Schools start planning for September a long time before the Summer break begins. This is because they need to schedule the bulk on all decorative and maintenance work to take place when the school is empty. This is so they can save money and time on contractor services. More importantly, however, it’s so that new arrivals in September can walk into a fully restored building and returning pupils can have a fresh start.
Why Choose the Summer?
While it is possible to schedule decorative work for the winter term break, the duration of that break is much shorter, so there is a limit as to what can be done. During the six-week summer holiday, contractors have plenty of time to complete restoration work without having to worry about working around teachers, students and learning resources. Most teachers completely clear out their classroom at the end of an academic year, including removing posters from the walls, which makes the decorating process much easier.
Where to Start?
“Planning is key,” says decorating experts at HL Decorating Contractors. Formulating a decorative plan when the building is in use can be difficult, as it can be easy to overlook imperfections when the space is alive with learners. It can be too easy to let a building fall into a state of disrepair when you don’t pay attention to the minor repair work. It’s important to make an inventory of things that require attention when the school is empty. In addition, listening to feedback from staff and observing how children use various spaces can make planning better.
Professional Advice
Don’t be afraid to contact professionals for some professional decorative advice. We have many years of experience in the decorative industry and have worked with many schools. So, if the task of planning a decorative schedule seems overwhelming at present, get in touch and we will come and visit your school, identify issues, make recommendations and help you plan a restoration work schedule for the summer.
Challenges Over the Summer
Nowadays, school administrators are much more business savvy, which means they often generate extra revenue for a school by hiring out rooms to private and commercial entities during the six-week break. Sometimes there can be so many events scheduled in a school building over the summer, such as conferences, concerts, youth clubs, daycare schemes and meetings, that carrying out decoration work around the hectic activities can be tough.
Dealing With It
These challenges are no issue for experienced decorators. They know that groups who hire a school building won’t be using every room, nor will they be there round-the-clock. With some crafty scheduling and discrete working, a complete redecoration can be completed over the summer without interference with a school’s commercial client commitments. Contractors are well-trained professionals who know how to work conscientiously and can adapt to an out-of-hours schedule easily.
Staggered Maintenance
When it comes to some restoration work on a school building, often a job requires more than a refresh with paint. Just think about how much of a battering the classrooms and corridors take over the course of an academic year. In addition, previous school administrators might have failed to keep up with a regular maintenance schedule. Unfortunately, substantial structural maintenance is susceptible to lots of potentials issues, so it needs to be staggered and eventualities planned for well in advance.
It’s Never Too Late
The good news is that while processes go more smoothly and quickly when you book ahead, it’s never too late to schedule decorative work. If you feel like you’ve left it too late, stop worrying. Our teams can carry out decoration and maintenance during term time in the evenings and early mornings if needed. We can even work weekends to get a building restored.
