How to prepare for a maintenance painting contract to commence

When getting ready to begin a maintenance painting contract, there are certain steps you must take both internally and externally to sufficiently prepare. This will make things easier for the contractors and for your own team. The following is a guide to paint maintenance preparation to help you successfully fulfil a contract and maximise the efficiency of painting services.

Know the technical details about the project

The contractor's proposal should cover technical details about the maintenance painting project and what it will entail. This will simplify things throughout the project. Some of these elements a maintenance painting contract should already outline include:

• Planning — The proposal for the maintenance painting contract should specify who will manage the project at every phase, from planning to completion, along with who is responsible for each phase or task. Contractors also need to decide how you will ensure services remain on budget, timely, and to the client's standards.
• Scope — A proposal should also detail the overall extent of the project, including details about which buildings require painting and whether internal and external walls need these services.
• Specifications — Contractors should confirm whether they'll paint over newly finished surfaces or previously painted walls. This should provide in-depth information about the types of paints, pre-treatments, and substrates required. It should also detail finishes and other materials.
• Timelines — In addition to the maintenance painting project's start and end dates, contractors must determine how they'll schedule the work around your school calendar to minimise potential disruption.

Once your contractor has covered all of these aspects, you can begin preparing the site for paint maintenance services to help ensure the process goes smoothly.

Internal preparation

If painting is internal, the steps to take to prepare the space are as follows:

Remove everything from the walls

Before painting begins, you need to remove all objects from the walls that might get in the way. These include everything from paintings to nails that could otherwise obstruct paint maintenance tasks.

Move the furniture

All furniture that's in the way must be moved into a spot where it won't block access to painting areas or spaces that others need to access.

Ensure the windows and doors open for airflow

To prevent paint fumes from building up, open windows and doors as needed to allow sufficient venting.

Clean and dust

Surfaces should all be clear of dust and other debris to ensure paint properly adheres to them.

External preparation

If painting tasks are to be performed externally, the following are some steps to prepare these areas.

Trim or cut back the landscape

Are shrubs and other plants or features in the way of the paint site? If so, trim, cut, or move them to ensure the space is accessible to the maintenance team.

Check power outlets and taps

If there are any power outlets or taps on the wall, keep them in mind and notify the team of these. You should also test to make sure they work after the completion of the maintenance painting project.

Designate an area for tools and equipment storage

To ensure the process goes smoothly from start to finish, it's important to keep all tools and equipment in the same convenient and accessible location. Designate an area for these items, and indicate to the team where it is before they get started. Doing so will also help keep tools out of the way and eliminate the risk of anyone tripping over them or falling onto them.

Inform neighbours (if applicable)

If the property has any neighbours, notify them of the project. Inform them of what your contractor will be doing, along with how long the project will last. This will enable neighbours to plan accordingly.

Begin the commercial maintenance painting contract

Once you've taken all of these steps, the paint maintenance contract will be ready to commence. With all internal and external preparations in place, your contractor will be ready to get to work without disrupting others and running into potential hazards or other issues.

To get started on commercial painting services with First Response, book a free site assessment today.