Everything You Need  to Know About Warehouse Painting

Warehouses aren’t typically customer-facing facilities, so why should anyone, including the business owner, care about aesthetic upkeep, like painting the interior or exterior? There are several answers to this question, and today’s blog post addresses them all – including why “paint warehouse” should top the list of building maintenance musts.

We’re covering not only why warehouse painting is good for business but also how to identify when it’s time to plan painting warehouse walls and other surfaces, how it benefits the facility’s longevity, tips on paint selection, and more.

Top Reasons for Painting a Warehouse

Warehouses are at the heart of many businesses, and although they are not typically glamorous, they are essential to operational continuity. Whether home to manufacturing or distribution, warehouses are a hub of activity and subject to plenty of wear and tear. Therefore, building maintenance, like painting, is critical to maintaining these facilities’ health, aesthetics, and safety. Here are our top five reasons why regular warehouse painting benefits property owners and employees alike.

Improved Appearance

Bottom line, a warehouse’s aesthetic appearance can say a lot about a business.  A warehouse with cracked and peeling paint or rust corrosion may not instill much confidence in a customer who happens to visit. On the other hand, a freshly painted warehouse says we’re thriving and care about the facility and its occupants.

Boosting Employee Morale

Employees are the lifeblood of operational success, and job satisfaction is tied to many factors: compensation, safety, benefits, and more. So, what message are you sending if their work environment is dull, tired looking, and uninspiring? One of the easiest ways to boost employee morale is by taking care of their workspace. A fresh coat of paint inside out presents a clean, renewed work environment that can lift spirits and boost motivation.

Improved Safety

Paint isn’t just for aesthetics, especially in warehouse spaces. Paint is often used to convey safety, directional, and other important work-related instructions. In fact, fading directional and other markers on the floors and walls can present safety hazards for employees.

Keeping Up with Code Requirements

OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) regulations require commercial facilities to mark (a.k.a., stripe) all permanent aisles and passageways or else pay the price of a violation and a fine. OSHA has primary color and width guidelines for floor markings, also called safety lines, which are essential for protecting employees who work in warehouse spaces.

Protecting the Surfaces

Wall and floor paint provide surface protection, another reason regular painting benefits businesses. Surfaces with fading or peeling paint aren’t as protected as they could be – and it’s time to repaint. Furthermore, peeling paint can also indicate a larger issue, like the presence of moisture or other damaging elements that can corrupt warehouse surfaces.

Signs That Your Warehouse Needs Painting

There are plenty of early signs that a warehouse needs repainting. Although we’ve covered this topic in an earlier blog post, When Is The Right Time For Warehouse Painting? – let’s review the most common indicators here.

Deteriorating Floor Markings

Floor markings are designed to withstand the regular wear and tear from foot traffic and equipment, so when they begin to fade, it’s time to repaint. As mentioned, many warehouse floor markings must meet OSHA safety standards, and ignoring upkeep may result in steep fines.

Water Stains or Mold

When mold or water stains are visible, warehouse painting is not just a good idea; it’s a smart idea. Although semi and high-gloss paints are highly durable, therefore usually the best paint for warehouse walls, fluctuating temperatures within the warehouse, humidity, and moisture can lead to mildew problems and degrade the paint. So, the best line of defense is to paint warehouse walls regularly.

Corrosion or Rust

Water and humidity can also cause rusting and corrosion, leading to issues with metal siding in industrial facilities. However, paint is a great protectant, and a professional commercial paint contractor has the skills and equipment to restore compromised surfaces.

Peeling or Fading Paint

Again, peeling and fading paint doesn’t just look bad; it can also present safety hazards for warehouse employees if it involves directional or safety markings.

Flaking or Cracking on Exterior Surfaces

When exterior paint is exposed to high temperatures, rough weather, and numerous other elements, it can cause the paint to crack or flake over time. This degradation of the protective exterior paint can cause harm to the facility, including pest infestation and mildew accumulation.

Cracked Caulking

Keep your eye out for small cracks in the caulking – and fix them with fresh paint or caulking before they grow into more significant gaps. Small unaddressed cracks can lead to big problems, like holes large enough for water, insects, and dirt to pass.

Benefits of Regular Warehouse Painting

There are plenty of benefits to regular warehouse painting. However, asset protection is usually the first reason property owners repaint their warehouse facilities. Fresh paint on the exterior and interior doesn’t just look nice – but provides protection and more.

Preventing Damage

Damage isn’t always preventable – especially in busy areas like warehouse facilities. The right kind of paint and coatings can help protect your walls and floors from harm and correct any small cracks in the surface.

Easier Maintenance

A wall or floor with fresh paint is a lot easier to clean and maintain than a cracked, peeling, rusting, or overall dirty surface.

Reduced Costs

Although painting a warehouse may seem like a big expense, it’s usually much less expensive than costly repairs resulting from surface and paint neglect. Overall, regular warehouse painting is essential to maintaining a clean, bright, and well-preserved warehouse facility.

Choosing Warehouse Paint

The paint colors and type you select for your warehouse space are integral to the building’s appeal and maintenance. Most commercial paint contractors will recommend high-quality, industrial paint for all surfaces unless another type is required (ex: an exterior coating that helps with U/V absorption or reflection).

Tips for Choosing Warehouse Paint Colors

What kind of surface are you painting? What are your brand’s colors? Who will see the colors? Selecting the right color for walls, ceilings, and floors may depend on these and other factors. For example, many companies choose warehouse paint colors based on their company’s logo colors, as it supports branding efforts.

However, some warehouse paint schemes are better for employee morale. For example, a space filled with crisp, clean colors like white or eggshell will brighten an area, which can lift spirits and motivate workers more than drab and dull colors. Keep reading for our professional thoughts on the best paints for each area.

Best Paint for Warehouse Walls

Warehouse walls comprise most of the space’s real estate, making them highly visible. So, it’s important to consider the space’s occupants when painting warehouse walls. Brighter colors, like white, light grey, red, or yellow, can provide a bright, uplifting environment for warehouse employees.

Best Paint for Warehouse Ceilings

Ceilings need protective paint as much as any other surface, and there are paints designed specifically for this area. They are much thicker, offer better grip, and dry quickly. White is the most popular color for warehouse ceilings, providing a clean and uniform finish.

Best Paint for Warehouse Exterior

Warehouse exteriors are subject to weather and other damaging effects, so selecting the right paint type is critical. Today, most paints recommended for commercial exteriors are fortified with protective additives that can help prevent fading from harmful UV rays or help protect surfaces from the damaging effects of excessive moisture. As for color, it can be motivated by the company’s branding or the building’s surroundings.

Best Paint for Warehouse Striping

The best paint for striping your warehouse floors is top-performing, extremely durable, and tough industrial paints that withstand heavy foot or machinery traffic. As for colors, the selection is based more on purpose than design. Here’s a guide to warehousing striping colors and their meanings:

• Yellow – primarily for traffic control, like marking aisles, lanes of traffic for equipment, or work cells.
• Blue, green, or black – primarily for marking materials and components, including raw materials, work-in-progress, and finished goods.
• Orange – primarily for materials or products that have been held for inspection.
• Red – primarily used to mark defects, scrap, rework, and red tag areas.
• Red & White – indicate areas that should be kept clear for safety reasons.
• Black & White – indicate areas that need to be kept clear for operational reasons.
• Black & Yellow – indicate areas that may pose physical or health threats to employees.

How to Prepare Your Warehouse for Painting

Warehouse painting requires preparation to ensure a stress-free process and professional outcome. We give an in-depth description of the steps to take in another post, When Is The Right Time For Warehouse Painting, including the following steps.

Protect Warehouse Inventory

Before the project begins, it’s important to carefully protect all of the warehouse inventory with plastic sheeting and drop cloths. No matter how much experience a professional painting contractor has, accidents like spills and drips can happen.

Cover the Floors

Along with the inventory, it’s vital to protect the floors before painting walls and ceilings. A protective floor covering will catch any drips before they can hit the floor. The floor covering is also a much easier clean up option than removing paint from the floor.

Clean & Sand Warehouse Walls

Once the floor and inventory are prepped, it’s time to prime surfaces for painting. Sanding the surfaces is the best way to ensure that the old color is fully covered with the new paint for a fresh, clean look.

If your warehouse is in the Chicago or Cincinnati areas, contact Precision Painting & Decorating when you are ready to refresh your space. We specialize in minimally disruptive commercial painting and warehouse maintenance services such as precast painting, concrete tilt-up painting, warehouse interior, exterior, ceiling painting, and floor coating.

Book Your Painting Project

To learn more or to get a free estimate for your next warehouse maintenance project, contact Precision Painting & Decorating to speak with one of our warehouse painting experts.

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