries out a job in your building, they cover and protect all exposed equipment and fixtures like radiators, carpets and machinery. 

With GI Sykes, your satisfaction is our top priority. You won’t find us cutting corners! We turn up when we’re supposed to and work as quickly and quietly as possible without compromising the quality of the finish. 

Quality Customer Service

GI Sykes hold many an accreditation, including ISO 9001 and ISO 4001, which ensure quality customer service and environmental management systems respectively. 

If you choose to work with GI Sykes to transform your property, you’ll experience the values of a family-run business alongside the capabilities of a large commercial contractor. 

Safety-Conscious

Whether it’s steel fireproofing or epoxy resin floor treatments you’re after, our contractors are qualified, trained and insured – and have everyone’s safety front of mind. 

What Do We Decorate?

GI Sykes are award-winning commercial decorators with a competitive pricing structure and outstanding customer service. We have been providing quality workmanship nationwide since 1965.

As for what sort of buildings we decorate, the sky is the limit. So far, we’ve transformed…

  • Schools
  • Offices
  • Hotels
  • Retail units
  • Industrial buildings
  • Warehouses
  • Offices, and
  • Public buildings.

(And, not to brag, but some of the names we’ve worked with include Tesco, McDonald’s, Starbucks, Audi and the NHS).

Commercial Decorating Emphasises The Value Of Your Business

Getting in professional commercial decorators to enhance the look and protect the structure of your building isn’t just about saving time; it’s about increasing value.

A freshly decorated workspace can increase employee engagement and productivity, impress new and existing clients and even save lives if disaster strikes.

Have you been looking into commercial decorating for your property? Click this link for a free, no-obligation quote and take the stress out of commercial decorating today.

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3 Signs It’s Time For A Commercial Refurbishment

Building Repairs 28.11.22
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Commercial refurbishment can bring a new lease of life to not only your premises but to your workforce too. It’s much more than just updating a colour scheme or replacing broken furniture. When done properly, a refurb can invigorate your business, helping to boost morale, profile, and, ultimately, profits. 

But how do you know when your building needs commercial refurbishment? Here are 3 signs that tell you it might be time to call in the experts…

Sign 1: Tired Exterior

If you walk into your property each day cringing at the faded, damaged cladding then it’s probably time you took action. Cladding is a workhorse, protecting your building from the perils of the Great British weather and over time, it’ll start to show signs of wear and tear.

The most common issues we see with exteriors are; 

Milky, faded paintwork – Maybe you had a sign-up that’s been removed or an area that was covered by a tree that’s come down. You’ll notice a huge difference in the colour of your paint, with exposed cladding or walls looking dull, faded and sometimes, covered in a milky residue. This is the result of oxidation and exposure to UV light, and it can make your building look unkempt and poorly managed.

Rust – Rust is another form of oxidation. Oxidation is a chemical reaction between oxygen, water and metal. Rust corrodes the metal surface, weakening it. If left untreated, rust can completely deteriorate metal, leaving holes and cracks that expose the vulnerable surface beneath.

Dented, damaged cladding – There’s nothing quite like the sinking feeling as you hear the crunch of metal on metal. If you’ve ever seen a vehicle reverse into a cladded building, you’ll remember the squealing, scraping sound or the hollow thud as damage occurs. While a dent might seem harmless enough, cracks in the protective coating that covers your cladding could be compromised, leading to bigger problems…like rust.

Cleaning or recoating your cladding is a relatively simple job for the experts. Armed with professional equipment and scaffolding, we can aid your commercial refurbishment by getting your cladding looking good as new in no time. If you want to know more about how we can clean, repair or recoat your cladding, take a look at the information here.

 

Sign 2: Dated Interior

While retro style is all the rage on the catwalks, it’s not so hot for your interiors (unless that’s your intentional aesthetic!). If the inside of your property is wearing paint from decades gone by, it might be time to sharpen up your image and invest in professional painting and decorating.

A new coat of paint isn’t just about freshening up your interiors, it can actually have a positive impact on your business as a whole. How, you ask? Well, in our experience, these are the hidden benefits of a commercial refurbishment of your building’s interior:

Improved Perception – A clean, well-maintained office, warehouse or retail unit makes people feel like you’re invested in them. Whether that’s your clients, customers or staff, when you show that you’re prepared to spend money on their comfort, they’ll repay you with loyalty and pride in their work or purchase.

A More Productive Environment – Much like a Marie Kondo-esque declutter at home, a commercial refurbishment gives you a reason to sort through your premises. Most businesses have a cupboard or drawer filled with old tech, broken chairs and reams of old paperwork. This is an opportunity to sort through everything to make better use of your space. That goes for the layout of your space too – is there a way to make your environment work better? Can you create zones or workstations that improve flow and productivity?

Get On Brand – Your branding goes much further than just the logo on the outside of your building. Bring elements of your brand into your decor, and you’re really starting to build a business presence. It’ll be noted by your employees, clients and suppliers and can do no end of good for your company profile.

We have a huge team of talented commercial painters and decorators who can help you make the most of your commercial refurbishment project. Use our expertise to shake up your workplace – a change is as good as a rest, after all!

 

Sign 3: A Leaky Roof

Well, water dripping into your property isn’t a subtle sign, it’s more of a big flashing neon one saying ‘get this fixed’. Commercial refurbishment encompasses repairing and maintaining your roof, so here’s what to look for;

Leaks – Well, duh. A leak in your ceiling is a pretty good indicator that something is amiss with your roof. Damage to your roofing can lead to water ingress, and, if left, can result in water seeping through to your ceiling. It’s pretty dire if it gets to this stage since you’ll need to pay out for repairs to much more than just the roof membrane. 

Bubbling – If you notice small domes appearing on your flat roof, it’s time to get specialist help. It means that air is creeping under the membrane, which means bigger problems are likely to happen. 

Splits & Cracks – Heat, frost, torrential rain, hurricane winds – your roof sees it all. It’s no surprise, then, that the membrane can develop cracks and splits. If caught early, these can be patched and repaired so you can delay the huge cost of roof replacement. 

There are more signs to look out for, and they’re covered in more detail in this blog, so if you’re worried about your roof, have a read and call us to get your roof problems under control.

 

Have You Seen Any Signs That It’s Time For A Commercial Refurbishment?

If any of the above are signs that you’ve noticed in and around your building, then it may be time to start planning your commercial refurbishment. It might sound like a mammoth undertaking, but at GI Sykes, we have a vast team of specialists who can make the process look easy. Whether you want to tackle your refurb in stages or take on the whole lot, we can create a strategy that suits you, your business and your budget. 

Talk to us about your commercial refurbishment requirements, we’re happy to offer advice and guidance with no obligation.

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