Shop front spraying is an effective and surprisingly affordable way to change the outward appearance of a shop. Any exterior elements can be painted, with windows, doors, shutters and masonry (brickwork) being obvious candidates.
In addition to the visual effect, shop front spraying can translate to tangible business benefits too. It’s a well-known retail fact that the pleasanter a store is on the outside, the more people will walk through the door. Fresh paint can change the public’s perception of a shop overnight and draw more customers in the next day.
If you have a shop and you are interested in getting elements of the exterior sprayed, here’s what you need to know about it:
Paintable materials
Aluminium shop fronts, UPVC shop fronts and timber shop fronts can all be painted, with glazed units masked off so that when they are painted, they appear as though they were originally installed in the new colour. Masonry (brickwork and stonework) can be painted, as can PVC (which is different to UPVC) and rust-free metals.
The process
The paint will be applied in three even coats using an electric spray-painting gun. This technique creates a factory-level finish. No dedicated primer is needed in the case of our paints, because they are solvent-based and bond with the UPVC. This means the first coat is the primer coat, which speeds up the application time.
The application process for metal shutters and masonry is the same.
Shop front spraying takes around a day and a half, depending on the surface area that requires painting. This can be performed off peak so your business experiences minimal disruption. If you are on a very busy street, we recommend choosing a day and a time with as little traffic as possible. This is so the paint can be applied with as little contamination risk as possible (traffic equals dirt).
Finish
UPVC paint is offered with a gloss, matte or satin finish. Gloss has a 100% shine, satin has a 30% shine, and matte has a 0% shine. Most people opt for satin because it offers the best of both worlds and hides defects in old UPVC quite well.
Colours
UPVC paints are available which match the RAL Colour Chart, which has over 1,000 colours, and the British Standard colour chart, which has hundreds of colours. Alternatively, a custom colour can be made for you. The most popular shop front colour is RAL 7016 Anthracite Grey. Beiges are also popular, such as RAL 1001 Beige and RAL 1015 Light Ivory.
Durability
We provide a 10-year guarantee on all our outdoor spray-painting work, and this is the benchmark you should look for with any professional. It means we expect our handywork to look as good as new for at least a decade.
Shop fronts are susceptible to vandalism and accidents, however, and this cannot be accounted for. The good news is UPVC paint can often be spot repaired should any area be worn down or damaged. This isn’t always the case though, and you should expect to have to replace your UPVC units if they become broken.
Prices
If you budget circa £250 for metal shutters, £230 per door, £150 per window, £150 for gutters and £300 to £400 for masonry, you’ll be about there on price. Most shop fronts can be painted all-in for around £800.
Most of our customers only want their exterior UPVC or aluminium or timber frames painting. Window frames and doors on a shop front can often be painted all in for around £500. You can also get the interior of the units painted for a built-in look. This will likely add a few hundred pounds to the price, so call it £750.
This is far less than the cost of replacement units. A new door and windows will set you back thousands of pounds. Painting is around 70% cheaper.
Other considerations
Insurance
Our advice is to notify your business insurer about your intent to change the colour of your windows before you have the work performed. This is to make sure they understand what it is you are having done so there are no issues.
In any case, your insurer needs to know about visual modifications to your shop. If in doubt, consult with them about this.
After ten years
We guarantee our spray-painting work for ten years. After this period, the paint may continue to look like new, or it may begin to degrade. We cannot say with 100% certainty what will happen. All cases are different. What we can say is that we have many customers with a finish approaching 10 years old and it still looks new.
Quotes
Make sure you get two or three quotes from reputable vendors in your area. Beware of start-ups and pop-up companies. These open up shop very quickly and close down just as fast after taking money for shoddy work. In contrast, we are professionals you can trust with well over a decade of experience in the trade.
You’ll find our UPVC painters courteous, polite and professional. Contact us today to get your free, no-obligation quote.
