A commercial building has as much right to a beautiful exterior as a beloved family home. Who says shopping centers or apartment buildings have to be blah?

Don’t force your tenants to humanize your building with awnings and potted plants (although these are nice touches). Let your building start out beautiful and just get better.

DELICATE BALANCE

A change has come to the modern styling of today’s malls. Gone are the towering expanses of concrete — these have been replaced by lots of glass for a bright, airy look. The structural elements aren’t merely supporting parts, however — they’re integral components of the building’s look.

A large commercial structure must be built with steel and concrete, but it doesn’t have to look like a communist-era ministry of finance. The concrete can be covered with a beautiful brick or stone exterior. Think shades of red, gray or white, in varying size blocks with a lustrous finish.

TOSS IN SOME COLOR

James Hardie Siding is another great option for commercial buildings. It gives you a much wider range of choices with respect to color and style, though it may be hard to tell at first, since almost everyone seems to choose that ubiquitous shade of beige.

If you must go along with the crowd and choose it as well, at least consider adding a second color in for contrast — brown or burgundy or terra cotta. Or forego all those earth tones and go with slate blue, bright red or even green! You don’t want to be the fourteenth beige building on the left.

STONE IS THE REAL DEAL

If you want to be really distinctive, however, consider stone. Stone can bring a regal feel to a commercial building. It’s expensive, but covering only a portion of your building in stone can give it a really impressive look while saving you a bundle. Choosing stone veneer siding or manufactured stone can give you the same look for even less.

For luxury apartment buildings, however, only the real deal will do. River rock, fieldstone or cobblestone walls are the ultimate in understated elegance. These types of walls must be installed by a master craftsperson, and they take more time to assemble. The finished product is magnificent, however, and makes your commercial structure showy without being gaudy.

Call Renovation by Burbach if you are planning a new commercial structure, or if you are recovering the exterior on an existing building. We can show you how to pick just the right finish for your building without breaking the bank. Consult with us, the commercial exterior experts in Salt Lake City and throughout the Wasatch Front.