The right paint choice for body corporate common areas can substantially affect your property’s appearance and maintenance costs. Strata painting/body corporate plays a huge role in property maintenance. It needs careful planning and expert execution.
Regular paint doesn’t work well enough for common areas like hallways, stairwells and lobbies. These high-traffic spaces need particular paints designed to handle daily wear, constant cleaning and exposure to different elements. Durable paints help protect wall integrity and keep them looking fresh longer. This reduces the need for constant touch-ups or complete repaints. Property managers know that well-kept properties bring better resale values and rental returns. This makes quality body corporate/strata painting a smart investment to boost your property’s financial future.
Paint and Painting in Body Corporate Settings
Body Corporate properties’ common areas face unique challenges with maintenance and aesthetics. Paint used in these spaces needs special attention to last long and perform well under heavy use. Strata properties have spaces that see constant movement and activity throughout the day. Hallways, staircases, lobbies, and communal rooms experience frequent foot traffic from residents and visitors. Keep in mind that high-traffic zones go beyond just horizontal surfaces like floors. Vertical surfaces, especially walls near entryways, often show handprints, accidental bumps, and furniture scrapes.
These common areas see heavy foot traffic that creates extra wear and tear. This makes them more likely to get damaged. So these spaces need specialised paint that can handle daily challenges and look good.
Why Won’t Standard Paint Won’t Work for Common Areas
Standard decorative paint can’t handle the demands of strata common areas. It lacks the toughness needed to withstand constant use and exposure that high-traffic/heavy-duty paint provides. Regular paint quickly breaks down from frequent contact, scuffing, and cleaning, common issues in strata settings.
The key difference lies in purpose and formula. Regular paint looks good in controlled environments. Heavy-duty paint stands up to high traffic and lasts longer. Regular paint also needs frequent touch-ups. This disrupts residents and incurs additional costs for the strata over time.
Benefits of Heavy-Duty Paint
Quality heavy-duty paint in body corporate common areas gives you many advantages:
- Superior durability: The paint creates a tough finish that resists scuffs, scratches and damage. It looks good despite heavy use.
- Easy maintenance: You can clean these paints many times without damaging their finish or colour. This makes them perfect for spaces that need regular cleaning.
- Cost-effectiveness: Heavy-duty paint costs more upfront than standard paint. But you’ll save time and money because you won’t need to repaint as often.
- Aesthetic longevity: The paint keeps its good looks longer. Common areas stay fresh between maintenance cycles.
- Specialised protection: Many heavy-duty paints fight mould or have antibacterial properties. These features are particularly valuable in strata settings where cleanliness is a top priority.
Strata managers and committees need to pick the right heavy-duty paint. It’s not just about looks – this choice affects maintenance schedules, budgets, and the overall happiness of the residents. The right paint ended up keeping common areas looking good without constant work.
Planning a Body Corporate Painting Project
A body corporate painting project’s success starts with careful planning.
1. Conducting a site inspection and traffic analysis
Getting a body corporate painting project right begins with a detailed site inspection to figure out the scope. This key assessment helps us spot areas that need work and lets us see the building size, surface conditions, and specific painting needs. Older blocks from the 50s and 60s might need restoration work before any paint goes on the walls.
The inspection should include a map of traffic patterns across the property. You’ll want to look closely at entryways, stairwells, and corridors where people often touch walls or bump things against them. These high-wear spots need the best traffic-resistant paint you can find to keep them looking good.
2. Choosing colours that hide wear and suit shared spaces
Picking colours for body corp properties needs both style and practicality. Light and neutral tones make perfect sense in entryways, hallways, and common areas because they hide dirt and wear better than darker colours. Bold colours can work great as accent points to add character without taking over the space.
The owners’ corporation should weigh in on any colour rules or guidelines before making final picks. You’ll also want to think about:
- The building’s style and character
- How it fits with nearby properties and surroundings
- Timeless appeal rather than trendy choices that might look dated soon
3. Scheduling work to minimise disruption to residents
Smart scheduling helps keep residents happy during painting projects. The work should spread across several days, targeting different areas and staying away from busy times. On top of that, it helps to give everyone a heads-up through notice boards, emails, and letters about any temporary hassles.
Weekend or off-peak painting often works best when fewer people are around. The owners’ corporation handles obtaining painter quotes and scheduling, though they might pass this job to the strata committee or manager.
Note that you don’t have to paint everything at once. Breaking up the project can work with limited budgets or let you tackle urgent areas first, while pushing back less critical work.
Choosing the Right Paint Products
The right paint products for body corp common areas must strike a balance between durability, aesthetics, and environmental factors. Good choices can extend maintenance intervals and create appealing shared spaces.
Paint finishes can significantly impact the appearance and performance of surfaces in high-traffic areas. Satin finishes work great on walls in busy corridors and entryways. They give a subtle sheen and resist scuffs well. Semi-gloss paints are perfect for kitchens and bathroom common areas that need frequent cleaning. Eggshell finishes suit moderate-traffic spaces such as offices or waiting rooms, and strike a nice balance between matte and satin looks.
Paint for Stairs, Floors, and Entryways in Body Corp Properties
Stairs need special paint formulas to handle constant foot traffic. Porch and floor paints create tough, protective coatings that last. Semi-gloss or high-gloss finishes on stair treads hold up better than flat ones. Handrails do best with water-based alkyd paints that feel as smooth as oil-based products but are much easier to clean up.
Low-VOC Options
Air quality is crucial in common spaces. Dulux envirO₂™ leads the pack with Global GreenTag™ certifications and less than 1g/L VOC content. These paints are safer to breathe in enclosed, strata areas. Modern low-VOC formulas still resist stains and clean up easily, so you don’t have to choose between being eco-friendly and getting good results.
Working with Professionals for Long-Term Results
Professional body corp painting specialists will provide you with the lasting results that withstand high-traffic areas. These experts bring more than just technical skills—their expertise protects your investment well beyond the initial paint job. Body Corp painting projects come with unique challenges. Buildings have different surfaces and sizes, and painters must balance resident expectations with regulatory requirements. Expert professionals know what it takes to work in shared spaces. They can implement safe access methods like frameworks or abseiling. Their skill in managing large teams makes a big difference. Body Corp projects need more painters to handle multiple units and buildings quickly. These painters understand they must keep communication lines open and ensure access to resident balconies.
Body Corp By-Laws and Safety Codes
Every body corp property follows specific rules that differ between states and territories. Painters who know local laws keep your project compliant with everything from paint types to traffic management standards. Your body corporate committee and owners corporation must approve the painting of common property areas during a committee meeting. The owners’ corporation bears responsibility for common property maintenance and repair. Licensed professionals help you avoid legal issues down the road.
Maintenance Plans
Professional painters create routine cleaning and maintenance schedules based on property assessments. These plans include yearly inspections to review surface conditions. Properties might need more intensive maintenance every 3-5 years, depending on environmental exposure. This forward-thinking approach catches potential issues like moisture intrusion or surface damage before they get pricey.
How to Communicate With Residents
Good communication makes all the difference in strata painting projects. Professional painters usually:
- Send advance notices about maintenance
- Tell tenants what work they’ll do
- List areas they’ll need to close
- Explain what equipment they’ll use
Residents stay informed about timelines and disruptions through clear, consistent updates. People accept minor inconveniences better when they know what’s coming instead of facing a surprise painting work.
Conclusion
Choosing the right heavy-duty paint for body corp common areas is a vital investment, not just another expense. The right paint can impact both the appearance and maintenance of shared spaces. The perfect paint choice brings major long-term benefits, even if it costs more upfront.
Durability tops the list when picking paint for busy common areas. High-traffic zones need special paint formulas that can handle daily wear and still look good. A full site inspection before starting any paint job will lead to much better outcomes.
Professional strata painters do more than just apply paint. They are familiar with compliance rules, how to keep disruption low, and understand maintenance timing. These skills are a great way to get value for the strata committees. Experienced body corporate painters establish clear channels of communication with residents and take steps to reduce tension during projects.
Paint technology continues to improve at a rapid pace particularly with low-VOC formulas that maintain quality while promoting residents health.These eco-friendly options now last just as long as regular paint and help maintain clean indoor air.
Note that strata painting requires a balance of practical durability, look and feel priorities, and budget limits. Smart planning, the right products, and expert work create common areas that stay attractive and useful for years. Well-managed strata properties look better and are worth more money, which makes quality paint selection a smart investment for any owners’ corporation.
