Shop fronts, interiors and stockrooms
Most retailers come to us with one of three jobs. The shop front has faded, peeled or picked up marks and no longer looks inviting from the pavement. The sales floor needs freshening up because walls behind displays and around the till have taken years of knocks. Or the back of house, meaning the stockroom, staff room and toilets, has been left so long that it now needs a proper going over. Often it is a mix of all three, and it helps to tell us which matters most so the work can be ordered around it.
Shop front painting covers fascia boards, window frames, doors, stall risers and any metal or timber detail around the entrance. Inside, it usually means walls, ceilings, columns, skirting and door frames, plus fixtures if they are staying. Stockrooms and back corridors tend to need a tougher, easier-to-clean finish rather than a showroom look, and the paint we choose reflects that.
Working around your trading hours
Closing for a week is rarely an option for a shop, so the timing of the work matters as much as the paint. We can talk through evening and weekend working, or splitting the shop into sections so one area is decorated while the rest stays open. Any out-of-hours arrangement is agreed for your particular job before we start, so everyone knows when we will be on site.
Phasing works well on larger sales floors. A run of wall bays is cleared, protected and painted, then restocked before the next section begins. Drying times still have to be respected, so we agree in advance how long each area will be out of use and where stock, rails and signage will go in the meantime. Shop front work also needs the pavement kept safe for passers-by, which we plan as part of the visit.
Spraying or brush and roller for fixtures and large walls
For big plain walls and high ceilings, airless spraying lays down an even coat quickly once the masking is done, which helps when the work has to fit into a short closure. Shelving units, counters, display plinths and metal fittings often suit HVLP spraying, which gives a smooth, controlled finish on smaller items with less overspray. Brush and roller still has its place, particularly for cutting in, small rooms and corners where masking everything for spraying would take longer than painting by hand.
The right choice depends on the surface, how much can be cleared and how much protection the space needs. On a visit, Eric looks at what is there and suggests the method that suits each part of the job, rather than spraying everything just because the equipment is on the van.
Hard-wearing and anti-vandal finishes for shop fronts
A shop front takes a battering: weather, trolleys, shopping bags, bikes leaning against it and, on some streets, graffiti or flyposting. A tougher coating on the most exposed parts can make the front easier to keep clean between repaints. We apply anti-vandal coatings, and they are worth considering for stall risers, shutters, side walls and entrances that see the most trouble.
Inside, a washable finish on lower walls, around tills and along routes where cages and trolleys pass will usually stay presentable for longer than a standard flat emulsion. Sheen level is a balance. A slightly higher sheen wipes clean more easily but shows every bump in the plaster, so the condition of the walls is part of the decision.
Empty units and lease-end repaints
Landlords and letting agents often need an empty unit freshened up before it goes on the market, or returned to a neutral finish when a tenant leaves. These jobs are easier to schedule because nobody is trading, but the scope still needs writing down: which walls and ceilings, whether woodwork and doors are included, and whether old signage marks or fixing holes need filling first.
If you are a tenant handing a unit back, check what your lease asks for before booking the work, because the decorating it requires can vary. We can then quote against that list so you know exactly what is and is not covered.
Request a site visit
The quickest way to a useful quote is a short site visit. Before it, jot down which areas you want painted, when the shop trades, any days that are off limits, and whether the front, the inside or both are included. Photos of the shop front and the worst-affected walls help too.
Mode Decorating is based in Swanley and paints shops and retail units up to 40 miles away, including Bromley, Dartford and the rest of Kent. Call Eric on 07872 324935, Monday to Friday 8am–6pm or Saturday 9am–2pm, or fill in the quote form on this page.