The importance of paint specifications

When preparing to paint a building, committees are often not certain where they should start and inevitably go direct to a painting company for advice. This is all well and good however, the advice you get will vary sometime depending on the experience and the self-interest of the company approached. In our view, this can lead to painting companies looking for ways to be cheapest rather than most suited for the job by:

• Being selective in what areas of the building they quote to paint
• Creating variations that ultimately end up costing more than pricing the work properly in the first instance.
• Products being used that are not fit for purpose
• Inferior products used that will ensure the building needs painting sooner
• Ambiguous quotations not outlining items and coats to be applied

Too many times we speak to committee members looking at painting their building but with no scope of works. A document scope of works is so critical before engaging in any painters pricing work for your building as a scope of works ensures that the correct remedial work is completed before any painting commences. It also ensures how many coats should be applied to each area in line with Australian Standards. If any painting company tries to convince you one coat is acceptable, you should request they provide the basis for recommendation in line with Australian Standards which they will not be able to do.

The best way to protect the committee and owners is to consider engaging a project manager qualified and experienced in commercial painting projects. Sometimes the size of the project and or limited funds don’t make the expense of project managers commercially viable. In this instance, the alternative option of engaging with the Australian Paint Manufacturers is the best option to creating a scope of works. The paint manufacturers are experts in the different types of building materials and their paint products. They will always specify the correct product to ensure the maximum warranty and will do this free of charge. They can also recommend commercial painting companies that will price the project in line with the specification making the decision from the committee to decide on the successful painting company easier as everyone has priced the same scope of works. The paint manufacturer will also visit the project during painting to ensure the correct products are used and applied ensuring the building gets the correct warranty. Your strata manager can put you in touch with the paint manufacturers or visit the Smart Strata supplier portal for a list of reputable suppliers here.

This article was contributed by Scott Burgess of Leisuretex Painting Contractors.