SOCIAL HOUSING & COMMUNITY FACILITIES


BRUSHSTROKES OF THE FUTURE


Philip Jones, Painting Operations Director at Ian Williams, talks to Tomorrow’s FM about the latest trends the property services provider is seeing in the world of commercial painting.


When it comes to painting, no matter what building you’re working in nowadays, there’s a significant emphasis on creating healthy environments, which is being shaped by multiple factors – from sustainability and indoor air quality to innovative paint technologies addressing issues like fire protection and damp and mould.


New paint technologies have always had a huge impact on the services Ian Williams has delivered during our 80-year history as painting contractors. Starting out in Cardiff, we’ve grown to become a national property services provider across the social and FM sectors, but our painting expertise remains central to our business.


The latest innovations in paint are particularly exciting as they bring with them huge benefits that improve sustainability, the internal environment of buildings, and enhanced value for money.


Sustainable environments When it comes to environmental impact, advancements in product technology, alongside the requirements of green building accreditations such as BREEAM, LEED, and the WELL Standard, means that the use of water-based and Low VOC paints is now the norm. They are safer to use indoors and more efficient; water-based acrylic glosses are easy to apply and clean up, emit less odours, dry quicker, are less prone to yellowing, and produce a very similar gloss level to alkyd gloss paints. They are also more sustainable, which alongside our partnership with social enterprise Paint 360, which promotes closed loop recycling to recycle and repurpose product, means we’re reducing our environmental impact even further, meeting ESG goals for ourselves and our clients.


As well as paint technology, we’re using alternative prepping methods that also improve indoor air quality. Dustless sanding, for example, doesn’t make a mess and leave dust in the air that can cause respiratory issues.


These advancements are all quicker and more efficient than traditional products/practices and are practically useful, particularly when working in sensitive environments like nurseries and retirement living communities.


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Emphasis on durability, efficiency and value: Extending maintenance cycles The development of more hardwearing wall coverings and scrubbable coatings has been transformative in these sensitive environments, too. Applied to high traffic areas such as corridors or where regular cleaning is essential, these paints are extending maintenance cycles from the traditional three to five years, to potentially five to eight years or more with the right cleaning regime. Scrubbing down these antimicrobial coatings, rather than regularly repainting reduces disruption and costs while minimising environmental impact.


Happier, healthier environments Another area where paint innovation is having a positive impact is also one of the biggest challenges for many of our clients, damp and mould. Prompted by the 2020 death of Awaab Ishak, the two-year-old who tragically died due to prolonged exposure to damp and mould, Awaab’s Law is a landmark piece of legislation designed to protect residents from unsafe living conditions. While the new legislation, which comes into force in October 2025, is for social landlords, it’s expected the private rental sector will follow with requirements imposed through the Renter’s Rights Bill.


Whether it’s public or private sector, there’s a huge focus on improving the health and safety of homes. We’re supporting clients with emergency remediation, cleaning, and the application of anti-mould paints that seals damp patches and delay the growth of mould spores for some time


Colourful and safe Our work in homes and sensitive environments sees an interesting deployment of colour. More than just a smart colour scheme, colour and textured coatings are used to aid navigation and understanding around buildings and homes more effectively.


Hospitals, schools, nurseries and care homes often use colour blocking using distinct colours to define different areas or zones. This serves several important purposes, both functional to aid navigation, and psychological for cognitive support.


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