Sometimes parking lots can be challenging to navigate. You have to find a spot, maneuver your car into it, and then hope that someone doesn’t take your spot while you’re away. But things can be even worse when the parking lot is full of potholes or has faded striping. If you’ve been struggling with this issue, don’t worry – we’re here to help!
If you need help maintaining the striping on your concrete parking lot in Overland Park, KS, keep reading this post by Paradise Asphalt Maintenance! We’re experts at striping and can advise on how to get the most out of your line striping project.
Line Striping: What is it?
You need to always have visible striping on the parking lot. It can be done with paint or thermoplastic (which is more durable). You’ll want to use a standard line width of four inches and make sure that the lines are spaced appropriately- this will keep cars from being parked incorrectly.
Ways of Keeping Striping Last Longer
Choose Your Materials Wisely:
The materials used for marking parking lots or other areas where vehicles will be driving over constantly should be durable, like thermoplastic instead of regular paint. It is designed especially for high traffic conditions, lasting much longer.
Prepare Your Surface:
Clean, clean, clean! We can’t stress this enough. Our team has seen a lot of striping that didn’t turn out very well because the surface wasn’t prepared properly before they began their work on it.
For thermoplastic to adhere correctly, you’ll need to ensure the surface is free of any debris or oils that might prevent it from sticking. A power washer works great if the area is relatively small; otherwise, an industrial pressure washer would be ideal.
Apply In Thin Layers:
It’s important not to apply too thick of a layer when applying the thermoplastic because it will cause the material to heat up and potentially warp, which will ruin your striping job. Always start by doing a test strip in an inconspicuous spot to see how the material behaves – that way, you can make sure it’s not going to warp or bubble.
Maintain A Consistent Temperature:
The temperature of the material and the surface you’re applying it on should be as close as possible for proper adhesion to take place. Otherwise, the thermoplastic will become too hot and may cause warping or bubbling; or too cold, preventing it from bonding correctly with your pavement. Both scenarios will ruin your striping job if they happen, so keep an eye on those temperatures! If necessary, use heaters/coolers accordingly.
Sealcoating With Line Striping
Suppose you’re going to seal coat your parking lot after finishing striping. In that case, we recommend that you wait at least one month before doing anything else with it so there won’t be any problems when applying new paint or thermoplastic later down the road.
Paradise Asphalt Maintenance, serving Overland Park, KS, is the leading asphalt paving contractor. We provide various asphalt services, from parking lot striping to seal coating and repairs. You can get a free estimate for your next project today!
