We all know that the environment around us can influence how we feel and how well we think. This being the case, it’s important that we give kids the best learning environment possible for the place they spend most of each day: their school. Painting a school or university is a unique type of project, requiring careful thought, competent planning, and skillful execution.
Color Choices for Schools
The study of color psychology has helped us learn what colors to use or avoid in an academic setting. For example, red can produce aggressive emotions, and also anxiety, so red paint in a classroom is not a great idea. Blue and green are calming, natural colors, which can promote a pleasant type of interaction. Yellow has good energy and creativity, but with this color, there can be too much of a good thing!
White has always been the most common paint color for a school interior, and there’s nothing wrong with that. It looks clean and fresh, and a bright environment promotes positive feelings better than a dim one, generally. Brown is another calming color, producing stability. A light shade, such as tan, has some of that effect without being too dark.
Whatever colors you pick, balance is the key. It’s generally best to choose a paint color that is close to neutral for the main wall color, and then you can use something bolder for accents, such as trim, or accent walls, or stripes.
Other Considerations When Painting Schools
Scheduling the painting of a school can be challenging. The best time to paint is usually summer, but even then, school buildings are often in use. At Sundeleaf Painting, we can schedule our commercial painting for whenever suits the needs of your school, whether that be nights, weekends, holidays, or school breaks.
Because of the high-traffic nature of a school building, we advise using premium paints with a washable finish. This will provide maximum durability against bumps, scuffs and abuse, as well as the ability to clean often without damaging the paint.
Another recommendation in terms of paint choice is to use low-VOC or zero-VOC paints. These interior paint formulae lack the volatile organic compounds that create the familiar “new paint smell.” This way, students with sensitive lungs are not affected, and you can maintain better indoor air quality.
Gymnasium floors present a special challenge in several ways. Applying logos and line stripes is very much a precision endeavor, and refinishing a wooden gym floor is a labor-intensive process. At Sundeleaf, we have the tools, skills, and manpower we need to do the job right, so your gym floor can be a real showpiece!
Paint Maintenance Programs for Schools
A complete repainting for a school is a very large undertaking and thankfully, it doesn't need to happen often. In fact, if you have a good paint maintenance program, you can go much longer between complete repaintings. We would be happy to discuss a paint maintenance program with you, which could include exterior power washing, interior touch up painting, drywall repair, and more.
Commercial Painting in the Portland Area
Sundeleaf Painting has been serving Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington since 1930, and as always, we continue to build our reputation by providing top-quality work. We provide interior and exterior painting for commercial facilities such as schools, universities, daycares, libraries, hotels, restaurants, hospitals, offices, and much more.