Wheel stops are often ignored in parking lots and parking garages, when, in fact, they are an extremely important part of any garage or parking lot! Without wheel stops, those who are parking in your garage may find themselves parking incorrectly and hitting another vehicle. Wheel stops not only help to provide structure for your parking lot or garage, they also allow you to help your customers save their vehicles.

Quite often, a vehicle will shift out of park, or the clutch will release, causing the vehicle to roll. A wheel stop prevents the vehicle from banging into other cars, and allows them to remain safe. They are also important as the guard a pedestrian from being hit when a car is moving. If the person walking is on the right side of the wheel stop, the vehicle will be prevented from running into them, saving them from having broken body parts and, potentially, from death. Even though wheel stops are overlooked by casual observers, they are something that can not be overlooked by someone who is planning a parking lot.

Some business owners ponder if they should paint wheel stops or not. They have very valid arguments against painting their wheel stops, some of which include:

• A waste of money. It’s just a piece of concrete, why should you have to pay to have it painted?
• It’s just paint, and they feel that they can paint it themselves.
• A bottle or spray paint is much less expensive than paying someone to paint the wheel stops for you.

There are also, however arguments for having your wheel stops painted. For instance, if you were to avoid painting your wheel stops entirely, it is very likely that someone will trip over them or will run into them. They blend very easily into the pavement, and can often damage a person or their vehicle. If you choose to paint the wheel stops yourself, you will likely wind up having to do so over and over again, as the paint is not meant to last for a generation. Spray paint soaks very quickly into the concrete, and will be gone almost as quick as you can paint it.

Everything breaks down over time, even wheel stops. The bad thing about wheel stops breaking down is that, if they are allowed to break down enough, the rebar shows and they can become very dangerous. If you allow your wheel stops to break down extensively, you will find that you have rebar coming out of the sides, and possibly even the top, depending on how they are made. This can cause the people in your parking lot to be injured very easily, and may wind up actually harming someone very seriously.

More than one person has been injured by rebar, and has had to undergo Tetanus shots and antibiotics in order to become healthy just by being scratched from the exposed rebar. Others have actually been impaled on exposed rebar, causing not only serious health issues, but lawsuits as well.

In order to avoid this from occurring, it is vital that you replace your wheel stops every seven years or less. Wheel stops are not very expensive to purchase and, when you think about it, can actually save you thousands of dollars, as a lawsuit can be much more expensive for your company to deal with than buying a new wheel stop would be.

To many, curb painting seems as though it is very boring. It doesn’t look like something to get excited over, but in reality, it can be something that not only makes life easier, but that can help you out immensely.

Curb painting:

• Allows your delivery driver to see you. This way if you have a delivery from FexEx, DHL, UPS, or even if you have a new postal carrier, they will be able to find your home.
• Makes it easy for you to throw a party! How annoying would it be for your friends and co-workers if they had to search for hours to find your house. Curb painting makes it quick and simple for the party to get started.
• Gives the garbage man an easy day. Sometimes the garbage man gets the wrong garbage. If you have your curb painted, or even if you go a step further and have your garbage cans done as well, your garbage guy will always be able to take away the trash.
• Makes it easy for your food to find you. If you’ve ordered take-out, your driver will have a much easier time finding you with your curb painted.

Have you ever put black against gray? It is a bit noticeable, but may be hard to see, especially if you’re looking at things that are stenciled. Here is a frequent scenario:

A homeowner decides that he wants to have some curb painting done in front of his house, to make it easier for his friends and family to see his home. He purchases an “all inclusive” kit and begins to paint. A short while later he realizes that he can’t even tell what the numbers are when he’s five feet from them, much less if he were to be speeding by in a vehicle!

This is a common problem and is another reason why it is so important to have a professional do your curb painting for you. Without the proper background, the numbers and letters are impossible to see. Once the right background and letters are paired together, the address is easy to read and can even be seen in the dark! If you do not want to find yourself with a messed up curb, it is vital that you speak with a curb painting professional, who can help you to make your home look exactly the way you would like it to.

There are a few websites online that are not advertising selling the “complete package necessary for curb painting”. This package, on the outside, looks good. It often includes differently sized stencils, paint, and some ideas as to how to go about painting your curb. There is, however, a problem with this.

Curb painting is not done easily by someone who has never done it before. To begin with, it is very difficult to get your curb painted evenly, especially the first time you are doing it. It is also difficult to make sure that the spacing is correct. If you have the letters spaced too closely together, it is impossible to read the word or the numbers. If you have them spaced too far apart, it looks like a different word entirely. The problem, however, is that it takes practice to get it right, and when you’re painting the curb, you only get one chance. Curb painting is not as easy as it looks, and before you order one of these all inclusive kits, it is a good idea to remember that it takes quite a bit of practice before you can perfect your technique, and that once you make a mistake on the curb, it is next to impossible to make it look normal again.

When you start pondering what you’d like your parking lot striping to look like, you need to choose between two popular styles: straight or angled. Each has their own pros and cons, and each can usually be done in any lot.

Angled – angled stalls can go in a variety of different degrees, including 45, 60, and 75. These are often more visually appealing to the customers and clients who are visiting your business, and can make a parking lot look very elegant. Unfortunately they also use up more room, and can make it difficult to fit a large amount of parked cars in your lot.

Straight – straight stalls go at a 90-degree angle and are often the best way to get the most out of your parking area. These stalls are not as visually appealing as the angled stalls, but they are easy to get in and out of, and will provide you with the maximum amount of coverage for your lot.

When you’re trying to decide between using straight or angled stalls, make sure you speak with a professional. A professional parking lot striping company will be able to help you to see which design will best fit your specific needs.

Parking lot striping is not just the act of putting parking lot spaces in their designated areas, it is the act of making your parking lot look neat, tidy, and easily understandable by your guests. Parking lot striping involves a number of different types of markings, including:

• Crosswalks – if your guests have to cross a busy area, they will need a crosswalk to do so safely.
• Loading Zones – loading zones are important to paint in, especially if you are going to be having deliveries on a regular basis.
• Handicapped spaces – handicapped people need special spaces so that they can easily access your store. They need to be close to the handicapped access area into your building and wide enough to accommodate special needs vans.
• Directional signs – it is important, especially if your customers have to travel anywhere around your parking lot, to give them easily readable signs. These signs may just be arrows, or may include lots of words.

Parking lot striping is not just the act of placing a few vertical and horizontal lines, but is, instead, the act of organizing your lot so that your customers, and clients, are comfortable and will enjoy their experience at your place of business.

Have you ever taken a can of spray paint and painted something on your driveway? Often young children and teens will take a can of spray paint and make interesting marks on the driveway. Some choose to make hopscotch patterns while others choose to brand the land as theirs. What is interesting is that the children are usually shocked when they discover that the spray paint eventually wears off.

Spray paint is not meant to last forever on most surfaces, but especially on tar. The tar tends to suck up the spray paint, making it disappear over time. When you are dealing with parking lot striping, you need to make sure that the paint lasts longer by sealcoating it. This is often where companies are surprised at the extra cost. They get the quote from their parking lot striper and are in shock when they get the bill that has sealcoating on it. When you’re dealing with a parking lot striping company, the cost for sealcoating should be added into the estimate. If it is not, make sure you ask about sealcoating and how much extra it costs. It can add valuable life to your striping job.

Curb painting is a brilliant idea. It allows people to see exactly where your house is, making it easily identifiable for not only the 911 crews who may have to find your house, but also for any delivery crews who are going to be dropping things off at your residence. It is especially a good idea if you have a business in your house, as it makes it easy for business personnel and customer s to find your house.

The problem, however, arises when people try to do curb painting on their own. They believe that they can simply buy some stencils and spray paint and that they will be able to recreate the work of a true curb painting professional. Unfortunately it’s a bit more complicated than it looks, and often those who try to do their own job wind up with a botched sidewalk and with a lot of frustrations. When you’re looking to have your curb painted, always look to a professional, who will keep the curb looking neat, easy to read, and professional. The more professional the outside of your residence looks, the more professional you look.