Visible, crisp stripes and other pavement markings can make your parking lot or thoroughfare safer and more appealing. However, even the best paints will wear away with time and traffic, leaving bare patches or areas in which the visibility of the markings has been drastically reduced. In addition, you may need to alter traffic patterns, change the angle of the parking stalls or adjust the layout of a parking lot to meet ADA requirements. On streets and highways, it may be necessary to remove markings indicating mandatory turns, revise the width of a traffic lane or increase the length of a turn lane. Furthermore, the removal of the old stripes may be needed to eliminate confusion or enhance the pavement’s aesthetic appeal. When paving companies need to eradicate existing pavement markings, they can choose from several options.
Can Asphalt Striping Be Removed? What Are the Possible Options for Removing Asphalt Striping?
The various options for removing asphalt striping can carry different costs, and some methods will minimize damage to the pavement and/or deliver a superior appearance. Therefore, before deciding on a method, you should discuss your priorities with your asphalt contractor so that he can choose the option that suits your needs.
1. The first option is to not remove the existing markings. Instead, black paint can be applied to cover them before new markings are applied. This can be effective and economical in the short term, but since the black paint will need frequent re-application, this option may be more expensive over time. In addition, you will likely sacrifice the visual appeal of the pavement.
2. Striping contractors can remove paint with a water blaster. Although similar to a pressure washer, a water blaster is much more powerful and is highly effective at peeling away the paint without damaging the pavement.
3. Wire brushes are standard items in virtually every asphalt contractor’s toolbox. Much like a scrub brush, these brushes are powered by human energy, so removing paint with a wire brush can require a lot of effort. However, wire brushes have been used successfully by asphalt contractors for many decades, and in certain situations, a wire brush may be the best tool for the job.
4. Scarifiers are widely used to remove stripes and markings from asphalt pavement. They are relatively fast and highly effective. Scarifiers are walk-behind machines that have rotating cutters. These cutters will scratch off the paint, but they will also take a tiny bit of the pavement and leave behind a textured, grooved finish. Therefore, scarifiers are not ideal if the appearance of the pavement is of paramount importance.
5. For many years, sandblasting was a popular method for removing old paint from pavement. However, sandblasting is a messy process that is more suitable for use on concrete pavement than on asphalt. In recent years, many paving contractors have moved from sandblasting to soda blasting. The two methods share the same principles and are roughly equivalent in effectiveness, but the food-grade soda used is water soluble and safe for the environment. Furthermore, most pavements do not suffer any damage from the soda blasting.
Whether you need pavement striping removed from a busy highway, a parking lot or a suburban street, the professionals at Alpha Paving Industries can help. We offer a full range of paving and asphalt services to clients in Austin and throughout Central Texas. Our services including parking lot striping, asphalt maintenance, road construction, asphalt sealcoating, concrete and asphalt repairs, asphalt paving, concrete installation, asphalt milling and asphalt overlays. Our customers include various municipalities and counties, health care facilities, subdivisions, apartment complexes, educational institutions, hotels, shopping centers, office complexes, restaurants, retail stores, entertainment venues, manufacturing facilities, religious institutions and homeowners associations. We are known for the exceptional quality of our work, our high degree of professionalism and our exemplary customer service. We offer free estimates, so call (512) 677-9001 or submit the online form to request a free quote.
