A single paint splash on a server rack or a dust-clogged fan can cost far more to put right than the decorating job itself. Protecting equipment and stock properly takes a few extra minutes per item, and skipping it is the single most avoidable cause of expensive damage on commercial jobs.
Before any protection goes up, we walk the room with the site contact and agree which equipment we can relocate ourselves, which needs the client's own IT team to move, and which is fixed in place and has to be worked around and sheeted in situ. Guessing at this on the day is how expensive mistakes happen.
A loose sheet draped over a server rack looks protected but leaves gaps at every edge for dust and overspray to reach vents and ports. We use taped, fitted covers that seal at the base and around cable runs, and we check server room air intakes and extract points specifically, since these are the most vulnerable spots.
Shelved stock, packaging and display units get fully sheeted or relocated to an unaffected part of the store before work starts nearby. Where stock can't move, we work at a distance that keeps overspray and dust well clear, using low-spread application methods rather than spray in tight retail spaces.
We photograph the condition of equipment and stock before starting in any room where damage risk exists, so there's a clear record either way. If something is affected despite protection, we report it immediately to the site contact rather than hoping it goes unnoticed — that's the only way trust survives a mistake.
Only with explicit agreement — for anything networked or containing sensitive data, we prefer the client's own IT team handles the physical move, and we protect it in place until they do.
We avoid it. Spraying near live equipment with open vents is a real risk, so we switch to brush and roller application in those areas or ask for equipment to be powered down and sealed first.
We work in sections, fully sheeting the stock nearest the current work area and moving the sheeting with us as we progress, rather than sheeting the whole shop at once and working blind.
Walk us through your equipment and stock layout and we'll agree a protection plan before quoting.
Protecting IT and stock properly is a five-minute-per-item job that prevents an expensive one.
Speak to a Hampshire commercial decorating contractor that turns up, communicates clearly and delivers a finish that lasts.
