Tips for Upgrading Your Property
T.L. Hart • May 31, 2018
If you are a building owner or manager looking to upgrade the look and feel of your property--or, simply maintain what you have in place, repainting can provide an economical solution. Here are some tips to consider.
- Consult with a professional. If you are not sure where to start, try consulting with a professional painting contractor. Invite him to walk through with you and offer some ideas. A contractor with any history in your sector should be able to suggest improvements, colors, and other applications that may be able to solve your problem. With over thirty-five years in the business, T. L. Hart, Inc., has a wide range of solutions to most any painting need.
- Try cleaning. Sometimes, simply cleaning can make a huge difference in how your property looks. On exteriors, applying a biodegradable cleaner and power washing it off can make a dingy building look new. Interior wall-washing is uncommon these days, but can often be employed in lieu of painting. That said, the wall paint needs to be of the quality that can be cleaned; inexpensive paints can wash off with the dirt! Industrial cleaning can often help increase productivity by enhancing existing lighting, and safety by reducing slip and fall hazards.
- Maintenance repair. In its 35-year history, T. L. Hart, Inc. has--at the request of owners or managers--painted entire buildings when isolated, maintenance painting would have sufficed. Buildings with southern exposures, for example, often need painting before the other elevations. On interiors, it might just be a wall or two that needs to be done to get your space looking good.
- A word about maintenance painting. T. L. Hart, Inc. recommends regular maintenance of existing coatings. A program where performing annual as-needed touch-ups and isolated repairs can extend the life of the current paint job.
- Accentuate your space. Color accents can greatly enhance the look and feel of any room in your house or office. It can be a contrasting color on a wall or two, or a different color on the windows, doors, and trim. This is very common is office environments and is a regular application that T. L. Hart, Inc. makes. Additionally, and while outside the purview of this company, window treatments and flooring can make a huge difference in the quality of your space. If you need a recommendation for contractors specializing in these amenities, call T. L. Hart, Inc.
- Use wall covering. While out of vogue in recent years, wall covering-- or, wall paper as referred to in the residential market--can add a beautiful and lasting effect to any room or office. Like paint colors, options for wall covering are almost limitless. Too, commercial grade products, typically fabric-backed vinyls, can far outlast traditional painted surfaces. T. L. Hart, Inc. has been in buildings recently with wall covering installed by it twenty years ago--and it is still intact and on the wall! That is to say, though more expensive up front, wall covering can outlast a paint job many times over.
- Paint your floors. Garage floor coatings have become increasingly popular, with options ranging from clear sealers, to solid colors, and solid colors with colored chips imbedded in the paint film. Sidewalks, patios, and even driveways can be stained. In commercial settings, janitor closets and warehouses can be clear-coated. And factory floors can receive epoxy or urethane coating of many types. T. L. Hart, Inc. applies all types of floor coatings.
- Build a wall or add a window or a door. While T. L. Hart, Inc. does not perform construction services for residential customers, it does perform considerable work like this for its commercial and industrial clients. While not a general contractor, T. L. Hart employs persons skilled in drywall, ceiling tile and grid, window and door installation, plus many other specialty services like these.
Here at T. L. Hart, Inc., our aim is to serve you where you have a need. Our goal is to not only help boost the value of your property, but make it a better place to live and work. We stand ready to help you with your cleaning, painting, and related needs, so call us for a free and detailed estimate. Call us today to request a quote.
“And every work that [Hezekiah] undertook in the service of the house of God and in accordance with the law and the commandments, seeking his God, he did with all his heart, and prospered” (2 Chronicles 31:21). There are here in this one verse three keys to prospering in your work. One, whatever you do should be in accordance with the word of God. God’s will is revealed in his word; it is to be found in no other place. I realize the Bible does not tell us whether we should be a carpenter or a financial advisor, a realtor or a nurse, but it does tell us to do what we do as unto the Lord. So if what you are doing can be so done, it is well and good as far as God is concerned. Better yet, find out what God wants you to do, and do that. I teach that a person should get a word from God as to his occupation. It could be that God puts a certain thing on your heart, to be and do such and such a thing. This is also good in God’s sight, as he gives us the desires of our hearts. He is in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure. That said, let it be “in accordance with the law and the commandments.” Two, seek God. He is a rewarder of them that seek him. Jesus taught, “seek and you shall find.” Having sought God as to what he wants you to do, keeping seeking him as to how to do it. This is a never ending endeavor. There is a verse in Scripture that goes like this: “As long as he sought the Lord, he prospered” (see 2 Chronicles 26:5). So if you are seeking God and prospering, if you want to continue to do so, keep seeking God. Three, do what you do with all your heart. The Bible says, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” (Colossians 3:23). What is to be noticed here is who you are working for. You may think you are working for the government, or the auto-maker, or the real-estate broker. Or, if you are self-employed or own your own business, that you work for yourself. The Christian, however, is to work for the Lord. Verse 24 of this same book and chapter says, “You are serving the Lord Christ.” So, if you think a half-hearted approach to your job pleases the Lord, then go for it. Otherwise, you had better up your game. There is another verse in Ecclesiastes that addresses how you work. “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might” (9:10). In other words, in everything you do, whatever it is—your job, your service to your family or church, or even mundane things like mowing the yard or shoveling snow, give it all you have. Do it as for Jesus, as this greatly pleases him. It should be apparent, then, that if you wish to prosper, be applying these principles. And if you want to keep on prospering, don’t let up. I have found that after enjoying a measure of success, it is easy to ease off on the intensity with which you approach your work. Jesus says it best when speaking about prayer: keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking. The key words here being “keep on.” The body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source.
While you can get your property painted for just about any amount, hiring a reputable commercial painting contractor will ensure you get a quality end-product with a firm that stands behind its work. To provide this, there are three cost-factors that go into a good commercial contractor’s price: labor, materials, and profit.
Moisture is among your commercial property’s greatest enemies. Wind-driven rain, leaky gutters and downspouts, old, deteriorated caulk or glazing, plus improperly painted substrates are all factors in moisture penetration. The result of water getting into unwanted places include peeling paint, damaged substrates, and—worse yet, mold and mildew. This is why you want to keep your commercial building waterproofed. While no one can prevent unwanted weather, and leaky gutters and downspouts are outside the scope of this article, proper preparation and a good quality paint job can go a long way in preventing moisture penetration. The following will contribute to a watertight building: Caulking. It is surprising how much damage a little water can do and how small an area allowing access will allow a lot of water in. Gaps in building materials, open joints, holes, plus splits and cracks may seem insignificant, but they’re a major entry point for moisture. This is easily solved by installing a good quality caulk. Since building components vary, caulks vary as well. They can be as simple as latex caulk, acrylic, siliconized acrylic, polyurethane, butyl, and pure silicone. The key is to seal up points of entry. Painting. Your commercial building is properly painted when all the paintable substrates have an adequate and cumulative amount of coating on them. I say adequate and cumulative as typically one coat of paint applied too thin will typically not do the job. Every substrate, that needs to be protected from moisture penetration, must have the right amount of millage installed. The proper mill thickness can be found in the manufacturer’s product data sheet (PDS). Of particular concern are those commercial buildings comprised of concrete masonry units (CMUs), or block. Concrete block is extremely porous, and unless coated properly will allow a huge amount of water into the walls of your building. The most important aspect of waterproofing a masonry building is filling the pores of the CMU. This is done by applying a block-filler as a first coat, with no more than ten pin-holes (the pore) per square foot. Once this is achieved, a good quality topcoat of any sort will provide water tightness. Best for CMUs are elastomeric coatings. These are rubber-based paints that, once dry, form an impenetrable rubber film over the substrate, and are the best for preventing moisture penetration—even wind-driven rain. Another advantage to elastomeric coatings is that they expand and contract, and will actually bridge small cracks in the masonry that may develop over time. There are other options for waterproofing—actual waterproofing sealers, stains, and cementitious coatings, all of which we have applied over our 36 years in business. In summary, to keep your commercial building looking good and free of moisture damage, keep it sealed up and make sure it is properly painted. Here at T. L. Hart, Inc. our goal is to ensure your commercial property is always in excellent condition. Our team of professional painters stands ready to keep moisture out of your property. Contact us today to request a quote.
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10254 W. Grand River Hwy Grand Ledge, MI 48837 United States
