Conference Rooms And Branding

Painting the Conference Room and Boardrooms.

What colour would you choose for the conference room and boardrooms next time the facility gets painted?

When picking colours for the paint job, the reception and main areas get most of the attention. That’s totally understandable, considering that’s where most of the activity happens. However, at the meeting rooms is where most of the important decisions are made. If the meeting rooms are comfortable for the participants, the discussion will be productive.

Ecopainting is a commercial painting company. As such, we may be biased in our thinking that paint and colour is the solution for everything. Somebody said: “when you’re a hammer everything looks like a nail” That’s fair to say, we are all a little biased and may overvalue what we bring to the table. There are however other ways to make meeting rooms comfortable.

How Relevant are Conference Rooms these days?

With the progress of technology and social media, companies identified travelling to meetings as an unnecessary expense. Conference calls video conferences and online meetings became a viable way of doing business. However they don’t have the same effect as face to face meeting do. Studies show that face-to-face meetings are more likely to result in breakthrough thinking.

In the study, there was a correlation between cutbacks in business travel and a reduction of profit. As a result, businesses are abandoning that thinking and plan to spend more money on business travel and meetings. Online meetings are a great business tool but with limitations.  Face to face builds transparency, comfort, and trust with each other.

Goal: Make the Boardroom Comfortable for the Participants

Business travel and meeting costs are expensive but necessary. What will it take to help make the meeting as productive as possible? Improving the surroundings and the comfort level of the participants is a start.

• How is the temperature in the boardroom during meetings? Is it comfortable to someone to spend a few hours in there? How is the air quality. Having the ability to control the temperature in the room is very important.
• Refreshments. Water, coffee drinks and even catered lunch will keep the participants attention span focused for longer periods of time.
• Lighting. Natural light is the best and healthiest source of lighting. Opening the blinds to let natural light in is a great idea but many conference don’t have windows. In this case a bright room can be created with artificial lighting and light colour walls.
• Comfortable chairs and a practical boardroom table are a good investment.

The role of Paint and Colour in Creativity and Comfort.

Different colours can create different emotions both positive and negative. Does it mean that using colour psychology can give us the best possible colour for creativity? Unfortunately, the answer is not that simple. If there was a perfect colour for productivity, every company would be using it already. We all have different backgrounds and upbringing. Cultural influences play a big role in how we see colour.

Opinions & Observations after years of Painting Boardrooms

Dark neutrals such as a darker grey have no place in a boardroom. Maybe yours is an accounting firm that can’t let go of conservative surroundings. Maybe preserving the stereotypical accountant’s reputation is important to you. But seriously, these colours have a place in carpeting, furniture and maybe on an accent wall or two. If you want a cheerful Monday morning meeting, gray will not be a friend. In my opinion, using shades of vibrant colours works wonders. Shades of blue, green even hints of orange can spice up a boring boardroom and keep a meeting alive. If you are not that daring, use small doses of colour as accent walls and paint the rest of the boardroom in an off white. More information about painting the office and colour.

Painting with Whiteboard and Chalkboard Paint in Boardrooms

Advertising agencies and marketing teams create constantly. When an idea sparks the mind, it must be captured. Recently, the paper notebook has been losing the battle to tablets and other digital tools. What about the whiteboard as a place to capture creativity? Why not paint entire walls with whiteboard paint? We painted a few walls with whiteboard paint and the results were positive. It takes a day or two to prep and paint the wall and the cost is not prohibitive.

What about the old chalkboard method? It may make you feel like you are back at school, but if it worked then, it can work now. There was something authoritative about teaching with a chalk in hand. Our painters used chalkboard paint in a Toronto office space recently. The customer was Powered By Search, a marketing company in Toronto. When we painted their new space, they wanted a wall painted with a wide strip of chalkboard paint. For years later, that wall was a focal point in their office. This was definitely a creative way to use paint.

When painting offices in your facility, why not pay some serious attention to the colour of the boardroom.

In Toronto, call Ecopainting at 416 733-7767. We can help you find the right colour, we can even connect you with a colour consultant.

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Painting Building Exteriors

Painting Building Exteriors in Toronto.

By painting commercial building exteriors you can protect the surfaces from the harsh Toronto weather elements. This is more evident after major ice storms like the one in December 2014. Rain and ultraviolet radiation can be almost as damaging to building surfaces as severe weather is. If the building exterior is part of a housing complex, protecting the exterior elements with paint will help the residents enjoy the premises. Then there is the issue of making a building look good with paint. Painting commercial building exteriors shows pride of ownership and makes the facility manager look good to the customers and users.

Protecting the Building Exterior.

• Fading. Our summers get very hot. Ultraviolet radiation breaks down the paint film and the colours fade. This is more the case with older or cheaper paints. Painters today have access to quality acrylic coatings that resist fading. Today’s acrylics do a great job with gloss retention and protect surfaces better.

• Mildew. After a few years, buildings can start developing mildew. Oil based paints and cheaper coatings are more prone to mildew. This happens more in damp and shaded areas. A good painting contractor knows how to pre-treat a surface and clean it properly before painting. New quality acrylic paints contain mildewcides and resist future mildew forming.

• Efflorescence. This looks like a white salt stain deposit, and is found on brick and other masonry surfaces. It is the result of moisture collecting inside the masonry walls. The moisture travels to the surface and leaves a powdery looking substance. Efflorescence compromises the paint strength and mostly the substrate below it. After the contractor cleans the surface, a good primer and breathable paint should be used. If possible, eliminating the source of the moisture should be considered first.

• Water Intrusion is a culprit to most building surface problems and paint failure. Paint itself can do a good job protecting, especially the latest elastomeric type coatings. The best way to ensure that no moisture will penetrate the surface is doing a quality caulking job. The type and brand of caulking itself makes a difference. A caulking with great expansion qualities will “move” together with the surfaces it is applied on and resist cracking. The best quality is the acrylic siliconized grade that is paintable. If part of the caulking needs to be coated, the paint itself needs to be flexible. An exterior painting contractor should have the product and application experience to help with product specifications.

Painting the Building Exterior for Aesthetic Reasons.

Moisture will make the paint peel, metal will rust and even brick surfaces will show signs of efflorescence. Ultra Violet radiation will make the colours fade, and gloss of the finish coats disappear. Neglect from the previous building owners is also a major contributor. As a result the building will not look good and become the eyesore to its surroundings.
For example, this Toronto building pictured here was very dull and almost unnoticeable. The building is home to the practice of Aaron B. Harnett, BA, LL.B, a Toronto Criminal Lawyer. That building needed colour, and colour it received. You would think lawyers are conservative in their decorating endeavours and be happy to just blend in. But not criminal lawyers said Mr Harnett.

Our painters worked hard to transform the look of the building and the results were amazing. The building was first pressure washed to remove most of the road dust and dirt, as it is located on a busy main street. A few days later we did some minor patching and caulking and treated the rusted areas. The entrance of the building had some white marks due to efflorescence. After washing it well we used a special clear sealer. The paint we used was Benjamin Moore’s Exterior Aura, low lustre finish. Aura is a very low VOC paint (Volatile Organic Compound). Considering the smog problem, it is a great product to use for exterior painting in Toronto. In the past, adding this much colourant to a low VOC paint used to be a problem. Traditional universal colourants were very high in VOC content. Aura uses low VOC waterbourne colourants. Another benefit of using Aura Exterior Paints was it’s strong hiding quality, eliminating the need for multiple coats of paint.

The owners of a North York building (pictured at the top of the blog) called us a year ago. They just purchased the property and they fully intended to upgrade it’s look. The previous coating was completely faded and it was looking that it was in serious need of painting. The neighbourhood is a busy and established commercial area and spending some money to repaint the building was a fail-proof investment. After we spent some time analyzing what the existing coating was and how itself was adhering to the substrate, we went on to choose the proper coating.

The colour needed to be similar to the existing colour before it was faded. This would ensure that the building blends well with it’s surroundings. There were some larger buildings on the street that set the tone and also a neighbouring church and a school. We decided to use a colour from Benjamin Moore and a Direct to Metal (DTM) acrylic from PPG. After washing the surface well, we tested the new coating extensively before applying it. We tested for adhesion strength, ease of application by roller (busy street) and drying times. We finally confirmed that this was the right product to use and our painters had the building painted in less than two weeks.

Townhouse complex and Apartment buildings.

When the building in question is an apartment building or townhouse complex, maintaining the exteriors will add to the enjoyment of the facilities by the residents. Swimming pools, balconies and playgrounds need maintenance from wear and tear and the elements. Using long lasting coatings and applying them properly makes a lot of sense. The value of the property is maintained and residents will help with the upkeep as the enjoy using the facilities. Manufacturers produce great new coatings that perform well under different weather conditions and climates. They test these products extensively as their company name is on the label and their reputation is at stake.

Why not take advantage of all the latest products and use them to protect and beautify your property. A good paint contractor is experienced with the application of these products and their proper application. Ecopainting painted townhouse complexes, co-op buildings and has helped maintain several buildings in the Toronto area. This specialized experience and the professionalism of our painters makes our company an asset to any maintenance team.

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Painting Contractor For Schools

Painting Contractor for Schools & Classrooms.

Ecopainting painted for a few schools in the Toronto area. Our commercial painters worked in Humber College, Seneca College, Ryerson among other places. Painting Schools & Classrooms can have a positive impact on the students and staff.  Improvement in the appearance  of classrooms has a positive impact on the students. School maintenance and small improvements can also aid with learning. Let’s not underestimate colour and it’s influence on the learning process and student behaviour.

Some of the Schools & Classrooms we Painted in Toronto.

SOLA (School Of Liberal Arts) is at the intersection of Yonge Street and Eglinton. They contracted Ecopainting to paint the second and third floor of their school. The scope was to paint the walls and doors in the classrooms, the hallways & common areas. We also had to paint the school washrooms and some of their office space. Scheduling and sequencing this type of job is usually challenging. Working with other contractors adds another layer of difficulty. In this case working with the floor and carpet installers was the main challenge because of their small window of availability. We needed to complete one floor at a time before the carpet installation. The facility manager’s painting needs were crystal clear: deliver a good job on time, on budget and without interruption.
Colours:  We painted with light and warm colours, eight in total. They were muted shades of green, blue and neutrals from Para Paints. Para has a very good resource of warm neutrals in their Heritage Collection. Their collection is based on Canadian research which makes this a good choice for a local  Liberal Arts school. The hallways, doors, washrooms and common areas were just monochromatic variations of grey.
Painting the lockers. There were over 200 lockers to paint on both floors. The customer chose to use a vibrant red colour for the lockers. Painting in red required three coats of enamel over a medium grey primer. Locker rooms get a lot of daily abuse from busy students and the durability of the paint was a concern so we specified an alkyd based enamel. In 2007 alkyd paints were still the norm. We used a urethane based alkyd we previously had experience with.
This was a large project for our company. A total of ten of our Toronto painters took turns working there.
The school facility manager and the school staff was helpful and worked hard to prepare the areas for painting. Four weeks later, the school was painted was on time.

Painting Daycare Centres. Daycare centres need to keep their walls clean and maintained. Children learn better in clean, bright and colourful environments. At the same time, the little ones are tough on the walls and furniture of the facility. The Matthew-John Daycare Centre is located in the Broadview and Gerrard area. It occupies space inside one of the many churches in that area of Toronto. The Matthew-John DayCare is a regular customer of Ecopainting. This predictability makes things easier for the manager and the painters. At the end of every project we know we will be back for more painting. When we can, we use the same crews so that we can benefit from the familiarity. We also keep track of the colours and finishes we use in each room. Touching up certain areas and re-ordering paint is easier next time around.  The main colour we use is a bright, cheerful and warm yellow from Benjamin Moore. The furniture and trim are yellow, orange and blue. This colour combinations seems to work perfectly for their needs. We perform the work during weekends and the paint is zero VOC. When children and parents come in Monday morning, there is no smell to deal with.

Maintenance Painting of Toronto Private School.

Montcrest School. Montcrest is a school in the Riverdale area of Toronto. Since 2009 our painters spend about a month painting and refurbushing the interior and exterior of their buildings. We have painted every one of the buildings by now and converted their paint to acrylic zero VOC paint. Any new painting the school and our painters will do from now on will have their standard colours and we will use the same paint. A notable project we did for Montcrest was the complete painting of the gymnasium.  The tall concrete walls were painted in oil semigloss years ago. This was one of the first major projects that we used Benjamin Moore’s new at the time Advance enamel. Ecopainting offers the Maintenance painting option to facility managers. Schools like Montcrest benefit from the predictability and budget control that regular maintenance offers.

Paint Considerations for Schools.

• Quality paints adhere better to glossy surface and last longer.
• Quality Paints that are washable and scrubbable. Students have other things on their mind, not the condition of the walls.
• A well selected colour scheme fosters a learning environment.
• Regular maintenance of surfaces will extend the life-cycle of the paint job.
• Eco friendly coatings have low odour and are now durable.

Does your educational facility needs a face-lift or some maintenance painting? Ecopainting has a lot of experience painting schools. Please call 416 733-7767 to arrange a consultation.

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Paint Exterior Metal Railing

Prep and Paint Exterior Metal Railing.

Commercial buildings such as condominium and apartment buildings use metal fencing for security and aesthetic reasons. Maintaining the exterior metal railing will reduce costs and provide long lasting performance for the facility manager or owner.

Our commercial painters provide maintenance services for the exterior of buildings, and painting railings is something that we do often. Winters in the Toronto area are harsh and unkind to exterior surfaces. Every spring and summer, facility managers engage in preventative maintenance to protect the integrity of exterior surfaces and improve the look of their properties.

Basic Prep for Metal Railings Before Painting.

• First remove all the loose rust by wire brushing or sanding it. Remove any peeling paint down to a sound surface. If there is a lot of railing to prep, it’s a good idea to use power tools to speed up the process.
• Dust off the surfaces as much as possible. You can use a vacuum cleaner or a blower for that purpose.
• Before using any paint or primer it’s a good idea to clean the surfaces from any residue or stains. Using rags with mineral spirits is the best technique for that. Store any solvent soaked rags in water daily, to avoid possible combustion.

Commercial painters should follow basic safety procedures. Eye protection, masks and gloves are a must. If you are working in the sun, use a good sunscreen with UV protection.

Painting the Metal Railings.

After all the loose rust is removed, the glossy areas are sanded and the dust is removed, it is time to paint. Before we apply the topcoat we need to prime all exposed surfaces with the appropriate primer. We can paint rusted areas and exposed metal with a metal grade primer, made specifically for that purpose. Sometimes we can spot-prime with the top coat, especially if we use a Direct To Metal product (DTM). If the metal has a lot of oxidisation we use a “rust converter” type of of spot-primer. (Note: galvanized metal should not be primed or painted with alkyd paint, see information below)

We apply paint by brush, roller and “painter mitts’ made specifically for that purpose. Spraying can also be used during non windy days and after we take all precautions to protect surrounding areas from overspray. Whatever the method of application is, using the right coating for metal railings is important. What is also important is following the paint manufacturer’s recommendations for that product.

Painting Galvanized Steel Railing.

Galvanizing is the shop process of coating iron surfaces with a coat of zinc. This factory treatment can last many years under normal circumstances. More information about galvanized metal can be found here.

Harsh weather like the weather we have in Toronto will shorten the lifespan of that protection. Commercial buildings such as condominium and apartment buildings paint their railings for both maintenance and aesthetic reasons. Black railing looks really good in most exterior landscapes and is the most popular choice of colour. There is nothing wrong with painting galvanized metal railing, as long as the appropriate prep work is employed. Unfortunately, to most people the condition of the railing looks fine and the ideal prep-work is very intense. The inevitable shortcut of surface preparation is the main reason that paint failure occurs.

Surface Preparation for Galvanized Steel Railing.

Galvanized metal is shiny and the main problem with painting it, is adhesion of the paint. Sometimes property managers are more concerned with how it looks and decide to paint it without the proper prep:

• Wash the surface with a solvent to remove any oily contamination.
• Roughen the surface to dull the shiny surface.
• Apply a high quality acrylic super adherent primer.

Note: Never apply alkyd paints on exposed galvanized metal. One of the reasons of paint failure is because of the application of alkyd coatings on galvanized metal. The alkyd reacts with salts that zinc produces during the galvanizing process. As a result, adhesion will always be compromised. It is not uncommon to see alkyd paint on railing blister, and peel off the surface in big strips of paint. In fact, it is common for railing to look good from far away and when prepping it, most of the paint comes right off.  

Ecopainting has a lot of experience painting railing outside commercial buildings. We know the main reason a paint job will last longer is the right amount of prep-work. Our crews are very aware of that and shortcuts are never an option for us or the customer.

If your property has any railing that could use some attention get in touch with us. We will meet with you, assess the condition of the surfaces and prepare a detailed proposal to address your needs.

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