Commercial Painting in Winter: How to Refresh Your Space Without Slowing Down Business

Some exterior paints are now rated down to about 2°C, but Ontario's cold nights and short days still push most outdoor repaints to spring. Interior work carries on all year, and that opens up a few useful windows:

• Retail goes quiet. For many stores, the weeks after the holiday rush are the slowest of the year.
• Schools have set breaks. The winter holidays and March Break give crews whole days with no students in the building.
• Budgets are closing. Organizations with a December 31 or March 31 year-end often have maintenance money to use before the books close.
• The work is done before spring. The space is ready ahead of spring leasing, open houses or your busy season.

Cold is the main risk on a winter repaint. Commercial interior latex paints are commonly rated for application at 10°C or warmer, and the limit applies to the wall as well as the air. Below it, the paint may not form a proper film, which can show up as uneven sheen, touch-ups that stand out or, in bad cases, cracking. Three things to watch:

• Overnight setbacks. If the thermostat drops after hours, walls painted that evening can fall below the minimum temperature while the paint is still drying. Keep the heat up until it has dried.
• Cold walls and unheated areas. Loading docks, warehouses, stairwells, vestibules and vacant suites can run well below the rest of the building. Exterior walls run colder than the room around them, so check the surface, not just the thermostat.
• Paint storage. Latex paint should not freeze. Agree on a heated spot for materials so nothing sits overnight in an unheated storage area or truck.

The product's technical data sheet has the final say on temperature limits and dry times. Expect slower drying in cooler rooms, and build that into the schedule.

The right schedule depends on how your space is used. Three common approaches:

1. After hours or weekends. Crews work when the building is empty, and the space is clean and usable by morning. This suits offices, retail and clinics.
2. In phases. The building is split into zones, such as one floor, one wing or one suite at a time. Staff move around the work instead of out of the building.
3. During a planned closure. If you already close for a holiday week or a renovation, painting can be timed to fit inside it.

Whichever you choose, settle the details before the job starts: which areas are done when, where the crew stores materials, and who your contact person is on site. For more on zones, containment and overnight work, see our guide to painting an occupied commercial building.

• Use low-odour, low-VOC paint. Modern interior paints have far less smell than older products, so people can usually return to a space soon after it's painted. Low odour doesn't mean no odour, though, which is why the next point matters.
• Keep the air moving. With the windows shut, the building's ventilation has to clear the smell on its own. Keep it running during and after painting.
• Clean the entrances first. Road salt and slush come in on every pair of boots. Paint needs a clean surface to bond to, so lower walls, door frames and baseboards near entrances should be free of salt residue before painting.
• Tell people ahead of time. Give staff and tenants the schedule a week or two out, and post signs on the day so nobody leans on a wet wall.
• Protect what is there. Floors, furniture and equipment should be covered, and work areas cleaned up at the end of every shift.

Commercial walls take far more abuse than walls at home. The right product for each area keeps the paint looking good longer:

• Hallways, entrances and stairwells: a scrubbable paint in eggshell or satin, so scuffs wipe off instead of needing touch-ups.
• Doors, frames and handrails: semi-gloss for a hard, washable surface.
• Washrooms and kitchens: moisture- and mildew-resistant paint.
• Offices and meeting rooms: matte or eggshell to cut glare, in a durable product that cleans easily.

Keep a record of the exact colours and products used. Future touch-ups will match, and your next repaint will be easier to plan.

Having these answers ready makes the quote faster and more accurate:

• Which areas need painting: walls, ceilings, doors, trim, floors?
• Roughly how much space, and how many floors or suites?
• When is the building open, and when can work happen?
• Are there areas that must stay open the whole time?
• Does the heat stay on after hours, and are any areas unheated?
• Any colour or branding standards to follow?
• Who is the contact person for access and questions?
• Is there a deadline, like a lease start, inspection or opening date?

We paint commercial buildings across London, Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge, Hamilton and the Niagara Region, with after-hours and weekend crews available by arrangement. Call (519) 617-2072 or email info@citypaintersgroup.ca to book a walkthrough, or request a quote online.