Archive for January, 2008

What is Wheel stops used for?

Monday, January 28th, 2008

As the name suggests wheel stops are blocks used to stop vehicles from moving up or down the gradient. Wheel stops are placed in front or back of the tires whenever repairs of the vehicles are being carried out. These wheel stops helps the mechanics in ensuring that the vehicles remain immobile while they are repairing the vehicles. The wheel stops are also used to reduce the speed of the vehicles at the entry to the parking lots. These are also used in parking lots to keep the vehicles in place. These wheel stops are normally made of plastic or wood.

Wooden wheel stops are preferred by the parking lot attendants since it is easy to handle, they are bulky and are effective apart from being highly functional. Plastic wheel stops are also used and are preferred more because they are maintenance free.

The wheel stops come in all shapes, sizes and colors. They are available at all leading car accessories stores. They are durable and pressed in molds and can be used freely without fear of any damage. One thing about wheel stops is that it is advisable to have them on a temporary basis so that they can be used on multiple locations.

An insight into Parking lot painting.

Sunday, January 27th, 2008

Parking lot painting refers to the color pattern followed by the parking lot operators to distinguish areas meant for different categories of cars. The painting in a parking lot generally speaks volumes to the driver or passenger as they first enter the parking lot. Many people often take for granted the amount of work and thought that goes into the preparation of the parking lot that they use every day. But painting a parking lot is often times not as simple as it looks.
Painting is carried out for three separate blocks within the parking lot. The first painting is meant to guide the cars to the parking lot concerned. The second painting pattern indicates the spot for parking the car. The third painting indicates the exit route for the vehicles. Normally, all parking lots have uniform colors. The parking lots are colored in blue, white, yellow and black and these color patterns are usually decided by the parking authorities. These colors are meant to convey different messages and have to be universally appealing to the car owners. Even disability zones are normally painted different to the rest of the parking zones for quick and easy differentiation.

Parking lot striping – Ways to go about it.

Saturday, January 26th, 2008

Parking lot striping is a type of pavement striping. It is considered to be quite a profitable business. Also it is easy to start parking lot striping business. You do not need a very huge investment. Since parking lot is the first thing that the consumers see, companies need to focus on a good parking lot with adequate space and parking lot striping.

Parking lot striping therefore needs to be very precise, though it is a very simple thing to do. If the color contrast in a parking lot is very attractive, it indicates that the owner of the property insists on maintenance. Before parking lot striping is done, it is very important to decide whether to designate parking spaces for disabled persons, employees, visitors or other individuals.

The types of paints used in parking lot striping should be able to resist harsh weather conditions. By using high quality we can be ensured of a longer durability of the striping. The lines on the parking lot should be as bright as possible so that it is clearly visible.

Parking lot striping is a great way to keep a parking lot looking new and professional.

Painting standards and rules for Curb Painting

Friday, January 25th, 2008

Though curb painting is a simple job of painting the curbs on the roads, there are some regulations that need to be followed.

First, in some states, curb painting is not allowed as a business. These states allow curb painting to be done only by government agencies only on rotational basis. But this is not the case with all the states. In some states you can get contracts of curb painting from the government. Of course you may have to follow the standards specified by these states for curb painting.

Some states may not allow the use of bright colored paints for curb painting and most of the states now a days are insisting on people holding curb painting permits, irrespective of whether they are in the curb painting business or not. Those who are involved in curb painting activity are expected to carry their permits with them at all times.

Apart from this, only the addresses are allowed to be painted on the curb and the numbers have to be either black paint on a white background or a white paint on a black background. Also, a permit can be revoked for failure to comply with the prescribed rules of each state.

Marking And Striping The Parking Lot

Wednesday, January 2nd, 2008

Almost every job that needs to be done well requires great care and expertise and the same is the case with parking lot striping. Parking lot striping is a very focused job that needs skilled people who have complete knowledge and some experience about doing the job right. Therefore, experienced contractors who have been doing this work for at least some years will fare better than those who have just started doing this work. If you want parking lot striping done at your facility then you should take the services of those companies which provide the longest guarantee period. Some of the regular work carried out by parking lot striping contractors includes striping services, no parking markings, twenty-four inch letters, twelve-inch letters, fire lane and numbers as well as marking guest parkings.

Some of the larger parking lot companies provide other services apart from parking lot striping. Modifications of A.D.A like handicap ramps and parks, asphalt pavement, sidewalk development, site clearing and earthwork are few of the other services provided by big contractors. No matter what job you wish to contract out, whether it involves only painting or some construction as well, it is a good idea to do your research well before selecting your service provider, since this will help you in getting the best companies and the best possible rates.

Hiring Professionals For Parking Lot Striping Is Important

Wednesday, January 2nd, 2008

Parking lot striping needs to be done very accurately because the proper movement of traffic depends on correct measurement of the stripes. How well your parking lot has been measured and how properly it has been striped depends mainly upon the expertise of the professionals you employ for this job. Therefore, it is extremely important that whoever is employed for this job knows not just the basics, but the ins and outs of parking lot striping well. There are a large number of good firms who not just provide parking lot striping services but also perform re-striping, new layouts, stripe removal, lane dividers, crosswalks, curb painting, handicap signs and spaces, and arrows.

Other services include pressure washing as well as residential, commercial and industrial parking lot clean up.

Keep in mind that the size of your parking lot or where it is located is not as important as the fact that the job of parking lot striping should be done by professionals to ensure that you end up with a parking lot that is properly marked and easy to navigate. Apart from taking care to hire the right professionals for the job, you should also ensure that the company you hire uses the best possible equipment and materials.

An Introduction to Parking Lot Painting Companies

Wednesday, January 2nd, 2008

Several companies through out the US are engaged in providing parking lot painting jobs and other services related to parking lot and curb painting. These companies, which are broadly defined as parking lot painting services carry out all kinds of jobs like line painting, thermoplastics, highway marking, lot layouts, stenciling, power washing, layouts of passing lane and hydro blasting. The leading firms in this arena ensure that the workers under them are TCP certified and are well aware of all kinds of local rules and regulations that apply to parking lots.

The services provided by parking lot painting companies differ from company to company. The services offered by these companies are divided into various segments. Most companies breaks down their services into three broad categories: Commercial painting, residential painting and traffic marking .The numerous jobs that these companies undertake under their broad umbrella are thermoplastics, lot sealing, re-paints, line painting, stenciling, eradication, new layout, specialty coating, road marking and painting of parking lines.

Nowadays, with competition being high in almost all fields, the parking lot painting field is also not spared. But as a customer, you can only gain from this since companies provide very competitive charges to their clients. Most of the better companies also use high quality paints and advanced machines to give you prompt and accurate results that are long lasting and durable.

The Benefits of Curb Painting

Wednesday, January 2nd, 2008

Curb painting is quite useful since it serves different purposes. For one, curb numbers painted on streets, which are visible during the day as well as night, help emergency crews deliver people find the address of a building or residence. However, it has been revealed through various studies that more than eighty percent of American houses are improperly numbered or not numbered at all. Then again, a large number of houses that are numbered have been painted in such a manner that the numbering is not visible at night.

While most contractors follow the rule of painting black four inch numbers and letters on a white background based on government directives, they generally use paints and material which last only as long as the guarantee period. It is because of such badly painted curbs and signs that not just emergency vehicles, but even normal people tend to take a lot of time in locating places that could be easily found if marked properly.

Therefore, if the area near or around your house is not properly marked and painted, then it is advised that you contact the nearest curb painting service in your area to get this work done. Nowadays, a number of contractors also provide online curb painting services, which you can book through their websites.

Parking Lot Painting –A Primer About Paints

Wednesday, January 2nd, 2008

When you are looking for a company for either marking a new parking lot or removing your old one, it is important that you choose a firm that uses the latest machinery and has skilled staff. Even elimination of parking lot outlines requires specialized skills and machinery and you should ensure that the company carrying it out for you has sand blasting and hydro blasting machines since they might be required in some cases. Most of the time, motorized scarifies are utilized for eliminating parking lot stripes.

In case you want to get your parking lot painted, then you should check that the staff of the company carrying out the operation is equipped with different types of stencils for marking cross walks, stop bars, handicap symbols, turn arrows, parking areas ,no parking, curbs and any other area that needs to be painted. Paints approved by state governments should be used for parking lot painting. Some of the most commonly used paints are TM2327 and HOTLINE TM2326. These paints are fast freshening waterborne paints and are made with modern and superior quality resin. These paints have less VOCs, consistent drying capability in hot weather and higher before time washout resistance. These paints do not contain lead and are therefore environmental friendly as well.