Can a Parking Lot Striping Contractor Paint in the Winter?

Keeping your parking lot striping in excellent condition is key to maintaining safety, traffic efficiency, code compliance, and head-turning curb appeal. Ideally, you'd hire a skilled parking lot striping contractor during the warmer months to apply new markings or refresh existing ones. But what if you need striping service during the winter? Is it even possible? Read on to find out.

How Does Striping in Fort Wayne Bond to Asphalt Paving?

Standard water- or solvent-based parking lot striping paint cures via evaporation. For water-based paints, the moisture content evaporates before the remaining particles and pigments coalesce and harden. Solvent-based paints cure similarly, but the material that remains after evaporation hardens via oxidation to form a durable film.

When contractors stripe or restripe parking lot surfaces, they allow the paint to cure before opening your property up to traffic. That curing period is vital, as it allows the parking lot paint to bond to the asphalt for lasting durability.

Why Are Fort Wayne Striping Companies Mindful of Weather Conditions?

Understanding how parking lot paint cures underscores the importance of favorable weather conditions for striping projects. Because parking lot striping paint cues via evaporation, poor weather can be disastrous.

Ground and air temperatures, as well as humidity levels, can affect evaporation rates, for better or worse. In poor conditions, striping in Fort Wayne will struggle to cure. Inclement weather interferes with that curing process, preventing the paint from drying and bonding to asphalt.

Under certain conditions, the paint may cure unevenly, resulting in a weak bond and minimal longevity. Rain and snowfall can even wash the paint away before it has the chance to cure, resulting in a considerable mess and added costs to restripe parking lot surfaces.

What Are the Ideal Conditions for Parking Lot Striping?

There's a reason why striping companies are busiest during the spring and summer months. During the warm seasons, the weather is far more favorable. There's a lower risk of encountering issues, ensuring your parking lot striping project yields the results you're after.

Requirements for parking lot striping paint can vary. Not all formulas are equal, and manufacturers will have different application recommendations. That said, Fort Wayne striping companies typically prefer:

• Warm Air and Ground Temperatures: Air and ground temperatures must be 40 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit, based on parking lot striping paint specifications. Striping companies usually prefer around 70 degrees, but 40 to 50 is the bare minimum. Keep in mind that monitoring air temperatures isn't enough. The difference between air and ground temperatures can be as much as 20 degrees, and both need to be within the acceptable range.

• Low Humidity Levels: High humidity levels can also interfere with the curing process, slowing evaporation to a halt or preventing it entirely. Humidity levels must be no higher than 50 percent when contractors stripe or restripe parking lot surfaces.

• No Chance of Precipitation: Rain, snow, and sleet can wash away parking lot striping paint before it cures. Therefore, the forecast must reflect dry conditions during application and curing.

  
  

What Challenges Prevent Your Parking Lot Striping Contractor from Offering Service During the Winter Months?

Striping companies throughout Indiana face many challenges during the winter. In Fort Wayne, wintertime temperatures frequently dip below freezing. Furthermore, our city experiences roughly 34 inches of snow annually!

Those conditions make standard parking lot striping impossible. Furthermore, the scope of a striping project may prevent contractors from providing service.

During the earliest parts of the season, there are more windows to stripe and restripe parking lot surfaces. However, if your pavement requires more attention beyond striping, contractors may not have the time to provide the necessary services.

Parking lot striping is the last maintenance step, and it must follow repairs and sealcoating. If your pavement requires additional work, the time needed to perform those services and allow for curing may push your striping project beyond acceptable environmental conditions.

Are There Any Ways That a Parking Lot Striping Contractor Can Paint in the Winter?

Fort Wayne striping companies may offer services at the start of winter, but you must schedule your service appointment as soon as possible. The best striping companies will closely monitor the forecast, scheduling service dates when conditions are ideal. They'll also develop contingency plans should the forecast change.

You can also consult your parking lot striping contractor about parking lot striping paints that are less susceptible to cool weather. Premium formulas and more innovative striping techniques may make striping your parking lot in the winter possible. Speak to your contractor to explore your options.

When you need striping in Fort Wayne, turn to Asphalt Authority. We're among the most trusted striping and pavement maintenance contractors in the area, offering quality, reliability, and good communication. In just a few short years of business, we've already served countless clients and applied hundreds of thousands of linear feet of striping paint. We have the skills to meet your needs and develop solutions that work.

Our services include paving, resurfacing, repairs, ADA compliance, parking lot striping, signage, warehouse markings, and more. We also provide free quotes. Get yours today by calling Asphalt Authority at (260) 450-4976, emailing info@asphalt-authority.com, or submitting your information through our online form.