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Pete the Painter · North Shore since 1969

Metra Stations: Painting Around the Trains

Metra train station painted by Pete the Painter

Station exteriors and the heavy entry doors that take abuse every day, repainted with durable coatings on a schedule set around the timetable. A case study in public work that cannot close.

I have been working with Pete the Painter for over 15 years for my home and business. In emergency situations he has never let us down. Teddie Kossof, Teddie Kossof Salon and Spa, Northfield

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  • Metra train station painted by Pete the Painter
  • Refinished entry doors, side angle
  • Refinished station entry doors, top view
  • Refinished entry doors, other side

The Job

A Metra station never closes. Trains run from before dawn until after midnight, commuters move through the doors in waves, and the building sits out in the weather every day of the year. When a station needs paint, the work has to happen in the gaps, with the platforms open, and it has to last, because the next repaint is years away. We have painted station exteriors and entry doors on the North Shore, including the North Glenview station, on exactly those terms.

Metra train station painted by Pete the Painter
A North Shore Metra station after repainting.

What Made It Different

  • The schedule belongs to the trains. Work is planned around the timetable and the rush hours. Doors are painted in sequence so one entrance is always open, and nothing wet is left where a commuter can touch it.
  • The doors take abuse. Heavy station doors get pushed, kicked, and rained on thousands of times a week. Standard trim enamel does not survive that. They get stripped to sound material, primed with a bonding primer, and finished in a hard-wearing exterior enamel built for high-traffic doors.
  • Public safety rules apply. Barricades, signage, no ladders in a walkway during service hours, and crews that are OSHA ladder and scaffold certified.
  • It is a public building. Certificates of insurance, documentation, and a scope the agency can approve come before the first brush.
Refinished Metra station entry doors, side angle
Station entry doors refinished in a high-traffic exterior enamel.
Refinished Metra station entry doors seen from above
The same doors from above: full coverage on edges and tops, where water sits.

How We Did It

  • Surface by surface. Masonry got a breathable masonry coating, steel got a rust-inhibiting primer and a direct-to-metal finish, wood trim and doors got a bonding primer and enamel.
  • Prep in daylight, finish in the gaps. Scraping, sanding, and priming happened during off-peak hours; finish coats went on when the doors could be taken out of service one at a time.
  • Weather windows. Exterior work was scheduled in dry weather above 50 degrees so coatings cured properly before the next storm.
  • Clean site every night. The station looked like a station at the end of every day, not a job site.
Exterior of the North Glenview Metra station painted by Pete the Painter
Exterior work at the North Glenview station.

What It Means for Your Building

If your property cannot close, a schedule that works around the people using it is the whole job. The same approach applies to a school over a break, a restaurant overnight, a condo building phased by floor, or a retail storefront painted before the doors open. See our commercial painting services, including school, park district and municipal painting and front door refinishing for residential entry doors.

Talk to Pete About a Public or Commercial Project

Call (847) 564-4880 or request a site visit online. Pete walks every job himself and gives you a written scope, a firm quote, and a schedule that fits the building.

Your Vision, Our Expertise

Experience the Difference of a Professional Paint Job

Our professional painting services elevate your living space, handling every aspect with precision and care for a smooth, stress-free experience and a stunning transformation.

  • Scheduled around the timetable

  • Metra train station painted by Pete the Painter

  • High-traffic door enamels that last

  • Public-safety setup during service hours

  • Paperwork before the first brush

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Here to help

Frequently Asked Questions

Have questions about our residential painting services? We've compiled a list of frequently asked questions to help you understand our process, materials, and what to expect when you choose us for your painting needs. Browse the questions below to find the answers you're looking for.

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  • Can you paint a building that never closes?

    Yes. We sequence the work so entrances and spaces stay open, finish coats go on during off-peak windows, and nothing wet is left where the public can touch it.

  • What do you use on heavy entry doors?

    A bonding primer over sound, prepared material and a hard-wearing exterior enamel made for high-traffic doors. Standard trim paint does not survive a station door.

  • Do you work with public agencies?

    Yes. Certificates of insurance, scopes the agency can approve, and documentation come first; we have painted village halls, schools, park structures, and Metra stations.

  • How do you keep commuters safe during the work?

    Barricades and signage, no ladders in walkways during service hours, and OSHA ladder and scaffold certified crews.

  • What about the weather?

    Exterior coatings go on in dry weather above 50 degrees and cure before the next storm. Prep can happen in more conditions than finish coats can.

  • How do you quote this kind of work?

    Pete walks the site, documents every surface, and writes a scope with products and a schedule. You receive a firm written quote for that scope.