Painting work in an active school environment requires careful planning around safety, access, weather, and daily operations. APMG Services was engaged to complete a full interior and exterior repaint at Emmaus College in Vermont, covering key areas across the campus while the site remained operational.
The project involved coordinating multiple work zones, managing access constraints, and working alongside neighbouring properties, including an active construction site and a childcare facility.
Project Summary
Client: Emmaus College (Vermont)
Service: School repaint – interior and exterior
Scope: Internal common areas and external building surfaces
Key considerations: Live school environment, access challenges, weather impacts, neighbouring construction and childcare operations
Project Requirements
The school required a repaint that would:
- Refresh high-traffic internal common areas
- Provide a durable exterior coating suitable for local conditions
- Manage a multi-colour exterior with consistent coverage and clean transitions
- Be completed using safe access methods and practical scheduling
Scope of Works
Interior Painting – Common Areas
Internal common areas were repainted using a consistent premium system:
- Surface preparation as required
- Two coats applied to internal surfaces
- Careful sequencing to minimise disruption to daily site activity
This resulted in a clean, uniform finish suited to a high-use education environment.
Exterior Painting – Multi-Colour Repaint
External works required additional build and careful staging:
- Surface preparation to support long-term adhesion
- Three coats applied to most external surfaces
- Multiple colours applied in controlled stages to maintain clean lines and even coverage
Access and Safety Management
Due to varying building heights and layouts, a combination of access methods was used:
- Ladders for lower-level areas
- Scaffolding for extended work zones
- Boom lift (EWP) for higher and restricted-access areas
Selecting the appropriate access method for each area allowed work to proceed efficiently while maintaining safe site conditions.
Site Coordination and Constraints
Weather Management
External works were scheduled around suitable weather conditions, with flexibility to adjust sequencing and prioritise internal or protected areas when required.
Neighbouring Construction Site
A project underway on an adjacent property required coordination around access, deliveries, and shared boundaries. Regular communication with the builder and site supervisor helped avoid conflicts and maintain safe separation between sites.
Operating Childcare Facility
With a childcare operating next door, additional care was taken around:
- Site boundaries and access control
- Activity timing where practical
- General presentation and safe conduct near shared areas
Outcome
The completed works delivered:
- Refreshed internal common areas with consistent coverage
- A durable, multi-coat exterior finish
- Cleanly applied multi-colour external surfaces
- Safe and efficient completion despite access constraints and neighbouring site activity
This project demonstrates the importance of planning, coordination, and appropriate access methods when carrying out repainting works in a live school environment.
