HG | Surface
HG | Surface
To transform the exterior colours of the KIA dealership to a finish that matched the new brand guidelines.
The main challenge was that there was a desire for the refurbishment to be completed without having a major impact on the day-to-day business of the dealership..
Architectural wrap was selected to bring the desired refurbishment results to the exterior of the building.
Following the changing of brand guidelines in the automobile manufacturer KIA, the company are in the process of refurbishing their dealerships around the UK to be in line with these guidelines, and the HG Surface team have been helping KIA implement these changes.
On this occasion, The HG team were at the Shelly Motors – Epsom KIA dealership, where they have transformed the exterior of the building from the signature red to a new sleek looking jet-black colour.
The Project
Although the concept of architectural wrapping for exteriors is fairly new in the UK, KIA have not hesitated in getting involved with utilising this refurbishment solution for the rollout in the UK. Following the success of previous projects completed by the HG team for KIA, Shelly Motors reached out to the HG team to complete the exterior overhaul of this location.
‘’Over recent times we have had the opportunity to work on multiple KIA dealerships. KIA love the concept of architectural wrap and the multiple benefits it brings to their business. From the paint like finish to the minimal downtime and disruption, to even the fact the product is a truly all year-round solution, which is critical in a country like ours. The method really does tick every single box for them,’’ Said Gavin Cocliff, Owner of HG Surface.
Gavin continued, ‘’Having been informed about other KIA jobs we had done, Shelly Motors got in touch wanting us to refurbish the exterior of their establishment. Like other KIA’s, the red exterior of the previous brand guidelines needed to be transformed into the new black what represented the brand.’’
Prior to the application of the film itself, the HG Surface team did what they always do when they have an architectural finishes project and that’s complete a site survey. Following this, they could then scope out the job, and give the dealership a realistic timeline as a result.
‘’After the completion of the site survey, it was very clear to us immediately that preparation was going to be absolutely key, and this was ever so true. Before we could get on with applying, the job entailed us removing the old signage, ensuring minimal damage to the cladding panels, before a full building clean and pressure wash was undertaken. We even had to do further surface prep, which included filling holes, shaping and sanding to help reduce the visibility of the holes in situ,’’
Gavin added, ‘’We then got to work on the application, and the job was completed in 2 weeks, with 3 of our installation team working on the job. Like many of the exterior jobs we get involved in, the application side of things was one of the simpler tasks of the job. This is due to the flatness of the substrates we were applying the exterior film too.’’
See more applications >The Results
The results were everything the Shelly Motors dealership hoped for, with the before and after imagery telling the whole story of the improvement in the aesthetic of the jet-black exterior, compared to the tired and dated red that was in place before. Not only did the look please the customer, the delivery of the paint-like finish was brought in such a non-disruptive way, which really impressed the client.
Not only does this project encapsulates exactly what exterior wrapping as a refurbishment is all about, the job really does highlight the importance of preparation too. Preparation is such an overlooked part of the application of architectural film, but it is so crucial. Ultimately, if a surface is not prepped correctly, there is no way that the product is going to bond to the surface for the long term. The HG Surface team really do put a lot of importance on ensuring that prep is done right.
Before
After
This brings us to the end of the latest KIA refurbishment completed by the HG Surface team.
Interested in finding out more about how we can transform your building exterior with film? Or have a project in mind where you think exterior wrapping could be utilised? Drop Gavin a line at gavin@teamhg.co.uk.
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