For local authorities, maintaining facilities and ensuring that they remain fit for purpose is crucial — but it can be a big undertaking. To make the process as hassle free as possible, councils should select trusted supply chain partners. Here, Dulux Trade explains what to look for from a paints and coatings supplier and shares an example of the added support it offered on a project in Eastleigh town centre.
When resources and budget are tight, it is important to make sure that any refurbishment work is carefully planned. As part of this, local authorities should lean on the expertise of their supply chain partners to make sure that the correct products are chosen. This is particularly crucial for paints and coatings as they play a vital role in preserving buildings. If the right solutions are selected, they can improve aesthetics and reduce maintenance cycles — including the associated costs and disruption.
A great example of this is Dulux Trade’s recent work with Eastleigh Borough Council. Its products were specified for the redecoration of a multi-storey car park in Eastleigh town centre — uplifting the aesthetic and ensuring the professional finish can be easily maintained for years to come.
Eastleigh Borough Council’s Dulux Trade upgrade
Eastleigh Borough Council was looking to increase the use of its long-stay car parking facility. However, frequent graffiti had been acting as a barrier to use. As such, the council wanted to improve the aesthetic of the space and combat the ongoing graffiti problem. Having worked with Dulux Decorator Centre on another project, Eastleigh Borough Council reached out to arrange a site visit and asked for a recommendation for redecorating the stairwells and main car parking levels.
Following the visit, the Dulux Decorator Centre team created a bespoke specification that would enable Eastleigh Borough Council to revive the car park and easily remove any future graffiti. This would therefore reduce the need to carry out costly and disruptive redecoration work every time new graffiti was applied.
The perfect specification
The Dulux Decorator Centre team recommended Dulux Trade Weathershield Smooth Masonry Paint followed by a finish coat of Dulux Trade Anti-Graffiti Clearcoat. Together these products deliver a tough, long-lasting finish.
Craig Wilson, Technical Specification Manager at Dulux Decorator Centre, explains more about the specification: “To ensure a professional standard finish, I suggested that the existing graffiti be removed prior to redecoration. I provided the details of a professional cleaning company to steam clean the walls and remove all graffiti, dirt, mould, and other contaminants prior to the decoration works taking place.
“For the application we selected Dulux Trade Weathershield Smooth Masonry Paint as it features unique Stay Clean technology that protects against dirt and mould growth within the paint film for long lasting colour and finish. It also protects against all weather conditions for up to 15 years — providing Eastleigh Borough Council with a durable solution that will keep the car park in peak condition for longer.
“We also selected Dulux Trade Anti-Graffiti Clearcoat as it dries to a tough gloss finish, making it much easier to remove future graffiti and maintain the building.”
The team also recommended the use of Dulux Trade Metalshield Gloss for metalwork and Dulux Trade Weathershield Exterior High Gloss for use on timber. Dulux Trade Anti-Graffiti Clearcoat was also chosen for un-coated block walls.
Additional support provided
In addition to the specification of paints and coatings, the Dulux Decorator Centre team also recommended a contractor who could complete the redecoration work for Eastleigh Borough Council. They supplied the details of numerous trusted Dulux Connect members and KAR Contractors were selected for the job.
Rob May, Commercial Director at KAR Contractors concluded: “We were thrilled that the Dulux team put us forward for this project — and even happier that we were successful in winning the work. The products selected for this project were easy to apply and will keep the car park looking its best for years to come thanks to their durability and ease to clean. We would definitely recommend using Dulux Trade Weathershield and Anti-Graffiti Clearcoat moving forward on other projects.”
To find out more about Dulux Trade Weathershield and Anti-Graffiti Clearcoat visit www.duluxtradepaintexpert.co.uk/en/products
For further specification advice, visit the Dulux Decorator Centre website www.duluxdecoratorcentre.co.uk/paint-specification
