Pavement Markings / Line Painting:
Repainting Existing Layout:
When asked to line paint an existing parking lot where the lines have faded after a few years, there are a few key questions that The Parking Lot Guys consider that many companies usually overlook when line painting a parking lot.
- Are the existing lines straight?
- Do the ends of the lines all line up?
- Are the lines dirty? Do they need to be cleaned off?
- Are the roadways the proper width and in accordance with municipal code?
- Are the handicap areas the legal size? Is there a blue background behind the handicap logo?
- Do the stencils to be repainted match ours? Are custom stencils required?
When line painting a parking lot, The Parking Lot Guys don’t simply repaint the lot, we correct any existing deficiencies wherever possible.
Our starting process is as follows:
1) Using highly visible reflective traffic cones and caution tape, the parking lot entrances are blocked off to ensure a safe and traffic free work environment.
2) Sweep and blow any dirt and debris off of the areas to be painted. This helps to ensure maximum adhesion of the new paint to the old.
3) Measure proper length and chalk the ends of all of the lines so they are all equal in length.
4) Check to ensure all existing stencils to be painted are properly placed, visible and centered within the roadway or parking stall. If the existing stencil is off center, or in a different style or font than ours, we will simply black it out with paint and repaint ours in the proper location. This applies to such stencils as handicaps, arrows, numbers and wording. Using chalk line, all stenciled areas are marked prior to painting to ensure the stencils are straight and in line with surrounding stencils, lines or boundaries.
5) Using the newest technologies in pavement marking, we then proceed with repainting all existing markings. Our state of the art Graco Line Stripers ensure that each line has nice crisp edges and the proper amount of paint is applied. Each machine is able to paint approximately 3 six metre lines per minute, or 180 lines per hour, and with multiple machines painting at once, we can get the job done fast and with minimal disturbance to customers. With many different specialty paint tips in our arsenal, we can be sure that every aspect of our paint jobs are done with the proper specs, such as variations in line width, paint thickness and line edge sharpness.
6) Once the pavement markings are completed, at least 15 minutes of dry time is required before the lot can be opened up to traffic, thanks to the use of SETFAST traffic paint.
What is done when the old lines are crooked?
If the old lines are faded, we can simply ignore them and paint a new straight line directly over top of the old one. If the old lines are still quite visible however, it is more common to repaint those lines as they are. This causes less confusion for customers, and despite being crooked, looks better than a straight line painted over a crooked one.Paint Existing Layout Over Seal Coat:
Once a parking lot has been sealed and has had enough time to cure, the pavement markings can then be repainted as they were before, or if desired, a new layout can be painted instead. In the case of repainting an existing layout, the old layout can still be seen through the sealer because of the different texture that the painted lines have in comparison to unpainted asphalt.
The Parking Lot Guys employ the use of chalk line and string to use as a guide for creating a perfectly straight line every time. When working at night, the lighting conditions aren’t always adequate, so in these cases we set up a line laser that can be followed easily in dim lighting conditions, when a string line can’t been seen properly.
Paint New Layout Over Seal Coat or New Paving:
When asked to paint a new layout over a seal coat, the old lines must be either scarified of blacked out prior to sealing, to ensure that they don’t show through again once the sealer has begun to wear away after time. There is nothing worse than seeing two contradicting layouts at once in a parking lot. It is unsafe and can be visually offensive to customers as well. When painting a new layout, new lines must be measured out and marked from scratch. This is the most time consuming part of the process. In most cases, it is a matter of reading the architects drawings and marking out the lot according to the specifications on the drawing. But in some cases, a drawing is either unavailable or simply does not exist. In which case a new drawing can be provided by us.
Stencils:
We offer a wide variety of stencil options, including standard wording and numbers ranging from 12” to 36” in size, directional arrows, handicap and expectant mother stencils, as well as any custom stenciling required for any job. Our experienced pavement marking team can help to recommend and design original and creative stencils that suit your specific needs. All specialty colours are painted first, such as handicap blue, black or red, followed by the standard white or yellow for outlining and line painting.
