If you have a business and are looking to paint it, you might be considering commercial or industrial painting. These terms are not interchangeable. Let’s look at the differences.
With commercial painting, you should likely think about it much like residential painting. You are wanting to apply a color to make something look pleasing. This could be retail space or areas in which customers will be present. Commercial painting is largely a decorative feature that provides a finished look.
Industrial painting has an entirely different goal. Industrial painting is durable and is used for protection. Stopping leaks and preventing corrosion are often the main goals of industrial painting.
Commercial painting is used on storefronts, in showrooms, medical offices, and anywhere you want to have a nice look. Restaurants often have special paint finishes to create a special ambiance. The paint should always be able to stand up to high traffic.
Industrial painting is largely used on warehouses, in storage rooms, and factories. This includes machinery and structures. The surfaces will be well protected during hard-working conditions to prevent corrosion. Oil based paint with a protective varnish is often used as it is easy to clean and wipe down. Just because something has an industrial painting application does not mean the final product will look sloppy and unfinished. The technician simply has a different goal: to provide a durable finished product.
Industrial painting safeguards industrial surfaces that need to maintain or control temperatures. These coatings can prevent UVrays from heating piping that would in turn heat the liquid or gas inside the pipe. This coating also applies to maintaining the temperature in general. Maintaining the temperature of the substance inside the material is key in industrial settings. A protective coating can help to ensure that while removing any environmental factors around the piping.
Some industrial painting products include a fireproof layer. The Intumescent material reacts when exposed to extreme heat by expanding in volume which decreases the density, which makes it more difficult for fires to burn. There are two types of products which are used: hard char and soft char. Hard char melts into sodium silicates and graphite which forms firewalls. The soft char has a different approach; it holds moisture that is released as steam which slows fires and doesn’t conduct heat well.
Industrial paints can also provide a reduction in energy consumption. This is especially important in large warehouse facilities or factories that need a significant amount of cooling. Reflective paints can be used to help maintain the temperature rather than absorbing UV rays.
If your business is needing a paint application, reach out to MB&R Contractors. Our team is well versed in both commercial and industrial painting. We can help you think through what type of paint will yield your business the best results. We are experts in this space and want to help your business be successful.
