As school term time draws to a close, many professional decorators prepare to decamp to educational premises. School redecorating contracts are popular over the six week period of school Summer holidays. Despite the fact that modern school buildings remain functioning as club and activity venues over the holidays, the absence of curriculum based paraphernalia makes this time ideal for efficient decorating. What about the office, though?
If we’re lucky, the Great British Summer encompasses more than just the six weeks when school’s out! For those who are unconstrained by term dates, holidays are often preferable in early July and September. And we may get great weather all the way through to October! So in this way, offices don’t experience the same mass exodus that we see in the pattern of school decorating. So, is Summer a good time to decorate your office?
Here are the great things about Summer:
It’s easier to air the space
For older office spaces that still have functioning windows, the warmer weather means that air can be allowed to circulate to help to dry paintwork quicker. So if your decorating is happening around your ongoing office activity, any impact will be reduced. Purpose built blocks tend to operate within their own micro-climate so the season is less relevant!
It’s ideal for external repair
Perhaps you’re putting together a lengthy programme of office decorative repair both inside and out. In this case, warmer, dryer months are ideal to schedule the external paint jobs. Paint dries quicker and work is less likely to encounter delays so both your schedule and your costs will benefit.
Longer hours of natural light
Decorators make hay while the sun shines! We love natural light as it is ideal for judging texture and colour. This means that in the Summer, we can put in those longer hours that make it possible for us to achieve targets in shorter time scales. If we’re working around your office activity, the evenings still offer natural light.
Less professional pressure
Perhaps it’s because the office is less populated. Perhaps it’s the heat. Whatever the reason, the Summer months tend to result in a more relaxed atmosphere around the office. In this way, it can be easier to temporarily move department locations in order to work on a staggered decorating programme.
And on the flipside, Summer can pose its own challenges:
It’s a popular time
Because of the benefits to decorating an office in Summer, it’s favoured among organisations. So it can be tricky to secure a decorative contract unless you’re super organised. Don’t forget, though, that when you appoint an experienced decorator, they will achieve a great finish whatever the season.
Decision makers go on holiday too!
Imagine you’re in the middle of a decoration contract and an unforeseen query occurs. What happens if the lead representative in your company is on holiday? This is why it’s so vital to keep communication streams open. More than one person should hold a decision making responsibility so that you never get stuck!
Weather is still unpredictable
We’re in the UK, remember… Summer is no guarantee of dry weather! The great thing about contracting an experienced professional is that they can work in a flexible way. They’ll make the most of good weather when it is here, and balance their workload during poor weather.
Dry weather hides defects
By limiting your decorative repair and maintenance to the Summer, you may miss emerging defects in walls and brickwork. It’s therefore important to make checks year round and communicate them to your decorator. Make sure that the walls have been checked for any signs of structural disrepair such as internal mould or condensation that may have occurred over the rest of the year.
It’s true that Summer is a great time to decorate an office. However, it’s not the only season! When you work with a good, experienced decorator your finish will be perfect and the work efficient whatever the season.
We are commercial painting and decorating contractors, serving London, Essex, Cambridge and the Home Counties.
We’d love to talk more about your commercial project. Contact us for a free quotation.
Take a look at some of our previous projects.