Commercial Case Study

Backstory

In this case study, we recap a commercial painting project for a townhouse complex called Blackstone Ponds in Inver Grove Heights, MN. We recap the details of this extensive project below…

Describe the condition of the facility/surfaces at the time work began.

The wood trim on this large townhome project was starting to show some wear and peeling. There were also many areas where the original builder neglected to properly caulk to prevent water intrusion and premature wood rot.

What did the project involve?

Our team was tasked with applying two coats of paint to all the wood trim in the community. That included corner boards, horizontal trim boards, door frames, window trim, and front porch posts. We also replaced cracked or missing caulk around doors, windows, corner boards, and decorative front porch posts.

When did the project take place, and how long did it take from start to finish?

The project took approximately 21 days to complete.

Were there any special challenges involved?

Whenever we work on multi-family projects, communicating and coordinating with homeowners can be a challenge. Since our primary contacts are members of the HOA board, most residents are often unclear on the project’s expectations. To assist the boards, we provide detailed timelines specifying when we will be working on each unit. Additionally, we create an owner checklist with recommendations such as, “Park your car in the garage, not in the driveway, and remove as much furniture from your deck as possible.”

Another challenge we encountered was access to water for pressure washing. The 20+ multi-unit buildings were spread out over a 25-acre site. To resolve this, we tapped into the irrigation system for our pressure washing needs. This saved the HOA the cost of renting a water truck and also eliminated the need to inconvenience homeowners by asking to use their outside spigots.

Did the project require any special equipment or techniques?

Typically, professional painters use sprayers to apply coatings. However, given the unique nature of this project, we decided to go “old school,” using brushes and rollers for the entire job. We took special care to protect the dark roof shingles, cedar decks, and decorative brick from paint drips.

Conclusion

Our crew of 9 professional painters completed this project on time and the HOA Board was thrilled with the entire process.