When it comes to road line painting, many people can get confused and mixed up with the types of product available. In this article, Promain will look at the differences of each line marking solution. This should help you determine which would be best suited to your specific needs.
Typically, road line marking paint falls into three categories:
- Single pack paints such as Chlorinated Rubber Line Marking
- Water based car park line paint
- Single pack epoxies (SPE)
So Which Line Marking Paint Is Best?
There is no simple, straight forward answer to this question. There are a number of factors you should consider before choosing which product would be best for your project.
- For example, chlorinated rubber and SPE (single pack epoxy) paints do not like to be put onto a damp surface. The surface must be dry before application.
- Water based road line paints will happily go onto a slightly damp surface.
- Chlorinated Rubber and SPE however, will dry quicker at cooler temperatures.
Methyl Methacrylate
Another line marking option to consider (and probably the most durable available), is MMA.
MMA stands for Methyl Methacrylate and is a professional grade product. This is due to it’s extremely fast curing properties, which means you have limited time to prepare and apply the product. This can be very useful if you are looking for a quick return to service. Many road line painters prefer to use this paint for road marking, specifically due to these fast curing properties.
The below video is an introduction to Centrecoat MMA Road Line. This video will explain more about the product itself, as well as providing good preparation advice.
Alternative Road Line Marking Products To Consider
Other options for consideration when looking for car park marking paint include thermoplastic hot melt powder or preformed logos. These are not paint, but a hot applied material that goes on at around 2-3mm thick.
In this video is an example of thermoplastic which has been heated up on a hot melt lorry and then applied using a draw box.
The molten thermoplastic is poured into the drawbox, which has a trailing edge that is reduced by approx 3mm to allow the thermoplastic to escape, thus creating the line.
Road Line Thermoplastic Application Machines
On a slightly smaller scale, person driven thermoplastic line application machines are also available. These machines are ideal for large industrial environments such as airports, docks, and car parks.
Thermoplastic Lines
For even smaller requirements, Centrecoat produce thermoplastic rolls. This is the same material as used in the hot melt lorries with the convenience of being the correct width. They are available in manageable 5m lengths.
The benefits of the Centrecoat preformed thermoplastic lines is that they already contain glass reflective beads. This means they have a higher degree of reflectivity, which is perfect in darker environments.
For anyone looking to increase the reflective value of line marking paints, Promain also sell reflective glass beads separately. Centrecoat Reflective Glass Beads can be added to the top of the still hot thermoplastic line markings to ensure the initial retro-reflectivity requirements of the road markings are achieved.
You can apply these thermoplastic rolls by simply heating them with a suitable gas torch. Please note, that if you are applying thermoplastic rolls to concrete, you will also require tack coat.
Road Line Thermoplastic Logo’s
As well as paint for road line marking, and thermoplastic rolls, Promain also sell a range of thermoplastic logos for consistency.
Preformed logos and symbols make it easier to create car parking bays for electric car charging or for disabled drivers. Also available, are preformed hazard teeth, speed roundels and even zebra crossing sheets. Application of all of these is with a suitable gas torch.
Thermoplastic logos and symbols are not just for use in car parks and main roads. They are also ideal for marking cycle routes. You can read more about the use of thermoplastics on London’s Cycle Superhighways on our blog: Thermoplastic Line Marking London’s Cycle Superhighways
Playground Graphics
Now for the fun stuff! Preformed thermoplastics also come in a whole range of games and educational graphics. Perfect for school playgrounds!
From thermoplastic hopscotch games, alphabets, numbers and even world maps, there is a huge range of possibilities. And for the sports playgrounds, netball and basketball courts, and even 5 a side football sets are also available.
With so many different choices available, the only problem you will have will be getting the kids back into the classroom after break time!
So now that we have discussed the difference in road marker paint and thermoplastics, you may want to check out some of our earlier blogs on these subjects:
- The Lost Art of Line Marking
- How to Use Centrecoat Line Marking Machine
- How to Mark Lines Using MMA Line Marking Paint
- What Steps Should I Take Before Painting Parking Lines?
- How To Apply Thermoplastic Line: A FAQ Guide
Conclusion
If you are still unsure or have questions that you did not find the answer to in this article, we have a highly knowledgeable Technical Team that are here to help. They can answer your questions, help with correct product choices and advise on application methods.
You can reach our Technical Team by calling 01462 421 333 or via our contact us page.
Finally, you may also be interested in our video showing line marking training:
You may have reached this article by searching for the following terms:
- Parking lines paint
- Car park paint
- Paint for car parks
