Line Painting

Line painting is one of the most inexpensive ways to improve the look of your business parking lot.

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Things you should know:

• New regulations in Ontario have changed the chemical formula for line marking paint form an oil based product to a water based product, the new water based paints are not lasting nearly as long as the old oil based products, and in high traffic area the new water based paints are not lasting even one year. Thus you will find that there is no warranty being offered on line painting as it will not last out the standard one year warranty.

• Line marking paint comes in many colours and some custom colour as well (at a cost), for parking lots 65% of customers pick Yellow for marking the lines as it is easy to see when it snows, 35% of customers pick White. Blue is standard for Handicap Parking with a stencilled symbol in white or yellow.

• Line painting requires temperatures of +0C or higher, surfaces must be unfrozen, and dry.

• Line painting can’t be done when it is too windy.

• During the late fall and winter months there is no warranty on line painting at all due to the damp, cold conditions.

• Removal of unwanted line are done is many ways:

● The cheapest being to black them out with black paint over top of the old lines the disadvantage to this is when the black paint wears off it will reveal the old line below. On concrete you would grey out the line.

● Seal the parking lot and then repaint your new layout, disadvantage like about when the sealer wears off it will reveal the old lines below.

● Soda blast off the unwanted line, this is by far the most expensive way to remove an unwanted line as it is a timely process using baking soda with compressed are to blasts away the line and doing minimal damage to the asphalt or concrete below.

● Grind / Bartell away the line with mechanical cutting blades, this is a relatively expensive option but it is cheaper then Soda Blasting, but the disadvantage is that it will grove into the existing asphalt or concrete, leaving a slight depression.

● The most expensive way would be to remove and replace the asphalt paving then re-paint the lines.

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When asking for pricing on line painting, the estimator will want to know the following information:

● Colour of lines to be painted.

● How many lines.

● How many handicap parking spaces.

● With regards to handicap parking spaces, some municipalities want the entire parking stall painted handicap blue c/w the handicap symbol, other municipalities only require a blue 4’ by 4’ square or diamond c/w the handicap symbol, yet again some clients only want the symbol stencilled in the handicap spot. You will need to provide this information as to which type you want.

● How many: Stop bars, arrow, “No Parking” “Visitor” “Reserved” “Fire Route” “Customer” any numbers on the spots or stenciled on the columns.

● Line painting is also done in school play grounds for Hop Scotch, Four Squares, shuffle board, clocks, compasses, etc.

● Concrete curbs are sometimes painted and precast concrete bumper curbs and islands at gate arms.

If the project is large in nature the estimator will come to your site to do a quantity take off and provide you with a quote, most jobs however are small in nature and would fall into the minimum charge category, just let the estimator know in advance what your needs are.