Parking lot striping, which is also called “Traffic Markings,” helps keep traffic flowing and makes it clear where cars can park. A good parking lot layout has bright, long-lasting lines for stalls, and arrows for entrances and exits. It also has arrows to help people get where they need to go in parking lots, spaces for people with disabilities clearly marked fire lanes, and more.
Usually, professional line striping contractors do the work of painting lines on parking lots. Most line-striping paints used today are acrylic paints that are made with water.
Why Is the Parking Lot Layout Important?
You need to make good use of your space to make sure you have enough parking for your customers or staff.
On the other hand, you need a layout that keeps traffic moving in a secure, orderly way, and you must try to keep pedestrians and motor vehicles, such as cars, motorcycles, and bicycles, safe as they move through your parking lot. Also, you must make sure that your lot meets the Americans with Disabilities Act’s minimum requirements.
How to Choose the Right Paint for Parking Lot Lines
For painting parking lot striping, you can use traffic paints like water-based acrylics, solvent-based alkyd resin paints, solvent-based chlorinated rubber paints, and many more. Water-based acrylic paint is used in parking lots far more often than any other kind.
Acrylic paints that are water-based are very durable, bright, and easy to see. They are also good for the environment. Because of these things, most parking lots, roads, and highways are painted with water-based acrylics. DTI has a full line of high-quality traffic paints that can be used in parking lots, on roads, and on highways.
Parking Lot Paint Colors
How the parking lines look depends a lot on what colors and types of paint are used.
Yellow: The stripes are usually yellow, but blue is becoming more popular in some places, especially shopping malls.
Most of the time, this is just a personal choice or tradition, but stencils for handicapped stalls, for example, have to be a certain color, size, and shape by law.
White: Another popular color for parking lot lines is white. If a business owner chooses this color, yellow could be used to paint curves and places where parking is not allowed. Most of the time, the law says that the handicap symbol has to be painted in blue and yellow or white.
Reflective Beads
Take, for example, the situation where you are driving at night or trying to find your way around a parking garage. There is not enough light to make out the pavement markings. It’s frustrating because you know the lines are there but can’t actually make them out. Pain in the neck, right? Beads that reflect light are useful for this purpose.
Reflective beads are sprinkled over the newly painted lines to increase their visibility. In regions with heavy night-time traffic, snow, or ice, reflective beads become invaluable.
Parking Lot Striping Equipment
Before you start making plans and painting, you’ll need a few key pieces of equipment:
Parking lot striper
A striper, which is also called a paint striping machine or a pavement striper, makes painting a lot easier. You can easily make clean, straight lines on your lot surface by pushing the machine forward. Most machines that spray lines of paint let you change how wide the lines are.
Keep in mind that some paint striping machines only work with certain kinds of paint (water- or solvent-borne). Make sure that the machine you buy will work with the paint you want to use.
Parking lot paint
Think about whether you will use paint that is water-based or paint that is solvent-based for your parking lot.
Because environmental laws are always changing, water-based paint is becoming more common, but you may prefer solvent if your local government lets you. Make sure the paint you choose can be used on the pavement.
If it can’t, it won’t last. Also, think about what color and how much paint you will need. Blue is a popular color for ADA handicap parking spots, while most parking lots use yellow and white.
Measuring tape
To make parking spots that are the right size and distance apart, you should use a measuring tape or other measuring tools.
Markers
Depending on your needs, you may need different kinds of parking lot stencils, such as letters, numbers, arrow symbols, and ADA handicap parking logos.
Safety Equipment
Don’t pass this one up! Wear a paint mask and the right shoes when you paint to keep yourself safe.
Parking Lot Painting Process
1. Cleaning and Filling Cracks
Before you start painting, make sure the parking lot is clean. The best way to do this is with a blower, but if your parking lot is small, you can also use a broom. You’ll also need to use a power washer to make sure the whole area is as clean as possible.
Additionally, before you start painting, it’s a good idea to clean and fill any cracks in the pavement with asphalt.
2. Marking and Measuring
Here, you’ll need to use measuring tape and pavement marking tape to mark and measure your parking spaces. For the best stickiness, make sure the tape you choose is made to be used on the pavement.
Make sure you know ahead of time if you will be making 90-degree parking spots or parking spots at an angle (45 – 60 degrees). Standard parking spaces are 9′ x 18′, and aisles should be at least 16′ (for angle parking) or 22′ (for straight parking). (Note: For the most accurate information, please find out what the rules are in your area.)
3. Painting
After the parking lot has been cleaned and is ready to be painted, it’s time to start painting. Start rolling your paint stripper. As you move into the area you want to paint, the machine will spray paint. Most of the time, you’ll need two coats of paint for it to stick well to asphalt.
Why Diverse Technology Industrial Inc.
We, at Diverse Technology Industrial Inc., can help you figure out the optimal parking lot paint striping plan for your business. We are experts at parking lot maintenance services like parking lot striping and pavement markings, road markings, parking lot layout, and design, asphalt crack filling, asphalt seal coating, traffic sign installations, and bumper block installations.
Our staff is committed to providing each client with high-quality outcomes and personalized attention at reasonable rates. Either give us a call at (209) 250-7828 and talk to one of our expert staff members or fill out our online quotation request form and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
