“The school was in need of a makeover,” said Colin Fewtrell, Site Manager. “With dingy blue walls and dark grey and green floors it was unwelcoming and even claustrophobic in places. We wanted to ring the changes and give the building a real ‘lift’, turning it into a brighter, more cheerful place for pupils, staff and visitors.”
National fit-out and property support business, Morris & Spottiswood, was brought in to carry out the necessary work during the summer holidays. Some 3000m2 of broadwall areas were to be redecorated including all corridors, entrance areas, toilets and stairwells, plus the staff room and two cafeterias. Skirtings, window sills and ceilings needed repainting, and to make things more challenging, all the old vinyl flooring was to be ripped up and replaced at the same time.
A painting team led by Decorative Finishes Manager, Bill Peak, arrived to transform the décor, and a team of fitters was drafted in to install bright new vinyl flooring. All the work had to be completed in five short weeks, leaving just a few days for the school’s cleaning team to polish the new floors and get everything spotless for the beginning of the new term.
“Because of the timescales I had to be absolutely sure the project would go like clockwork“, said Colin Fewtrell. ”Morris & Spottiswood are specialists in fast track shop-fitting and maintenance with teams used to working around each other to achieve tight deadlines. With a branch here in Warrington, they were the ideal company to handle the work.”
When it came to aesthetics and performance, Colin, a time served decorator by trade, believed that a multi-coloured flecked decorative coating system would give him the finish he was looking for. He wanted to use waterborne products wherever possible in order to minimise solvent emissions and odours, and to avoid potential storage issues on site. His third requirement was for a hardwearing clear top coat that would provide the new decor with longlasting protection against accidental soiling and graffiti.
Paul Cottriall, Specification Manager from Crown Paints visited the school to present the Crown Trade Colorfects range. Colin and School Business Manager Lisa Gannon were shown samples of the different flecked effects and colourways that could be achieved using Colorfects Bondcoat in combination with Aquaroll (roller- applied) and the spray-applied Aquaflek and Aquatone ranges. They opted for a cream coloured Bondcoat and an Aquaflek finish with bold brown, red and rust flecks, to complement existing furnishings and the light pink and cream tones of their chosen vinyl flooring. For extra protection of the finish they specified Crown Trade Colorfects HD Glaze.
When work began, the painting team rapidly worked through the building, applying a precautionary coat of Crown Trade Alkali Resisting Primer to all the broadwall areas, sealing and priming a variety of old finishes and greasy patches. Then the building was divided up into six separate sections and decorators worked hand in hand with the floor fitters to complete one area at a time in order to minimise disruption for staff in the building.
Up came the old floorcoverings so new screed could be laid. When that was dry, the painters brought in airless sprays to apply two coats of Crown Trade Colorfects Bondcoat to the broadwall areas.
Then it was time to switch to Portaspray equipment and apply the decorative Aquaflek finish with its bold coloured flecks. All of the team had previously been on a Crown Trade Spray Application course at Crown Paint's training Centre in Darwen and were fully competent in the use of the spray equipment and coatings.
“I was happy to be working with Aquaflek on this job”, commented Bill Peak: “Having had plenty of experience with the old solvent-borne spray products on shop refits in the past, the water-borne finishes are much more pleasant to work with. Despite us spraying around 240 gallons of Bondcoat and Aquaflek throughout the building, there was hardly any odour at all.”
When all the spray work was complete in each area, Bill’s team applied two coats of Crown Trade Colorfects Heavy Duty Glaze, a product that not only allows for easier general cleaning but also acts as a sacrificial coating for the removal of graffiti. The final job was to spruce up skirting boards, window sills and stair rails and spindles using a rich brown gloss.
When the paintwork was dry, the floor fitters moved back in to lay new sheet vinyl flooring and complete the lighter, brighter and more contemporary look.
There has been a unanimous vote of approval for the revamped interiors as Colin Fewtrell reports: “It was very gratifying to see the expressions on everyone’s faces as they walked through the doors on the first day of term. Pupils and teachers alike have been amazed with the transformation and they love the fresher, more welcoming feel that we’ve given the building.“
“We are confident that all our pupils will take pride in their new-look surroundings, and hope that with the help of the Colorfects system from Crown Trade we will be able to keep the school looking this way for many more terms to come.”
