# RE: Commercial Office Painting



## Mr Smith (Mar 11, 2016)

*RE: Commercial Office Painting*

Commercial Office Painting

What's your go-to system to paint offices?

I have to admit that I wasn't prepared to take on this type of work after including it as a service on my website. I'm getting a lot of calls to do offices after doing a bit of SEO for those keywords. I managed to get on page one of Google search.

I've gone out for some quotes but have turned them all down. Some were very large offices. These jobs are nothing like residential repaints. I mean here are some of the things that bother me:

1) When to do them. During the day or off-hours and weekends? I personally don't want to work until 2 in the morning.

2) I notice that offices have a lot of cubicle structures that obstruct access to many walls. Are we supposed to move them out or just cut around them? They look bulky and heavy to move. How do you painters deal with this?

I thought office painting would be a similar service as res re-paints. I have a lot to learn.

3) The baseboards are mostly rubber strips. How the F do you tape them or are they all cut in? What about roller overspray on the rubber BB's?

4) Most ask for a single coat of paint the same color but with that much drywall repairs it's been my experience that it will take 2 coats. I plan on using BM Ultra Spec 500.

What's your office painting system?


----------



## Fman (Aug 20, 2011)

Mr Smith said:


> Commercial Office Painting
> 
> What's your go-to system to paint offices?
> 
> ...


Don't really have a system since there similarities are all different but, I've rarely done them at night since no one ever wants to pay extra for that. It would seem to be a good time to do them though. Weekends are ideal but, there's only so many weekends. Paint around the cubicles because, yeah, way too much trouble to move. No one's ever going to see that section of wall until the tenant moves out anyway and, if they do reorganize the office at a later date, it'll be more work for you then. Rubber base and most tape I've used are not a good match but try, and keep a wet rag handy for clean up. When you work in an occupied lease like that, be prepared for everyone complaining about the smell. For some it's an excuse to go home. Everyone else who sticks it out will say: "I need you at MY house!" They won't really mean this so, don't think you'll get any extra work. Finally, be advised that they'll put the fussiest gal in the office "in charge" of colors and liaison-type stuff. Her name will usually be "Mary" and you'll come to despise her. She's going to treat the gig as if it were her own house. Don't ever go to her house.


----------



## kmp (Jan 30, 2011)

Rubber base is a pain but I have done it a couple of ways. I will mask the wall above the base just a tiny bit and paint to it for however many coats you need then pull the tape and cut to the base with a dry brush. This works really well if you are doing same color same finish. Sometimes you can push the tape between the wall and base with your thumb nail to get the tape behind the base. Sometimes can be hard to get the tape out. No really easy way to do it. If there is paint on it use some lacquer thinner to clean it off, no it won't eat the base but if the base is really dirty it will clean it. Nothing you can do about the after hours and furniture in the way except to tell the owners up front it will be extra. Just ask them if they will do their regular job at 2 in the morning. Most night workers get shift differential why shouldn't you.


----------



## Brushman4 (Oct 18, 2014)

Mr Smith said:


> Commercial Office Painting
> 
> What's your go-to system to paint offices?
> 
> ...


Most office repaints in today's day and age are walls between areas of cubicles, reception areas, elevator lobbies, break rooms, conference rooms, bathrooms, etc.

You may have some very long upper wall space above a cubicle area, just mask off the top of the cubicle with 6" Easy Mask cut in ceiling line and top of cubicles, and roll out wall carefully! https://www.thepaintstore.com/Trimaco_KleenEdge_Easy_Mask_Painting_Tape_p/683160.htm

We used to get time and a half for office jobs done in the evening after hours. If they don't want to pay the premium, bid it with the knowledge that you need extra time working around these office nerds.

As previously mentioned, you'll hear a hundred times a day, "oh how can you work with that smell all the time", just kindly reply that it smells like money to you!

I would advise you to use low or no VOC paint, and I can't stress enough to have a hundred wet paint signs handy, and tape them to door frames, or lay them on the floor every 4 or 5 feet in areas you just painted, believe me, you need to cover your ass, because these nerds like to rub against walls!

As far as the rubber base, just wipe with a clean rag, apply your blue tape press it on with your fingernail, pull off when done and wipe off any bleed through with your 5 in 1, and a dry rag.


----------



## Repaint Florida (May 31, 2012)

and if your paint it while it's occupied set a *solid* schedule room by room and let them know it's a change order to skip a room & come back.

you'll allway get the few that are "busy" and want you to come back & you'll be jumping all over the place if you don't take control


----------



## Bullyblues (Oct 25, 2017)

You work with the customer and explain your needs and concerns upfront. Let them make the decisions based on the knowledge you gave them. Typically if furniture/cubicles need moved they have another company do that prior to your arrival. I plan to start prepping in the afternoon around 330 and by the time im ready to paint they're typically gobe for the rest of day. During weekdays make sure you allocate time to clean up your mess and leave your stuff nice and neat in one pile for the next day. On weekends make sure you have it ready to go start of business monday monday morning. Vinyl Cove base is easy to tape. Tape your line directly above it to the wall and most times your painting the same color as before so no need to cut it in after you pull tape but if not then still easy to cut. Spot prime any patches and its easy money. Latex paint, cleanliness, and communication will keep you busier than you might like.


----------



## Mr Smith (Mar 11, 2016)

I use Benjamin Moore Ultra Spec 500 'low sheen' eggshell for offices. This is a 100% acrylic product that is zero VOC and has very little odor. The only downside is that my cost is $30/gallon which is fairly pricey for commercial work. I think it's worth it.


----------



## PaPainter724 (Apr 22, 2016)

To be honest, most people make this out to be more work than it is. We never mask off rubber baseboard. It's just extra material and time trying to get it perfect, especially because you have to clean the baseboard before the tape sticks. What I do is have a guy cut in, quickly but keeping back about a 1/16th of an inch from a true cut in since it's going to be the same color, and then mini roll behind it. Then I simply put my drop cloth up a bit up on the baseboard which prevents most splatter. I always use a good 18 inch microfiber in 1/2 inch nap. If you pre wet them, they pretty much dont splatter at all; I've tried them over bare carpet and 95 percent of the time couldn't find a single spatter. I still use drop clothes of course. Between the two, you shouldn't have any spatter, but if you do, you can take a damp rag and one swipe and it's clean, which you would have had to do to tape it off anyways. 

BM Ultraspec 500 is an amazing paint for it's price point, and even at 30 it's a good deal. However, I'd talk to your rep about getting it down to like 25. I pay 20, which is why it's essentially my go to for commercial work where I can swing BM products.


----------



## Mr Smith (Mar 11, 2016)

PaPainter724 said:


> To be honest, most people make this out to be more work than it is. We never mask off rubber baseboard. It's just extra material and time trying to get it perfect, especially because you have to clean the baseboard before the tape sticks. What I do is have a guy cut in, quickly but keeping back about a 1/16th of an inch from a true cut in since it's going to be the same color, and then mini roll behind it. Then I simply put my drop cloth up a bit up on the baseboard which prevents most splatter. I always use a good 18 inch microfiber in 1/2 inch nap. If you pre wet them, they pretty much dont splatter at all; I've tried them over bare carpet and 95 percent of the time couldn't find a single spatter. I still use drop clothes of course. Between the two, you shouldn't have any spatter, but if you do, you can take a damp rag and one swipe and it's clean, which you would have had to do to tape it off anyways.
> 
> BM Ultraspec 500 is an amazing paint for it's price point, and even at 30 it's a good deal. However, I'd talk to your rep about getting it down to like 25. I pay 20, which is why it's essentially my go to for commercial work where I can swing BM products.


I live in a large Canadian city and all of the Benjamin Moore paint stores are privately owned. Therefore I don't have a paint rep. The owners are my paint reps and they all collude together to come up with a price on all paint lines. 

that is +/- a dollar or so.

No way in hell will come down to $25. Believe me, I've tried.

I don't know how pricing works in the US but it is a culture of price fixing (collusion) amongst the 7-8 Benjamin Moore paint stores in my city.

I've always assumed that this is because pricing is a company policy, but that may not be the case. I don't know for sure but some in here have said each owner can charge whatever they want. I guess these owners have decided to stick together to keep prices higher.


----------



## Fman (Aug 20, 2011)

Mr Smith said:


> I live in a large Canadian city and all of the Benjamin Moore paint stores are privately owned. Therefore I don't have a paint rep. The owners are my paint reps and they all collude together to come up with a price on all paint lines.
> 
> that is +/- a dollar or so.
> 
> ...


Oh, we don't have collusion in the US... Well, that's what I hear...


----------



## Fman (Aug 20, 2011)

Most office leases, the people are happy to see you. They usually ask why you're a week late though because they think the guys doing the work also set the job up and made a promise they couldn't keep. I did one where the tenants absolutely did NOT want us there. It was a charity organization, one that fulfills the wishes of sick children. We were actually excited to do the work. The ladies there were not. They do wonderful work with children but, they evidently despise painters. Obviously no one had told them we were coming- at all. I called our shop because it wasn't the first time our diminutive, brushy-haired, junior boss had steered us in the wrong direction. Me and 2 other fellas had painted an entire building- the wrong colors- at his behest, around that time. Two of us drove by that job the following week and saw another outfit re-painting it. I think we were on it 3-4 days. Don't know how that one got billed but, knowing Boss Jr. as I did, I wouldn't have been surprised if he told the shop "Fman and Dell are rogue painters! They just run around town painting whatever they want! I can't stop them!"

Anyway, it was a short day with the charity ladies. When I went to consult with the main lady, she told me in no uncertain terms that there was no way I was painting her office and, in fact, pack up your stuff and go, now. She didn't care what it cost and, frankly, I didn't either. Instead of going to Disneyland, our wish was to finish the day at a bar. Wish granted! Everyone was happy.


----------



## SunHouseProperties (Feb 19, 2015)

FOR SURE damp rag always hangen on me. and anyone else around me. Its used after rollout , to wipe the 4ft section of baseboard for that best final look. No tape. Come as close to rubber with roller and get the cut brush and cut in fast then fine wipe with damp rag.
if great colour match (seldom) you can just cut in with specialty tools (there are a few, best one is your mastered cutting skills, but can be tiring _ so a cut in pad is used which brings your cut line in enough to not cause a disturbance in the force.
If your cutter is a freind they will gladly cut that bottom line in for you, did i need to say that, YEAH


----------



## Brushman4 (Oct 18, 2014)

SunHouseProperties said:


> FOR SURE damp rag always hangen on me. and anyone else around me. Its used after rollout , to wipe the 4ft section of baseboard for that best final look. No tape. Come as close to rubber with roller and get the cut brush and cut in fast then fine wipe with damp rag.
> if great colour match (seldom) you can just cut in with specialty tools (there are a few, best one is your mastered cutting skills, but can be tiring _ so a cut in pad is used which brings your cut line in enough to not cause a disturbance in the force.
> If your cutter is a freind they will gladly cut that bottom line in for you, did i need to say that, YEAH


If your good at masking base and know how to roll, you can bump the base with your roller and voilà! No need for cutting it in!


----------



## SunHouseProperties (Feb 19, 2015)

*for sure*

:wink::vs_cool:


Brushman4 said:


> If your good at masking base and know how to roll, you can bump the base with your roller and voilà! No need for cutting it in!


.. but since you got a brush going at the top cut , assuming buddy is there that day" and if not then yes i would employ green or maybe not and just bump almost dry and wipe (done that on long hallways "


----------



## chrispratt (Sep 14, 2018)

we had a great experience with surepaint brisbane, friendly professionals painters worked quickly and did a great job. There professionals having lots of experience to backup his work. You can also visit the previous work on surepaint.com.au


----------



## burchptg (Jun 30, 2013)

1. When: you have to work that out with whoever you're painting for. I've done some during the day for people who were excited I was there to breathe new life into a dingy office, and I've done some in the dead of night listening to conspiracy theory radio at 2 am.


2. Cubicles: cut around them.


3. Vinyl cove: there's no blue tape in commercial painting. Cheap white tape will stick. If you do get paint on it, paint doesn't stick to vinyl. Wipe it off with your finger. Even if it dries, it will just slide off.



4. # coats: Spot prime the patches with tinted primer if the color is not white, then go over the primer with a weenie roller for the 1st coat. Roll the wall with the biggest roller in your arsenal.


----------



## akrause (May 18, 2010)

Occupied spaces are a pain, no question about it. Like so many others above have stated, with regard to the furniture, it's a conversation with the client and (important) a notation on your proposal. We, for the most part, don't move furniture for liability reasons (damage to furniture, computer equip. etc). If that's a deal breaker for the client, then we'll move what we can but I'm adding a release from damages to our proposal - no exceptions.
With regard to cove base, we view that as a potential opportunity to increase revenues and add an option to remove/replace with new. Anyone smart enough to paint an office is smart enough to learn how to *properly* remove and install new base, it's not difficult at all. If the client accepts that item, it goes without saying we remove the base, paint, then install new. If they don't want to do it, then we either have to tape it off or upgrade the paint to something guaranteed not to splatter - Ben Moore Regal or Aura (or equivelant)
Production-wise, for *vacant* office space, we work in a 3 man assembly line. (1) a guy on a pair of 2' stilts cutting in top wall and brushing down the corners as far as he can without bending over. (2) a guy right behind him cutting in low and brushing up the corners to meet. (3) A guy rolling out walls with either a 9", 14" or 18" depending on size of office and how many. The low cut guy keeps a wet hodtdog roller on him and rolls out small areas like over doors, window stools...etc. Make sure it's the same size nap as your big roller. This system gets us a 10x15 office in 20 min flat, but stating the obvious, wouldn't go that fast in occupied. Still, I highly recommend at least one of your guys learn how to walk on small stilts. Going up and down a ladder 4,000 time to cut in is an enormous profit killer.


----------



## BrioPainters (Jan 27, 2018)

Hey Mr. Smith,

I know this post is from a while ago and hopefully you have found the answers you seek on these matters but I have a *large* corporation on my client list that I have been doing repaints on office walls for about a year now and I wanted to give my two cents worth.

I do work this building at night. It is a downside, so to speak but I don't really mind. I make a killing doing this type of work and it more than makes up for the pita of working until 1 or 2 am. Cubicles I just paper off or tape and throw plastic over. I do move some furniture or cabinets. No biggie. The valuable stuff like corporate paintings and such, I have them secure somewhere. Not really looking to replace $50,000 paintings...


All that being said, I would say that this client is probably my favorite client. I make more per hour working at this building (I gross on average about $140 per man hour ) than I do on residential interiors and exteriors and CERTAINLY average more per hour on this type of work than on commercial work. If I had my druthers, I would only do this kind of work. It is easy work, no extension ladders needed, ever. In fact, 96% of the time, I only use a 4 foot little giant. I am repainting walls where there were small drywall repairs done, same color (or VERY similar color) so the walls only need one full coat. I go ahead and weenie roll the repairs first, primer or decent paint will work fine. Usually the repairs are tiny, no bigger than a square foot each. Once the repairs are weenie rolled, I will cut in tops and bottoms and then roll my top coat using an 18" roller, 5/8" nap. No need to do 2 full coats, thus saving the client money and keeping them happy. That way, when they have something more technical for me to do such as outdoor metal awnings, parking barriers, HVLP spraying fire doors/door frames or refinishing any of the thousands of square feet of hardwood in their building, I charge them what I want to get paid for it and because they love me, and because they have more money than I could ever dream of having, they don't even blink at my price. Most times, I don't think they even look at my bids. Usually their only question regarding my proposals are "when can you do the work" but I digress...

I have been using promar200 eggshell using a weenie roller to cut in baseboards and a big brush to cut in the dropped ceiling grids by hand. If cuts get onto the grid, wipe up immediately. Stilts work well if you trust yourself or your cut in guy not to trip or drop paint on the carpets. I use a runner drop underneath where I am working and just move the drop as I go, though I will say I have done so many of these walls that I am ALMOST tidy enough not to use a drop at all. Still, I use one. 

I average about 175 sqft per hour by myself and twice that with a good helper. Even with a modest per wall square foot price, it has me making out like a bandit. 

As for cutting in the cove base, I first tape it off with 3m 2020 tape, pressed firmly down on the top of the baseboard as I go. I have done so much of this that it goes FAST. No need to over tape onto the wall at all, tho one certainly could over tape a little bit and nobody would ever be the wiser, especially with the same color going back up on the walls. The tape sticks fine by itself on the top of the baseboard, especially when firmly pressed down onto non-dusty cove base. If dusty, just wipe with damp cloth, allow to dry or wipe dry and apply tape. 

When cutting in the base, you want to lay off most of the paint from the weenie roller about a cm above the tape line and gently work the paint down onto the tape line so it doesn't over apply on the tape line thus causing bleeding. You want the weenie roller mostly (65-75%) dry when you are actually rolling down onto the tape. 
One loaded weenie roller will cut in about 10-15 feet of cove base about 6 inches high. When pulling the tape, just use a damp cloth to wipe up any spots which may have bled thru (these should be minimal) and WHAMMO, that's how you make $100+ an hour doing the easiest paint known to man, or woman.

Hope that helps...


----------



## Mr Smith (Mar 11, 2016)

akrause said:


> Occupied spaces are a pain, no question about it. Like so many others above have stated, with regard to the furniture, it's a conversation with the client and (important) a notation on your proposal. We, for the most part, don't move furniture for liability reasons (damage to furniture, computer equip. etc). If that's a deal breaker for the client, then we'll move what we can but I'm adding a release from damages to our proposal - no exceptions.
> With regard to cove base, we view that as a potential opportunity to increase revenues and add an option to remove/replace with new. Anyone smart enough to paint an office is smart enough to learn how to *properly* remove and install new base, it's not difficult at all. If the client accepts that item, it goes without saying we remove the base, paint, then install new. If they don't want to do it, then we either have to tape it off or upgrade the paint to something guaranteed not to splatter - Ben Moore Regal or Aura (or equivelant)
> Production-wise, for *vacant* office space, we work in a 3 man assembly line. (1) a guy on a pair of 2' stilts cutting in top wall and brushing down the corners as far as he can without bending over. (2) a guy right behind him cutting in low and brushing up the corners to meet. (3) A guy rolling out walls with either a 9", 14" or 18" depending on size of office and how many. The low cut guy keeps a wet hodtdog roller on him and rolls out small areas like over doors, window stools...etc. Make sure it's the same size nap as your big roller. This system gets us a 10x15 office in 20 min flat, but stating the obvious, wouldn't go that fast in occupied. Still, I highly recommend at least one of your guys learn how to walk on small stilts. Going up and down a ladder 4,000 time to cut in is an enormous profit killer.


The problem with installing new vinyl molding is that you have to return the next day after the paint had dried. I don't think there is any money in it for that reason.

Also, the paint has not cured and you are putting the new cove molding on top of a freshly painted surface? I do not know the answer, just asking.


----------



## Brushman4 (Oct 18, 2014)

BrioPainters said:


> Hey Mr. Smith,
> 
> I know this post is from a while ago and hopefully you have found the answers you seek on these matters but I have a *large* corporation on my client list that I have been doing repaints on office walls for about a year now and I wanted to give my two cents worth.
> 
> ...


"It is easy work, no extension ladders needed, ever. In fact, 96% of the time, I only use a 4 foot little giant." quote

Why use a little giant when the cat's a$$ for office repaints is a 4-foot Perry?
https://goo.gl/images/Z37ECn


----------



## slinger58 (Feb 11, 2013)

lysagrey said:


> hmm I am thinking of renovating my ossif space so if you uysknow a good contractor for the job I would love some advice


“ossif space”? Looks like the spirit of Foster Brooks is posting. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------

