Can Parking Lot Striping Be Removed?

Great parking lot striping can enhance safety, improve curb appeal, and ensure compliance with local fire codes, federal accessibility regulations, and local building codes. Sooner or later, however, you will need to repaint your markings and stripes. When that time comes, you might want to consider having your contractor remove the existing paint first.

Is the Removal of Parking Lot Striping Required Prior to Repainting?

Under certain limited circumstances, it may not be necessary to remove existing lot striping and pavement markings. However, it is always better to eradicate existing markings first to ensure that lines have neat, crisp edges, that the paint has a consistent depth, and that there are no ghost lines present. Eradication is normally necessary if you must make changes to your parking lot design to make alterations to traffic flow, address compliance issues, or alter the angles of the parking spaces.

What Is the Best Way to Remove Parking Lot Striping?

There are several options for removing parking lot paint. Your striping contractor will consider the condition of your pavement, whether it is asphalt or concrete, and its size to determine the best option. The type of paint that your previous contractor used must also be considered. That said, the most effective and fastest method is typically the use of a scarifier to shave off the paint. Some scarifiers can be used to remove thermoplastic striping and painted markings on both concrete and asphalt pavements.

What Other Methods Are Available to Eradicate Lot Striping?

There are a few other possibilities for eradicating your parking lot markings, but keep in mind that not every method is suitable for every pavement.

1. Markings on asphalt can be covered by applying black paint over them, but this may not be the most attractive or longest-lasting solution. Applying asphalt sealcoating over the black paint can sometimes help.
2. Blasting methods are available for both asphalt and concrete pavements. Shot blasting is suitable for concrete paving, but it can be too forceful for asphalt. Water blasting can work on both pavement types, and it can be gentle and effective when conducted by a skilled contractor. Soda blasting is effective, eco-friendly, and much less messy than sandblasting.
3. Wire scrub brushes have been used since contractors first found it necessary to remove painted markings. Since the method is physically demanding and comparatively slow, it is usually reserved for small-scale tasks rather than removing all the paint from a large parking lot.
4. Solvents can also be a fast and effective way to remove paint from either concrete or asphalt parking lots. However, some solvents are more effective than others, and some types are not necessarily kind to the environment.

At Affordable Striping & Sealcoating, we are parking lot specialists with the skills, experience, and training to remove your stripes and markings safely. We offer many other services, including parking lot layout, asphalt crack sealing, lot striping, asphalt sealcoating, parking lot signage, road markings, and bumper blocks. We have an exemplary reputation for superb craftsmanship and exceptional customer service. We would be happy to provide you with a free quote, so fill out the online form, email Estimating@AffordableStriping.com, or call 702-222-9009,