Parking Lot Maintenance 101: Line Striping

Line striping may just be the unsung hero of parking lots.  It’s easy to take it for granted, but take the stripes away and you’ll quickly see how important it really is! Clear lines are the difference between a lot where people can park and drive without thinking, and pure chaos. But line striping doesn’t just tell people where they can and cannot park. Striping carves out drive lanes, marks drop off/pick up spots, creates safe paths for pedestrians, helps drivers navigate paths to exits and entrances…and a lot more.

Most people only think about striping when the lines in their lots begin to fade, but striping can also be used as a problem-solving tool to help your parking lot run more smoothly.

People parking in the wrong place?

Stencils can be used to spell out messages to drivers, or to mark parking stalls with numbers and letters to ensure they are reserved for specific people. 

Have some near misses with drivers facing head-on in opposite directions?  

Divider lines can be used to show that a drive lane has two way traffic. 

Delivery drivers unable to park on your busy road?

Curbs can be painted to show where people can and cannot park on the street.

What happens if I don’t Line Stripe my parking lot?

If your budget is extra tight, you might be able to put off line striping for a little while since it loses aesthetic value before it stops being functional. 

However, line striping is the “first impression” of a parking lot. Older lines will chip and fade, making a lot look old and worn, which isn’t the best first impression for your property. 

And faded stripes aren’t just an aesthetic issue. The next time you go to sealcoat your parking lot, the sealant will cover the previous striping. If the lines were too faded before the sealer was sprayed, your striping contractor may not be able to use the old lines as a guide when they are ready to paint again. If this happens, you might be charged for a “new layout” instead of a simple “restripe”, since the contractor will need to spend extra time measuring, marking, and figuring out where the stripes are supposed to go. For smaller, simpler lots, this cost might be relatively small, but the costs will increase with the size and complexity of the parking lot. 

When should I have line striping done?

When not to line stripe:

• If you are planning major asphalt patching or paving done in striped areas of your parking lot in the same year, make sure to have the repair work done first. It won’t save any time or money to have the striping redone first, since the striping crew will need to come back out to redo those areas. Wait until the asphalt work is done, and then schedule the striping.

• If your lot is in an area of the country that gets colder than 60°F in the winter, avoid striping in this cooler weather. Traditional latex paints will not set properly in the cold weather. If you’re trying to stripe when it’s too cool, you might end up with tacky paint tracked around the parking lot or onto your concrete. And you’ll probably end up needing to stripe again much sooner, since the finished product won’t be as durable. You will get the best results in warmer weather.

When to line stripe:

• Best practice is to have a complete maintenance package done on your lot every 2-3 years. Consistent maintenance will help you get the most out of your lot for the longest possible time. A typical maintenance package will include sealcoating to replace the oil in the asphalt’s surface, striping to organize the lot, and crack sealing to stop water from having an open entryway to seep through the pavement and damage the base.
• There’s a good chance your striping will fade faster then the 2-3 year maintenance schedule. You may want to plan on striping once between years of full maintenance. Or if sealcoating isn’t something in your regular budget, plan on striping every year or two.

How is line striping done?

1. The area about to be striped is cleared of debris, dust, and dirt, if needed.
2. If the old lines are faded but visible, the new lines will be painted over the old to match the previous layout (this is called a restripe).
3. If there are no existing lines, or the lines are extremely faded, the dimensions of the stalls, crosshatches, stencils, and any other striping items, are marked out with the appropriate measurements to match the layout plan (this is called a new layout).
4. A striping machine, either drivable or walk behind, sprays the lines, cross hatches and stop bars. 
5. Finally, stencils are laid out on the parking lot, and the spray gun from the striping machine detaches to spray the stencils. 
6. The stencils are removed and the lot is done!

What should I expect during a line striping project?

How will this affect my parking lot?

If your striping project is paired with sealcoating, you probably won’t need to make any special plans for the striping work. The striping crew will typically be able to do the painting as soon as the sealer is dry to the touch (during the time when the parking lot still needs to be blocked off from car traffic). 

If you are only having your lot restriped and not sealcoated, you’ll need to work with your contractor on the best plan of attack. If there is other parking nearby, or if your parking lot has certain hours when it’s not used, you might be able to have the entire lot blocked off and the project completed all at once. If you have a large or busy parking lot, you’re probably better off to work with your contractor on a phasing plan to do your project in sections. This will add to the time and cost a little, but will help avoid major disruptions to the property. For each phase, the paint will be dry to the touch 30 minutes after application, but will not be fully dry for 3 hours. Plan to have sections blocked off for half a day to a day. 

Striping is a small service that can make a big impact on both the function and look of your parking lot. Have a maintenance project you would like to get started? What are you waiting for? Be sure to reach out!