Commercial buildings need periodic updates. As a commercial building owner or business owner, it's important for you to keep up with your property to ensure that your commercial building is safe and functional for the people who spend time there.
This article will discuss some common commercial building upgrades that can improve your property. Performing smart improvements and choosing the right contractor for the job can help ensure that your commercial property will continue to meet the needs of your business, your customers and the people who work there.
Options for Renovating a Commercial Building
Painting - Interior or Exterior
How long does this take? 150 - 200 square feet per hour
How much does this cost? $2-$6 per square foot, or $60-$100 per hour
Painting the walls of your business is a relatively fast, low-cost way to update the appearance of your commercial building without performing invasive upgrades. Even if your building has gone a long time without undergoing significant renovation project, painting your walls will dramatically change the appearance of your building, making it look newly renovated and well-maintained.
Painting also gives you a chance to align the appearance of your building with your brand. Choose colors that align with your logo and marketing materials. If desired, paint images or words that reflect your business values to reinforce your business character.
Door Repairs and Egress Updates
How long does this take? about one door per day
How much does this cost? around $2,500 per hollow metal door replacement
Maintaining sufficient means of egress is crucial for maintaining a safe, secure commercial building. Over time, doors can get broken and bent, locks can become loose or broken, latches can stop working. Pathways can be obstructed. All of these factors and more can impact your building's egress and present challenges for anyone trying to leave your building, which can easily become a safety problem.
Many businesses need to perform door repairs and egress updates every decade or two, as changes are made around the building and doors begin to wear out. If you know of one or more doors in your building that are broken or in need of replacement, very likely it's time to assess all the doors in your building.
Energy Efficiency Improvements
The older your building is, and the older its fixtures and appliances are, the more inefficient the building likely is. There are many ways that you can improve energy efficiency around your building, depending on the ages of the systems and the last time that you performed updates. Some examples of ways that you can improve efficiency around your building:
- Replace old windows with new products that feature dual-pane, high performance glass.
- Replace or upgrade building HVAC systems including air conditioner and furnace.
- Install weatherstripping in windows, doors and strategically around the building.
The cost and timeline for this type of improvement varies depending on the type of changes being made. Whereas weatherstripping may be done in a day or two, replacing old windows can take much longer, depending on the size of the building and other factors. To find out timeline and cost, get quotes from contractors you can trust.
Transforming to Open Concept Office
Traditional offices consist of individual office spaces and conference rooms separated by walls and doors. While there can be benefits to these traditional office layouts, many businesses have turned to open concept office spaces. These office layouts often consist of large rooms with plenty of space to install as many desks as needed. As the workforce grows, the furniture configuration within an open concept office can easily be rearranged to accommodate more workstations. Open concept layouts are also believed to be good for collaboration among large groups.
It's important to make thoughtful design choices when changing to an open concept layout. Large open spaces of this nature can easily become loud and disruptive to workers who need to perform quiet, thoughtful tasks. Installing acoustic tiles on the ceiling and screens between work stations can help stop the spread of noise that can disrupt thought. Leaving enough space between workers is important as well. Work with an architect, contractor or interior designer that understands these concepts and can give guidance when remodeling to fit the open concept design.
Whole Building Renovation
Sometimes outdated buildings need to be completely renovated to fit a new aesthetic and a new business purpose. For example, warehouses can be converted into restaurant or retail space. Whole building renovations are a good way to breathe new life into an old structure.
The key to a successful project of this nature is in finding the right contractor. Whole building renovations require good project management, time management, materials management, communication and customer service.
Vet at least three experienced Connecticut commercial contractors before settling on the right professional for your project. Check references, view each contractor's portfolio, and meet each potential contractor in person before settling on the right one for you. The perfect contractor will have thorough answers to your questions and a streamlined method of communicating with clients to ensure that you're kept informed from start to finish.
Start Your Connecticut Commercial Renovation
Have more questions about renovation solutions for outdated commercial buildings? Start your search for a commercial contractor who can answer your questions today. Take a look at Litchfield Builders online resources about conducting property improvement projects, and download our free guide to finding a Connecticut contractor.
