Parking Lot Re-striping Facts
How often do I need to re-strip your parking lot?
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Typically every two years to keep your lot looking fresh and clean. By having the striping done this often, you are not only presenting a professional image for your business, but you’re laying the groundwork for a durable job that will look better longer. This is helpful since having a parking lot in New England, the salt and plow trucks will wear at the paint more quickly. By striping before the paint has the opportunity to start peeling, you’re laying down good paint over good paint, building up a durable stripe.
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If your paint has started to peel or fade, then it’s definitely time to re-stripe.
What do I need to do to get my lot ready to be striped?
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Notify your tenants and / or customers of the day & time that striping is scheduled so that no unattended cars are left in the lot.
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Ask them to not park in the areas to be striped.
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Ask them to not drive over any freshly painted areas (the paint dries within twenty minutes).
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Make sure that landscaping is neat along any curbs that are going to be painted (no overhanging grass or shrubs).
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Make sure that there are no obstructions on the lines that are to be painted (mounds of dirt, temporary storage, etc.)
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Turn off any sprinkler systems for the duration of the striping project (usually just overnight).
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If the parking lot has excessive amounts of dirt or loose gravel, the lot will need to be swept prior to being striped
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Parking lot will be dry and ready 2 hours after completion of job.
What are these brown marks all over my lot and lines?
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If you have noticed ugly brown sports or streaks on your parking lot or within your parking lines, you are not alone. This unsightly occurrence is happening more and more. Many times you do not even notice it until you put a fresh coat of paint on your lines. These brown spots sometimes bleed right through bright new coating and really stand out.
If you see these brown spots on your line paint take a closer look at your parking lot. You will most likely see them there as well.
These brown spots are actually metallic metals, Iron that rust over time. They are sometimes found in the stone or aggregate used to make the asphalt. Asphalt allows water to penetrate through it. The moisture accumulating on your parking lot goes into the pavement. If your pavement has pyrites in it, it becomes wet, the pyrites (iron) then begin to rust. The rust stain eventually comes to the surface causing the ugly brown spots or streaks in the asphalt.
Not every lot will experience this, it all depends on the material used in the asphalt. Seal coating will reduce the rust temporarily but won't eliminate it.