Your building’s exterior carries immense weight when it comes to first impressions for a business. Here we explore how façade maintenance and restoration play a critical role in your business’ branding, property value, and client perception.
The first impression & branding of your building’s exterior
Your building exterior is a client’s first encounter with your business. Whether they pass your building every day or are there to interact with your business for the first time, that initial impression says a lot about your company and its ability to meet your customers’ needs.
Curb appeal needs to reflect your brand, balancing visual appeal with function. Your exterior should make it easy for visitors to interact with your business, understand what you offer, and feel safe entering the building. However, your building must also reflect your brand whether it is sleek and modern, sustainable and eco-chic, or respectable and established.
Exterior upgrades can instantly help mould the perception of your brand, allowing you to achieve the tone you desire. Today, innovative cladding options make it more affordable to improve visual impact. Cladding also prolongs the life of a building’s protective, insulating, and functional elements.
Building’s exterior & property value
Costly damage related to moisture issues impact every element of your building, inside and out. Building inspections ensure you catch common issues early to prevent damage and ensure you retain your property’s value. An effective exterior maintenance plan ensures you protect your investment taking a proactive approach that contributes to a polished, professional image.
If you rent your commercial space to tenants, ongoing exterior building maintenance improves tenant satisfaction, attracts higher value tenants, and allows you to charge higher rent for quality commercial space.
Your building exterior’s critical elements
Some of the most important elements to maintain on a building’s exterior include:
- Masonry: Brickwork and various stone facings require ongoing maintenance to combat the effects of the elements, from the individual bricks/blocks to the mortar. In some cases, masonry can also appear discoloured, requiring the removal of dirt and mould to restore the brick or stone’s original appearance.
- Coatings: Innovative coatings and treatments are available such as masonry sealers, metal refinishing products, and various paints and wall coatings designed to prolong the life of various exterior claddings and their supporting materials.
- Curtain walls: Ongoing curtain wall inspections address issues in the early stages, ensuring repairs are made to prolong life and identify the need for replacements as required.
- Doors: Businesses require a secure door that makes it easy to enter your premises and protect against intruders after hours. Aesthetic appeal, smooth function, and energy efficiency are all important factors for your business entry.
- Windows: Offices, store fronts, and restaurants must project confidence with façades free of rusted out window frames, cracked glass, discoloured window tints, etc. In some cases, you might consider specialty glass that allows natural light to shine in while providing privacy for visitors, employees, and clients.
- Parking: Effective water management prolongs the life expectancy of concrete and asphalt surfaces. Ongoing inspection and maintenance of parking structures will identify areas requiring repairs, and eventual rehabilitation/concrete restoration. Maintaining the surface of your parking lot also ensures your property is safe to protect against liabilities.
Your building’s exterior says a lot about your business and the level of service customers can expect. Investing in ongoing building inspections, repairs and restoration will help establish your business as a trusted resource as part of a sound business strategy.
At WellDone Inc., a building restoration company in the GTA specializing in building improvements for commercial and multi-unit residential buildings, we provide thorough exterior inspections to identify exterior vulnerabilities and devise effective exterior maintenance and restoration plans. Reach out to us today.