Parking Lot Striping

Well-defined parking lot striping and marking can make a tremendous difference in the appearance of your parking lot and the first impression your business makes -- as well as how easy and safe the lot is for your customers to use.

 

You may have some questions about the procedure, though: How long will it take for Wright Construction to do your parking lot striping, and will this have to be redone again in the near future? We’ve provided those answers below, and welcome any other questions you may have.

 

Q. How long does it take for the paint to dry?

 

A. The time required for parking lot striping paint to dry varies based upon the type of paint, the thickness of the application, the ambient temperature, and the number of application coatings. Today, contractors like Wright Construction who use pavement marking equipment finish this type of project comparatively quickly and efficiently.

 

Although some popular parking lot and pavement paints will dry within 30 minutes, we strongly recommend embracing a conservative approach when performing parking lot striping. Why? Consider the potential problems encountered by lot owners and painting contractors who open up closed sections of the parking lot too early.

 

Allowing vehicles to park before paint has fully dried on the asphalt may necessitate an extensive cleanup effort. It also requires the striping process to be redone. Even worse, wet paint sometimes adheres to pedestrians’ shoes and the tires of motor vehicles.

 

For all those reasons, it usually makes sense to close off the lot for a minimum of two to three times the estimated paint drying time frame. This measure ensures paint stripes will appear bright and fresh, and that the lot owner will not receive complaints from members of the public who sustain inconvenience, embarrassment, or property losses as a result of coming into contact with wet paint.

 

In order to minimize delays and disruptions, consider conducting repainting if possible during off-peak hours. Repaint the lot in discrete sections, so some parking remains available. Also notify the public about the repainting process via posted signage in the vicinity for a week in advance of any lot closure. Urge visitors to park in the portions of the lot unaffected by the closure during the repainting hours. Taking these steps will help decrease your customers’ annoyance and enhance the goodwill that impacted drivers feel towards the lot owner.

 

Q. How often should my lot be repainted?

 

Your lot’s repainting requirements depend a lot on how much your lot is used, as well as the weather and other factors.

 

• First, lots which sustain heavy usage typically benefit from more frequent repainting than lightly utilized parking locations.

• Second, weather events may impact repainting. If a lot floods or sustains severe snow or hail damage, parking lot stripes will fade more quickly.

• Third, lot owners may need to repaint lots subjected to frequent powerwashing cleaning services. While this type of cleaning performs a valuable role in promoting optimum parking lot maintenance, in some cases the use of pressurized water repeatedly will eventually impact the brightness of the parking lot striping.

• Fourth, when maintenance crews repair asphalt or damaged pavement or excavate beneath the parking lot, it may become necessary to repaint impacted portions of the lot afterward.

 

For all these reasons, property managers should strive to maintain flexible protocols for repainting. While annual or biannual repainting suffices for most lots, in some cases management may detect the need for an earlier repainting date. It generally proves advantageous to consider repainting as often as necessary.

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Advantages of Parking Lot Striping

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By keeping the parking lot stripes visible and in excellent condition, lot owners and property managers create a more welcoming environment. You'll help encourage patrons to use the lot by ensuring you keep it in an attractive, clean, level, and well maintained condition.

 

Additionally, by promoting the visibility of parking lot striping, you assist drivers in navigating successfully through this location. Clear, well-marked parking lot stripes help reduce the likelihood of accidents caused by vehicles parking outside the lines. Maintaining the parking lot in excellent condition benefits lot owners and adjoining businesses, too, because a parking lot that looks new gives off an impression of a successful, well-run business.

 

If your parking lot could use brighter, better stripes to guide traffic and update the look of your property, give Wright Construction a call. Our extensive service area includes Memphis, Nashville, Chattanooga, Huntsville and Birmingham.