5 minute read
Looking good for longer
SCHOOL BUILDINGS need regular maintenance, both inside and out, to keep them in top condition. Here are some tips to keep school buildings looking their best.
Maintaining exterior paint
Airborne contaminants, such as salt deposits, can attack paint surfaces and cause the paint system to break down early.
Annual cleaning and inspection of the exterior paintwork should be undertaken to maximise the life of the paint and keep it looking its best.
It is worth paying special attention to areas that are not subject to regular rain-washing. A slow release cleaning agent, can be applied to the paint surface which, when combined with natural weather conditions, will slowly break down surface contamination leaving paintwork much cleaner.
However, if it is necessary to wash down a freshly painted area, remember to wait at least four weeks from the completion of the painting job to give the paint time to fully cure.
It is also important to attend to areas of flaking paint, stained paint (by treating the source of the stain, then touching up the paint finish as required), rotten areas of timber, and moss and mould. Moss and mould, for example, will grow through the paint surface and, if left untreated, will ruin the fresh appearance of the paintwork.
Companies, such as Programmed Maintenance Services (PMS), offer a maintenance schedule that will regularly check the paintwork. While this can result in a higher annual cost, regular maintenance will extend the life of the paint finish giving more years of wear before it needs to be redone.
Minimising disruption
With the term system, schools have natural downtimes when painting can be scheduled while students are away to minimise any disruption. 38
contractors of choice
First impressions count! Keep your school buildings looking fresh and tidy?
✹ Maintenance Programmes ✹ Painting & Decorating ✹ Exterior and Interior
EST 1896
DID YOU KNOW …
… has undertaken projects requring a multi-trade service? As part of our ongoing commitment to service, quality and simplicity, we have been pleased to offer this multi-trade function. Below is a brief list of some of the services offered.
• Property & Building
Maintenance • Electrical Services • Plumbing & Drainage • Roof Repair or Replacement • Interior & Exterior Glass
Cleaning & Glazing • Commercial Cleaning • Offi ce Partitioning • Gib Stopping
50 Carroll St, Dunedin E: wrens@wrens.co.nz Ph: 03 477 9384
465 Great South Road, Penrose, PO Box 112-149, Penrose, Auckland Phone 522 1700, Fax 526 5102, Email offi ce@matassa.co.nz
37
However, if painting during term time can’t be avoided, the wide range of Environmental Choice approved products available means that even if the painters are required while students are in class, the low odour and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of the paint can enable an area to be painted and put into service later that day or the following day. Avoid scheduling painting work and building work at the same time as debris carried onto a wet building may be trapped into the paint film and will be impossible to remove later without removing the paint finish itself.
Undertaking a painting project
A typical painting project will follow these steps: • A site visit to determine the scope of the project.
• Specification preparation, which can highlight potential problem areas, details the preparation and painting systems by substrate and, if appropriate, provide higher performance alternative coating systems tailored to your budget and maintenance expectations.
• Colour scheme development.
• Warranty development.
• Painting contactor tendering and recommendation.
• Site visits.
• Warranty confirmation.
Bear in mind that the main cost of any paint project is the labour, while the paint itself makes up a much smaller percentage of the cost. Higher quality paints may be more expensive initially, however, they will last longer, which will save the school money in the long run.
Eliminating tagging
Blank wall areas in schools can be irresistible to taggers. Encouraging students to team up and create murals to cover large expanses of wall, along with installing additional lighting can go a long way to discouraging unwanted graffiti.
If graffiti is a persistent problem try these steps:
• Plant shrubs or a tree against walls and fences exposed to tagging or plant climbing shrubs or hedges. Species with prickles provide additional protection, though prickles should naturally be avoided in any areas children are likely to play. • Paint fences and walls standard colours because unpainted fences act as magnets to taggers. • If the street front boundary does comprise an unbroken
surface that may be appealing to taggers, consider coating it with an anti-graffiti system. • Do an informal audit of the school. Can people jump on rubbish bins and onto the roof?
Is there a dark wall that doesn’t face the street and is poorly lit?
Are there bins or bushes that might provide visual shelter for taggers while they graffiti? • Install security nightlights or video surveillance cameras in possible graffiti prone areas.
Lights with motion sensors are a popular choice as they only activate when a person approaches.
If your school has been tagged, remove or paint over the graffiti as soon as possible, preferably within 24 hours. This will help to discourage more graffiti.
Ask painting contractors to leave any part filled cans of exterior paint that are left at the end of any painting projects, as these can be used to paint over any tags that may appear. Taking steps such as these when completing routine maintenance can help to keep your school looking good for longer.
By Karen Warman, marketing manager, Resene
