Parking lots are critical areas for commercial properties. And parking lots with clear lines provide a better experience for anyone visiting a commercial property. They’re also necessary for safety reasons and their upkeep is an important component of the overall maintenance of your space. So if you’re a commercial property owner with a parking lot that’s seen better days, here’s what you can expect from your parking lot striping job.
The first step for a parking lot striping job is:
Before you can get to any of the fun stuff, you need to prepare the area. Paint applied to debris or dirty surfaces won’t adhere as it should and a great-looking paint job won’t last very long. It’s important to ensure the surface you’re working with is clean and that any cracks in the asphalt are repaired well before any paint is applied to the surface of your parking lot striping job.
Measure twice, paint once
If your parking area has existing parking spaces, then this step might not be necessary. But, if it’s a brand new lot, the parking area needs to be measured to ensure that parking spots meet standard dimensions. Parking spaces are typically 18 feet long by 9 feet wide with a clear path out of the lot from each space. If it’s been a while since your existing lot was striped, it might be a wise idea to double check those dimensions too.
Putting down paint for your parking lot striping job
Once the area has been cleared and spaces measured out, it’s finally time for the paint. Painting a parking lot can be done by hand or with a stripping machine, which is much easier. These machines are easy to operate and apply paint in a neat and uniform fashion. Be sure you have plenty of the proper paint on hand to get the job done without having to run back to the neighborhood paint store.
Clean up and let dry
Once all the lines have been painted, all that’s left to do is clean up the area and wait for the lines and symbols to dry. As that happens, it’s important to keep all traffic out of the area. Depending on the paint you choose, the drying time could be as little as 30 minutes or as long as a couple of hours.
