7 Common Commercial Painting Mistakes

H&H Painting, an esteemed commercial painting company proudly catering to both Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo, Michigan, stands as your reliable ally in avoiding common commercial painting pitfalls. Experience our outstanding proficiency firsthand with this interior painting project we successfully completed for a cherished client. For all your commercial painting requirements in Grand Rapids or Kalamazoo, Michigan, don't hesitate to contact H&H Painting.

Painting companies aim to provide quality services but can face some challenges and costly mistakes. Commercial painting mistakes stem from a lack of skill, expertise, or budget, leading to errors that ruin a project.

Fortunately, H&H Painting has provided quality commercial painting services in The Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo areas since 1932. With decades of experience, we know what it takes to complete a commercial painting project without mishaps. Here are seven of the most frequent commercial painting mistakes we’ve seen over the years.

1. Lack of Proper Preparation

Ignoring prep work may be a quicker way to complete a project, but failing to prep surfaces properly will provide less than desired results. Poor preparation always leads to poor outcomes. Choose a commercial painting service that never overlooks pre-painting practices to avoid these errors.

H&H Painting, a reputable commercial painting company serving both Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo, Michigan, is your trusted partner in steering clear of typical commercial painting errors. Witness our exceptional expertise through this interior painting project we undertook for a valued client. Reach out to H&H Painting for all your commercial painting needs in Grand Rapids or Kalamazoo, Michigan.

2. Not Priming Surfaces Properly

Priming is essential to ensure you have a long-lasting finish, as it prevents the paint from peeling. Priming is a must to achieve a high-quality paint job. Sometimes it can be difficult to choose the correct primer for the job. Selecting a suitable primer is crucial in providing a long-lasting finish with many options available.

3. Choosing the Wrong Paint Type

Paints have different characteristics and purposes depending on their intended use. Some paints may work in various situations, but others may not be suitable or compatible, leading the paint to quickly peel, crack, fade, or discolor. Selecting the right paint type for the project is essential based on the surface, the environment, and the desired outcomes.

4. Failure to Consider the Environment

Failure to consider the environment is a commercial painting mistake because each project is unique. Paint coating needs to be selected based on the environment it will be exposed to and what the performance requirements of the paint coating are. 

Paints exposed to direct sunlight, high humidity and moisture, chemical spills, high-pressure power washing, and many other environments require specific paint specifications to provide a long-lasting finish. It can affect the paint job’s quality, appearance, and durability. The environment can influence factors such as drying time, curing time, gloss level, color retention, and resistance to weathering. 

For example, painting in high humidity can cause the paint to dry slower and become more prone to sagging, blistering, or mildew. Choose a commercial painting company that considers the environment and offers paint coating knowledge to select the right paint for your project.

H&H Painting a Commercial Painting Company in Grand Rapids Michigan and Kalamazoo Michigan can help you avoid common commercial painting mistakes! This exterior painting project for a valued customer shows our sill level. Contact H&H Painting for Commercial Painting in Kalamazoo Michigan or Grand Rapids Michigan

5. Ignoring Repairs and Patching

Unlike epoxies, polyurethane coatings are UV-resistant. Over time, your floors won’t turn yellow or amber when exposed to sunlight. They also offer increased chemical resistance and heat tolerance. Depending on your industry, these types of properties might be critical to ensuring the longevity and durability of your warehouse floor. 

Similar to epoxies, polyurethane can come in a variety of sheens from matte to high gloss, and a variety of colors. Polyurethanes are a more abrasion resistant coating than an epoxy, so this is why you will often find them as a finish coat over an epoxy. Polyurethanes are known for holding their gloss much longer than an epoxy.

6. Uneven Coverage

Uneven coverage can affect the paint job’s aesthetics, quality, and durability. Uneven coverage means some surface areas have more or less paint than others, resulting in a patchy inconsistent look. Improper preparation, inadequate priming, wrong application technique, insufficient mixing, and lesser quality paints can contribute to uneven paint coverage.

7. Skipping the Appropriate Number of Coats

Each painting project is unique in selecting the correct paint specification, and this may require multiple coats of a combination of primer and paint finishes. Some projects require a bonding primer over glossy surfaces to allow the paint to adhere before applying the finish paint. 

Other projects require a blocking primer if you are trying to cover water or rust stains. Sometimes projects require two or three coats of finish paint to cover a previous dark color. If any of these coats are skipped, performance or paint coverage issues could be issues.

Work with a Quality Commercial Painting Company to Avoid These Problems

Working with the right painting company means you won’t have to deal with these common mistakes. At H&H Painting Co., we put a lot of effort into ensuring that we don’t fall victim to common problems so that you get the best results every time. Contact us for a quote on your next painting project.