Seeing The Big Picture: 3 Things To Know About Painting A Mural On Your Business Exterior

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If you're planning to have a mural painted on the exterior of your business to liven up your location, you definitely see the big picture. Murals bring art, local culture, and business together to co-create unique, constructive projects that never fail to get everyone talking.

Here are some mural ideas and tips for preparing your building for exterior painting and to display murals.

Murals bring in happy business.

If you have a bland, older retail building, it may be difficult to attract the attention of consumers who are used to flashy, hi-vis shops and restaurants. One way to engage the public and your community is to arrange for your business to sponsor a mural-painting contest with your commercial building as the "canvas."

The mural contest should have a theme to inspire artists. Some themes might be depictions of local personalities or designs that best highlight what your business is selling. If your building houses an Italian restaurant, for example, you might have a contest to find the best design for a painting of a couple eating spaghetti and meatballs.

You'll get to choose the winning design, but you'll also be helping local artists gain exposure and find new outlets for creative expression, which is awesome community outreach. An exterior mural on your commercial structure is also welcoming and refreshing, and that brings in customers. People are naturally curious about what's inside when they see a bright, positive mural painted on the exterior of a business.

Murals help preserve interest in history as well as buildings.

Some sleepy villages are realizing the benefits of pairing local artists with historic local structures. These small towns don't see a lot of tourist traffic, but they do have interesting stories and local attractions that are worth experiencing. To lure more visitors to their bistros, gift shops and museums, some small towns are letting artists create temporary murals on important local buildings.

The old structures have to be painted every few years anyway for their own protection, so after a primer is applied, artists are set loose to create huge works of art that evoke the spirit of the area. The hope is that people passing through these sleepy villages will stop in to learn more.

Not all such murals are meant to be permanent. The murals in one town are covered over with plain white exterior paint after a temporary display, but this also freshens the canvas for the next jumbo, eye-catching image.

Preparation is the key to a long-lasting mural.

As with any exterior paint job, the surface where the mural will be placed must be scraped free of all old paint and debris. Any leaks or moisture problems that might affect the surface should be addressed.

Mural painting experts recommend that you use the same brand of primer, paint, and sealant for best results, but a professional exterior painter will know the correct products for your particular building.

Another tip for concrete or stucco walls is to pre-wash the wall with dilute muriatic acid or vinegar to prevent the buildup of calcium hydroxide, which can degrade the mural's paint over time.

Your local exterior painting experts will have more tips on how to create a special mural you'll be proud to display on your commercial building. They'll also explain to you how to seal and maintain the mural so it lasts as long as possible.

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