Archive for February, 2008

Why and where do we need Wheel Stops?

Friday, February 29th, 2008

Wheel stops are something that most of us must have noticed earlier but have not paid much attention to. Wheel stops are artificial blocks meant to stop vehicles from moving up and down the gradient. They are also used to prevent traffic from passing through. Apart from these, Wheel stops are also used in parking lots by the parking lot operators to keep the vehicle in place and they are also used as a precautionary mark to prevent vehicles from parking too close to side walks, pavements or buildings. It is mandatory for all shopping malls and parking lots to install wheel stops.

A number of companies specialize in manufacturing wheel stops. They are available in wood as well as plastic. Plastic wheel stops are preferred as compared to the wooden ones as they need less maintenance. The wooden wheel stops are available in attractive colors. You can choose the best wheel stop as per your requirement.

But one thing to be kept in mind while selecting wheel stops is that they should be such that they are not easily moved by persons insistent on passing through forbidden entry ways and it is advisable to install these on a temporary basis.

How do traffic sign installations help?

Friday, February 29th, 2008

Traffic sign installation refers to the signposts posted by local authorities with the help of the local administration and these are a part of any town or city with a large vehicle population. These signs are meant to be strictly followed by the vehicle users.

The traffic signs indicate zones meant for parking, not parking, motels, hotels, telephone availability, water, gas stations and tourist lodges. These signs come in different colours, where each has a different meaning. These traffic signs should be in pictures as well as text format.

Traffic sign installations are basically aimed at regulating the traffic and movement of vehicles on the city streets. Violating these traffic signs could result in a penalty from the cops and sometimes a license could also be suspended for a year.

While installation of traffic signs are done, the government take into the consideration the number of accidents that occur in that particular place, the number of requests that are received for traffic sign installation from that area and whether they are any alternatives available to traffic sign installation.

Traffic sign installation is one of the ways to ensure motorists and pedestrians of their safety on the roads.

Things to know about parking lot painting

Friday, February 29th, 2008

Parking lot painting refers to the colors that are painted onto the pavement to help differentiate the parking space. Normally all parking lots have uniform colours, but they could also include themes and attractive patterns.

Different colors are used in parking lot painting mainly to distinguish the parking space meant for different vehicles like cars, pick-up trucks, jeeps and station wagons. Apart from this different colors in the parking lot could also convey different meanings e.g. the first color could be used for entry point of vehicles and the second color could be used for marking the area for parking and a third color could be used to indicate the exit point of vehicles.

The choice of these color combinations depends on the parking lot operator. But while choosing these colors it is important to keep in mind that the colors should be universally appealing to the car owners and drivers because ultimately these colors and patterns are mainly used to convey messages to the drivers.

Since parking lots are an integral part of a growing city, there are a set of rules to function the governing of the parking lots, which include certain guidelines for parking lot painting also.

Things involved in curb painting

Friday, February 29th, 2008

Curb painting refers to the service of painting addresses on curbs for homeowners. Individuals and groups who want to paint address numbers on curbs, either for a fee or on a donation basis, need to obtain a curb painting permit (PDF) from Code Services.

Some of the things to be remembered while curb painting is done are:

1.Only the address should be painted on the curb, no street names or other words.
2.All numbers should be at least 4 inches in height.
3.Numbers must be either black paint on a white background or white paint on a black background.

Also, look out for the following things before moving on with curb painting work:
1.All persons involved in the curb painting activity must carry a copy of their permit and should show them for inspection when required.
2.The approval of the property owner must be obtained before painting the address numbers on the curb.
3.The permit holders’ address must be included in all advertisements, receipts or other materials provided to the customers.

One most important thing to remember is that a permit can be revoked for failure to comply with these rules and standards of curb painting.

Use machinery for stripes painting

Thursday, February 28th, 2008

Painting of stripes in the parking lots is a routine affair. Parking lots, which manage cars in excess of 1,000 every day, need to be maintained almost on a regular basis. This, however, involves a lot of expenditure. There are some ways of bringing down the expenditure. Since the parking lot stripes have to be painted everyday, it is often advisable to purchase mechanized painting equipment. This will be a one-time investment and the machine can be used whenever parking lot painting is required and will greatly reduce the labor cost. Most of the parking lots have these machines and have found them to be extremely useful.

There are a number of suppliers who have premium machinery is meant for parking lot painting. Visit a local agency and take a preview of these machineries. However, make sure that you evaluate the product before placing an order. Some agencies provide these machines for trial runs at the parking lots. If you are satisfied with the machinery, only then go ahead and buy it. Check its performance with other users and obtain the feedback. Make sure that the post sales services are of the highest quality. The machinery is available in various prices. Check with the local supplier

Paint with the pavement

Thursday, February 28th, 2008

Parking lot maintenance should be accorded top priority since parking lots are frequented by hundreds of motorists every day. Besides, the vehicular traffic in the parking lots rise during the peak hour making management of motorists a difficult task. Therefore, it is important that the parking lots have the right striping and pavement space for the motorists to easily manage the movement of vehicles. On most of the occasions, the striping on the pavement loses its paint owing to extensive movement of vehicles. It becomes all the more difficult when there is heavy movement of vehicles. This means that parking lot painting may have to occur up to three times a month.

Make sure that the stripes meant for the pavement are in accordance with the standard set. Check the local manual with the county before defining the space for the vehicles. This will give you a fair idea of the space meant for the pavement. The striping for the pavement should be very clear and not provide confusing guidelines to the motorist. Some times, parking lots and the parking lot painting job, are inspected by the local county officials. Therefore, they should be maintained round the clock irrespective of the flow of vehicles. Obtain certification for the quality of pavement strips.

Conform to environmental standards while painting stripes

Thursday, February 28th, 2008

Stripes painting is a very important component of managing the parking lots. As per rules, the parking lot manager is required to maintain the space provided in order to manage the movement of vehicles every day. The painting has to be very clear and visible to the motorists. If there is a slight problem in providing the right guidelines to the motorist, it could result in escalation. Therefore, the job of maintaining the stripes lies on the parking lot manager. This means that parking lot painting should be the most important thing for the manager. In order to help the stripes to last, they should be applied using only top of the quality colors. However, while selecting the paint colors, make sure that they meet the environmental standards. This is very much a critical feature when it comes to parking lot painting.

There are some paints, which contain harmful chemicals and ingredients. Such colors should not be painted since they are harmful to human beings. The chemicals cause a variety of irritations to human beings. Some of these chemicals are allergens and cause itching or burning sensation of the skin. Therefore, ensure that the paint used has been certified for safe use. Besides these, care should be taken to ensure that the aerosols are not used while painting the stripes. Aerosols are used in spray paint, which have nice finish. Avoid such paints also.

Budgeting painting of stripes

Thursday, February 28th, 2008

Maintenance of the parking lots should be high on the agenda of the parking lot manager. Since the number of vehicles frequented is higher in the parking lot than anywhere else, instructions and guidance to the motorists should be to high standards. Basically, the experience of the motorists should be user friendly. In an effort to achieve this motive, the parking lot manager should make sure that everything is in order. Parking lot painting and writing down the instructions in the parking lot are also in the job description of the parking lot manager. However, before taking up painting, ensure that there is an adequate budget.

The budget for parking lot painting depends on the level of maintenance of the parking lot as sought by the manager. Since the entire parking lot has to be maintained routinely, there is a separate minor budget set aside for the purpose. However, the main program involving the maintenance, which happens at least three times a year, should have special budget allocation. Since much of the budgetary allocation goes towards the paint, it is necessary to have a check and balance. Do not waste paint unnecessarily while maintaining the parking lot. Do not use multiple colors as it could result in cost escalation. Stick to standard colors in the parking lots.

Stripes and barricades are essential

Wednesday, February 27th, 2008

Parking lots are the most frequented places in the metropolitan cities, and therefore it is essential that the parking lots are maintained and kept well, which can include parking lot striping and painting on the barricades. Make sure that the space is allocated for the cars in the appropriate manner. In the process, parking lot striping and barricades within the parking lots assume importance. Ensure that these essential components in the parking lot are maintained at the highest level of quality. Painting the barricades and the stripes are part of the maintenance program for any parking lot manager. The barricades are essential to differentiate the boundary marks of the parking lot from the slots that have enough space for movement.

Barricades are also necessary to manage vehicular traffic within the parking lot. At times, there could be mad rush for space during peak hours. In such situation, the barricades will help manage the traffic. Make sure that the barricade painting is different from that of the stripes. Normally, the barricades are painted in yellow or green to differentiate it from the stripes. Besides, the barricades are mobile and need to painted in separate colours. The stripes on the other hand are permanent fixtures of a parking lot. Therefore, make sure that the colors of paints of barricade and the stripes are different.

Paint parking lot stripes routinely

Wednesday, February 27th, 2008

Every parking lot manager has to maintain the slots properly by painting them periodically. Any lapse in maintaining the parking lot could result in loss of customers apart from image. It could also lead to reprimanding. Therefore, parking lot painting should always be occurring. There are two approaches when it comes to parking lot painting. The first approach relates to painting the stripes at least three times a year during the seasonal changes. The second approach relates to maintaining the stripes by providing light touch of color at least three or four times a month.

While the repainting can be carried out using air spray, the touches can be done by the parking lot manager using regular brushes. The routine painting requires the services of a professional painter, whereas the maintenance work can be carried out by the parking lot manager using local assistance. The maintenance can be carried out during off hours when the movement of the cars into the parking lot is poor. The painting has to be carried out only after the dust and mud or soot is removed from the stripes. Ensure that the surface is clear before starting the light maintenance work. This has to be a regular process in order to avoid too much wear and tear.