What type of paint is used for road markings?
As you drive down the road at night, or during a rainstorm in daylight hours, you appreciate the reflective paint for roads the city or state have used. Reflective paint for road markings can be helpful for private property as well, including reflective paint for parking lots.
For reflective paint for road lines, a chlorinated rubber based paint is used. This pain is used to draw arrows, lines, number, and parking bay lines. This paint is used on bituminous and concrete surfaces because of it is abrasion resistant, durable, and tough in all types of weather with a fast drying time. A chrome and lead free pain that has low VOCs, makes this an environment friendly paint choice for cities, states, and private property owners that need reflective paint for roads and parking lot markings.
What makes paint reflective?
Flat white paint is the most reflective paint with tiny additives that make it luminous. The manufacturer of reflective paint for roads use small reflective crystals and add them to the flat paint. This same process can be added to eggshell or satin paints at home for private use inside the home where a homeowner desires a touch of reflectiveness.
What paint is used for parking lots?
Commercial, private, and public parking lots can have a high amount of foot and vehicle traffic. Therefore, the need for a durable reflective paint for roads is the better choice for this use as well. There are numerous types available in paints used for high traffic planned parking lots used for line striping which include solvent based alkyd resin paints or solvent based chlorinated rubber. Water-based acrylics and others are available also.
The water-based acrylics are the most common and popular paint choice by far because of excellent durability and elevated brightness for visibility. Just as it the choice for reflective paint for roads, the water-based acrylic popular for the environmentally friendly factor too.
Many city, state and local governments have specific requirements for reflective paint for roads and parking lots that meet or exceed the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act). Regardless of size, these requirements must have appropriate number of handicapped-accessible parking spots.
These requirements include reflective paint for roads and parking space in a handicap blue and white painted markings in addition to metal handicap signs posted at each parking stall identifying them as handicap spaces. The ADA requirements typically call for one handicapped parking stall for every twenty-five regular parking spaces.
How fast does road paint dry?
As a private or public business, the parking lot is critical to the daily operations. It needs to be open ad accessible to traffic, with easy entrance and exiting. So when it comes time to have reflective paint for roads and parking applied, it need to be applied and dry as fast as possible.
The contractor you choose to work with should know how to use reflective paint so that it can be applied fast, and in the majority of the cases, within 30 minutes, the paint is dry enough to touch with the hand. This doesn’t mean it is ready for vehicle traffic though. There are several factors to be considered that will affect the drying time. These factors stand alone or in a combination:
- Weather conditions: The temperature should be above 50 degrees Fahrenheit and a relative humidity level no higher than 80 percent. A light wind is beneficial, but stronger winds can be problematic. If the contractor is using a water based paint, cooler temperature, high humidity, but light wind, the drying take is longer. For an oil-based paint, isn’t as significant.
- Pavement age: New asphalt or concrete pavement tends to absorb paint, leaving a thin appearance of the reflective paint for roads and parking lot. This can be remedied by apply a second coat, which is equal to having the parking lot and roads painted twice. The best solution is for the contractor to use a thicker coat. If the parking lot and access roads have a lot of traffic, a second coat may be needed.
- Paint type: There is a broad category of reflective paint for roads and parking lots, both oil-based and water-based. Within these categories there are specialty paints, like fast-drying, highly reflective, or a high-performance, long-lasting. There are reflective paint for roads and parking lots that are can be cold-applied or hot-applied thermoplastic. Paint types affect the time it takes to apply and the drying time. Most contractors would rather work with a water-based reflective paint for roads and parking lots for asphalt surfaces and oil-based paints on concrete surfaces. An experienced contractor will make professional recommendations based on the age, the climate and environment, and the anticipated traffic flow.
- Pavement condition: An older parking and roadway pavement may require repairs or special pre-treatment, like a seal coat. Any asphalt patching or crack repair work will factor into the time it takes for the contractor to complete the job in addition to applying the reflective paint for roads and parking lots.
Once you have a quote on your reflective paint for roads and parking lot, you will want to know how long does parking lot paint last, and this is a legitimate concern and question. After two years, most reflective paint for roads and parking lots will loose a quarter of its visibility. With most private and public businesses, every 2 years is the recommendation for re-applying the reflective paint for roads and parking lots. Call 254-716-8685 today for your asphalt painting needs in Waco and Temple, TX.