Industrial Painting in Toronto & the GTA
Industrial Painters in Toronto That Specialise in Commercial
Painting an industrial building can be a huge challenge – it’s a big investment that requires a lot of planning. As experts in industrial painting in Toronto, The City Painters can help you work through the complexities to decide what’s right for your space and make the process less intimidating. We can take care of things like:
- Painting of commercial and industrial buildings
- Scheduled maintenance painting
- Drop-deck ceiling painting
- Specialty coating application
- Epoxy floor installation & repair
If you’re a facilities manager or are in charge of a commercial painting project, talk to us about how we can upgrade your commercial space with a professional paint job while minimizing its downtime.
Types of Industrial Buildings We Specialize In
Warehouses
Guard Against Inside Hazards and Outside Elements
Warehouses are large buildings where the interior walls, exterior walls, ceiling, and floor are often made of different materials, so you have to use the right types and colours of paints to get long-lasting work that stands up to the elements, protecting the products and equipment inside the warehouse. You also have to consider interior colour schemes that highlight safety hazards and improve visibility.
Factories
Keep Employees and Equipment Safe and Functional
Factories need to be painted with the right types of paint to resist mold, rust, corrosion, and other potential health hazards. Additionally, the right colours of paint can improve visibility for safety, boost worker morale, and show off your factory’s branding on public tours. Getting a professional, long-lasting paint job helps keep your factory compliant with inspections, and can even limit the amount of maintenance your equipment needs.
Production Plants
Protect Your Machines and Minimize Downtime
Like factories, manufacturing plants can reap several benefits if they’re painted properly. These include resistance to fire, heat, corrosion, and contaminants, greater energy efficiency by reducing the need for cooling systems, and a more attractive company image. Let professional industrial painters do the job to minimize disruptions and downtime on the production line.
Distribution Centres
Help Maximize Order Fulfillment Efficiency
Distribution centres are hybrids of warehouses and factories: they’re used for not only storing goods, but also processing them so they make it to the right customers intact and on time. So getting a professional paint job in a distribution centre helps with many of the same things the other two types of buildings need: keeping workers safe and productive, resisting weather and safety hazards, and keeping advanced machinery functioning longer.
We Can Help With Specialty Industrial Needs
Epoxy Flooring Installation & Repair
Get More Value From Your Industrial Floor With Epoxy
Using epoxy coating for industrial building floors is often a long-term cost-effective choice, even if it requires a bit of upfront investment. This is because when epoxy floors are installed by professionals – like us at The City Painters – they’re naturally durable, simple to clean, and resist contaminants and electricity. So they make it easy to protect your workers, equipment, and products without needing a lot of maintenance.
Maintenance Schedules
Use a Trustworthy Company for Repeat Work on a Schedule
Even the best industrial paint job has to be refreshed from time to time. If it isn’t, it can’t provide as much protection for your workers, equipment, and other items inside the building. It also reflects badly on your brand and can drain your workers’ motivation. A professional industrial painting contractor can help you set up a schedule to do maintenance painting and keep your building in top shape.
Drop-Deck Ceiling Painting
For Large Commercial Spaces
Large industrial and commercial buildings can have metal deck ceilings that leave exposed the underlying supports, light fixtures, HVAC ductwork, and so on. Not only is it difficult to reach these high ceilings without a lift, but it can also be challenging to maneuver around all the exposed parts to paint all the nooks and crannies. Let the professionals at The City Painters paint these roofs safely and thoroughly for you.
Speciality Coatings
When You Need Something Custom for your Space
Industrial companies work with various equipment, materials, and substances that can present unique safety hazards. Knowing this, The City Painters can paint your building and equipment with specialty coatings to meet your needs. If you need insulant coatings to protect against fire and heat, membranes or elastomeric paint for waterproofing, or surfaces like epoxy to prevent corrosion and the buildup of other contaminants, we have you covered.
How to Choose the Right Industrial Painters in Toronto
Insured, Well-Reviewed, & Accredited in the Industry
Industrial painting (and commercial painting in general) is often a large investment, so you want to make sure it’s done properly. When shopping around for painting contractors, look or ask for photos of completed industrial projects so you can see the quality of their work. You should also look or ask for reviews and testimonials to see what customers thought of their professionalism.
Most importantly though, you want to make sure any painting contractors you hire are insured in case something goes wrong. This is especially important in industrial settings, where there tend to be more hazards that can end up hurting someone.
Recommendations Specifically Suited to Industrial Spaces
Industrial buildings can serve many different functions, and can contain or be made up of several different materials. So what you paint and how you paint it can depend on your objectives: are you looking to protect products, keep workers safe, or reduce the amount of maintenance your machines need? Good industrial painters should be able to match paints and colours to the goals you have in mind for a space.
Clear & Honest Pricing Customized for Industrial Work
There are many variables that affect how much an industrial paint job will cost. A good painting contractor team should get the relevant information about your particular project: how big your building is, what it’s used for, what’s inside it, what kinds of materials it’s made out of, and what the overall layout is like. They should then be able to walk you through what’s needed for your project, how much it costs, and why.
Have the Proper Tools For Industrial Work Areas
Industrial buildings can have many nooks, crannies, and high places that are difficult – if not outright dangerous – to paint. You don’t want a job to be done half-heartedly, and you definitely don’t want to risk someone getting injured, because the painters you hired didn’t have the right tools to reach those areas. Make sure to give any contractor you approach as many details about the space you want painted as possible, and confirm they have the equipment to paint it safely and thoroughly.
Why Choose The City Painters for Industrial Painting?
Insured & Fully WSIB-Certified
Above all, painting should be done safely – industrial painting most of all. That’s why our industrial painting team at The City Painters is entirely WSIB-certified and backed up by at least $2 million of liability insurance on each project: to give you peace of mind when you’re making a big investment.
Expert Industrial Painting Contractors
As industrial painters in Toronto, we know the last thing you want is for a painting project to grind your operations to a halt. That’s why our professional team can work on interiors or exteriors as needed, and can come in on weekends or outside business hours – whatever will keep your business running smoothly.
Fair Painting Prices Specifically for Industrial
Industrial painting is unique in that many things can affect how long a painting job takes, what materials need to be used for it, and ultimately how much it costs. Our team of experts will take the time to explain the price of the paint job you want, what affects that cost, and how prices compare to competitors or doing the job yourself.
Stellar Industrial & Commercial Resume
We’ve spent over 15 years doing all sorts of painting jobs throughout the greater Toronto area, building up both our skills and our reputation for quality commercial work. That’s why when the Rogers Centre needed renovations, we were one of the companies trusted enough to get the call!
What’s Involved in the Industrial Painting Process?
There are typically 7 stages to painting industrial spaces:
Consult with Your Painters
The industrial painting process is typically more complex than residential or other commercial painting. You have to think ahead regarding how to paint the building’s exterior, as well as what you’ll paint on the building’s interior and how you’ll do that. For example, if the building has machinery in it, will you be painting it directly or just painting around it? Discuss with the painting contractors you hire how to paint efficiently while minimizing disruptions to your work.
Do Thorough Prep Work
Industrial painting can be risky because of the heights, hazardous substances, and dangerous machinery that can be involved. So making sure the work area is safe first is paramount. That includes ensuring painters have proper ventilation and protective equipment while they’re working. It also includes (if possible) moving things to be painted away from areas where they’re difficult to work on, or from objects that could hamper paint drying or cause other dangers.
Clean and Repair Surfaces
You should always clean and prep surfaces you plan on painting, and that’s especially important when painting in industrial settings. Use pressure-washers, sanders, scrapers, sponges, detergent, cloths, and anything else you need to clear away grease, dirt, mold, old paint, and other debris. This gets rid of the contaminants you’re trying to protect against in the first place, and it also makes paint stick better (and machines run smoother).
Cover Areas You Won’t Paint
Use painter’s tape or masking tape to cover surfaces and objects where you don’t want paint to splatter. You can also use paper, plastic coverings, towels, and bedsheets to cover larger areas. If you’ll be spray painting, remember to cover the surrounding area completely, as you won’t have as much control over where the paint ends up.
Prime Where You’ll Paint
After readying any necessary safety equipment, apply a coat of primer to the surfaces you’ll be painting. This will help the paint stick better, which results in a paint job that lasts longer and better protects the surfaces it’s coating. Remember that you may have to match types of primer to the materials your surfaces are made out of for best results. Also remember to give the primer enough time to dry.
Apply the Actual Paint Coats
Now you have to actually paint the surfaces you’ve primed. You can spray-paint larger surfaces where you want a more even finish, or where you can’t otherwise reach safely. Meanwhile, you can use paintbrushes and rollers for small spaces with intricate surfaces, or to touch up areas a sprayer missed. Your painters may also suggest variations on and alternatives to these techniques.
Let Paint Dry and Clean Up
You’ll need to let the surfaces you painted – especially any machinery – dry. Depending on the size of the surfaces and the kind of paint you used, this may take several days. You may not be able to use painted machinery or equipment during this time, which is why you should plan ahead and paint when you’re not going to need it that often. Once an area is dry, remove the tape and other protective coverings from around the area.
Consult with Your Painters
The industrial painting process is typically more complex than residential or other commercial painting. You have to think ahead regarding how to paint the building’s exterior, as well as what you’ll paint on the building’s interior and how you’ll do that. For example, if the building has machinery in it, will you be painting it directly or just painting around it? Discuss with the painting contractors you hire how to paint efficiently while minimizing disruptions to your work.
Do Thorough Prep Work
Industrial painting can be risky because of the heights, hazardous substances, and dangerous machinery that can be involved. So making sure the work area is safe first is paramount. That includes ensuring painters have proper ventilation and protective equipment while they’re working. It also includes (if possible) moving things to be painted away from areas where they’re difficult to work on, or from objects that could hamper paint drying or cause other dangers.
Clean and Repair Surfaces
You should always clean and prep surfaces you plan on painting, and that’s especially important when painting in industrial settings. Use pressure-washers, sanders, scrapers, sponges, detergent, cloths, and anything else you need to clear away grease, dirt, mold, old paint, and other debris. This gets rid of the contaminants you’re trying to protect against in the first place, and it also makes paint stick better (and machines run smoother).
Cover Areas You Won’t Paint
Use painter’s tape or masking tape to cover surfaces and objects where you don’t want paint to splatter. You can also use paper, plastic coverings, towels, and bedsheets to cover larger areas. If you’ll be spray painting, remember to cover the surrounding area completely, as you won’t have as much control over where the paint ends up.
Prime Where You’ll Paint
After readying any necessary safety equipment, apply a coat of primer to the surfaces you’ll be painting. This will help the paint stick better, which results in a paint job that lasts longer and better protects the surfaces it’s coating. Remember that you may have to match types of primer to the materials your surfaces are made out of for best results. Also remember to give the primer enough time to dry.
Apply the Actual Paint Coats
Now you have to actually paint the surfaces you’ve primed. You can spray-paint larger surfaces where you want a more even finish, or where you can’t otherwise reach safely. Meanwhile, you can use paintbrushes and rollers for small spaces with intricate surfaces, or to touch up areas a sprayer missed. Your painters may also suggest variations on and alternatives to these techniques.
Let Paint Dry and Clean Up
You’ll need to let the surfaces you painted – especially any machinery – dry. Depending on the size of the surfaces and the kind of paint you used, this may take several days. You may not be able to use painted machinery or equipment during this time, which is why you should plan ahead and paint when you’re not going to need it that often. Once an area is dry, remove the tape and other protective coverings from around the area.
Industrial Space Painting FAQs
What is the typical cost to paint industrial spaces in Toronto?
The cost to paint industrial buildings is around $35,000 and up, though it ranges significantly because of area size. The cost of industrial-grade paint, including the costs of labour, starts at about $55 per square foot and up.
This is a difficult question to answer because there are so many variables involved: area size, type/amount of materials needed, prep work required, tools needed, and so on. These variables can differ drastically depending on what’s being kept or used in the space interior: workers, heavy equipment, manufacturing machinery, stored products, etc.
Are The City Painters insured for industrial painting jobs?
Absolutely. We know industrial painting jobs can be high-stakes and risk-prone, so we take the necessary precautions to ensure you can rest easy when we do a job for you. Our whole team is certified by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), and each of our projects is covered by a minimum of $2 million worth of liability insurance.
What is industrial painting exactly and what does it entail?
Industrial painting is a subset of commercial painting that involves painting buildings used for the production, storage, and transport of goods. Since there could be people, equipment, machines, or products inside an industrial building, a lot of planning needs to go into how to paint both the interior and exterior.
The goal is not only to paint around potential hazards in the interior safely, but also to protect the contents of the building from accidents and the elements. So industrial painting tends to be a lengthy process best accomplished by a professional painting team.
Are there different approaches or industrial painting methods?
Yes, and which industrial painting methods get used depends on the building being painted: its size, its interior layout, and what inside it actually needs to be painted. For example, some buildings may have very high ceilings that require lift machines to reach. Or a large building may have many flat surfaces that can be spray painted to save time if precision isn’t needed.
On the other hand, a building with a lot of machinery and tight spaces may require doing more work by hand with paintbrushes and rollers. Machines, equipment, and some surfaces may also need to be painted with special coatings to protect against likely hazards, such as heat, fire, and corrosion.
How long does industrial building painting typically take?
Industrial painting can take as little as a few days, or it can take as long as a few weeks. The reason for such a wide time frame is because both a building’s size and purpose factor into how long it takes to paint.
Smaller buildings with less complex interiors and material needs tend to take less time, while a large building that has a lot of equipment or machinery inside can take much longer to paint. The equipment may pose hazards that need to be worked around, or may need to be worked on with specialty paints and tools to make it safer and more efficient.
How do I prepare my industrial space for painting?
There are several things you can do to make industrial painting faster, more efficient, and safer for the painting team you hire when you bring them in. These include:
- Schedule painting for when the space is least active, and inform employees/customers
- Move any movable objects away from areas you’re going to paint, and cover them
- Remove objects from surfaces to be painted that could obstruct painting
- Place drop cloths on floors you aren’t planning on painting to protect them
- Repair cracks and other imperfections in the surfaces to be painted
- Clean the surfaces and objects you’re going to paint of dirt, grease, old paint, mold, etc.
- Ensure adequate ventilation for painters, perhaps by choosing low-VOC paints
What tools are needed for industrial painting?
Since industrial spaces can vary greatly in terms of what’s inside them and how their interiors are laid out, the tools you need for each job won’t always be the same. Some critical ones you may need include:
- Paint sprayer – Used to paint large surface areas that are difficult to reach, where precision isn’t an issue, or where you want an even finish. Variations include airless sprayers and electrostatic applicators.
- Paintbrushes & rollers – Use these in tight areas with intricate surfaces where simply spraying paint would get it in places you don’t want it to be. You can also use them to touch up areas that spray-painting misses.
- Drop cloths – These help protect your floors and other objects from getting paint on them. Use quality cotton ones to absorb paint faster and make moving around the work area safer.
- Pressure washer – Used for heavy-duty cleaning of surfaces before you paint them, especially those that are difficult to reach without using other tools.
- Scaffolding/ladders/lifts – Using bigger ladders is recommended, since industrial buildings may have high places that are difficult to reach. But sometimes you may need to set up scaffolding and use lifts to get painters up to areas where ladders won’t reach. Be sure to also invest in proper harness safety equipment to reduce the risk of painters falling from great heights.
- Surface prep tools – Substances like caulk and filling compound can help repair cracks in surfaces before you paint them, so the paint doesn’t seep into those cracks and make them bigger. You should also have scrapers and sandpaper to help get rid of old paint jobs so that the new paint job will stick better.
- PPE – Some materials you’re painting with in an enclosed industrial space can be hazardous to your health if you get them on your skin, breathe them in, etc. Make sure your painters have proper protective equipment like coveralls, goggles, gloves, and masks.
Can’t I just DIY my industrial painting job?
We generally recommend against doing this for industrial jobs, for several reasons:
- Industrial buildings are typically large, and so take a long time to paint. Doing the job with your own team can disrupt your other work operations for a significant amount of time.
- Industrial buildings tend to have high-up places (particularly ceilings) that can be dangerous to paint without the proper safety equipment.
- A sloppy paint job – or one not done with the correct materials and colours – can cause any number of problems for an industrial building. It can reduce the building’s resistance to weather (particularly wind, rain, and extreme temperatures) or hazards such as fire, corrosion, and contaminants (rust, mold, mildew, bacteria, etc.). It can also leave your workers less productive and more accident-prone if you don’t use proper safety markings and energy-boosting colour schemes. Plus, it just reflects poorly on your brand.
- Even seemingly minor defects in an industrial building’s paint job can allow regulatory agency inspectors to fine you or even shut down your building’s operations, depending on how strict your industry’s safety standards are.