An enormous, grim, empty shell of a building; torn limb from limb; reduced to nothing but a shadow of it’s former glory…
Sounds depressing, right? Dilapidation is a process that requires things to look worse before they look better. In this instance, we were in charge of the latter.
We received the offer for this job in Bristol from an existing contractor, like a lot of the work that we get – a good sign that we’re getting something right. We had conducted a similar job at a unit in Aldridge in Walsall previously.
We were brought in after the dismantling took place in order to rejuvenate the unit following the removal of any evidence of the previous occupant, JJB sports. Before the new tenants, Iceland, could move in we needed to create a fresh, blank canvas for them to make it their own.
Commercial reconstruction, restoration and refurbishment
On entrance to this large commercial unit within the retail park, we could see that in order to renovate it and get it back to an aesthetically exceptional state (Arco standards!), we would need to tackle multiple aspects of the building: The exposed overhead steels and beams which supported the roof, the interior walls damaged through the extraction of previous fixtures and fittings, and the structure’s exterior.
After a thorough degreasing and an undercoat, we painted the interior ceiling’s steels and beams with two topcoats of gloss to finish it off and ensure durable results. The challenge in this type of job is to be able to look past the damage and deduce the simplest, most effective way to turn it around and make it look and function as if it were brand new. Our ability to do this well is what gives us that warm fuzzy feeling of a job well done!
The cracks and holes in the interior walls from wear and tear and the dilapidation needed filling and prepping before we could apply two coats of silk paint with an electric paint gun. A slightly less common choice of paint, silk paint can cause blockages and become difficult to use when the consistency isn’t quite right. Taking the trial and error approach to this task, we managed to create the perfect consistency with which to cover the walls and achieve a smooth finish. Often, instead of silk, eggshell paint is used to create a finish like gloss with a little less shine.
For the exterior of the building, we repeated a similar process as we conducted for the interior steels and beams: degrease, and prep for the top coat which, as a result of being permanently exposed to the unforgiving outdoors, required metal shield paint for protection. We went with a trusty Johnstone’s smooth metal paint as our weapon of choice.
As far as decorators go, we certainly know how to bring a run down building that appears to be on its knees, back to a fresh, creative space to help pave the way for an interior designer to do the rest.