Thermoplastic Road Marking vs. Cold Paint
To one uninitiated to the world of road and parking lot maintenance and repair, any type of marking on the pavement may seem inconsequential. Parking lot striping and road markings are essential components of asphalt surfaces, however, as they provide safety for all. Without strict markings, traffic becomes disorganized, wasteful, and hazardous both day and night. While there are various types of road and lot marking materials, two of the most common are thermoplastic road marking and cold paint.
Thermoplastic Road Marking
Thermoplastic road marking is by far the most popular kind of material today. It actually is not a wet paint as one might imagine, but is a hot paint consisting of many potent ingredients such as glass beads, synthetic resin or synthetic hydrocarbon, coloring, and other additives. The mixture enters a thermoplastic preheater, in which immense heat melts the powder into a liquid. As it is applied to the asphalt, it merges with the asphalt for strong adhesion. One can apply multiple layers of the paint to create a rumble strip.
Because of its glass beads and other ingredients, thermoplastic road markings are highly durable and suffer little from the harshness of the elements and everyday traffic. They are highly reflective and provide friction, so vehicles can still see pavement markings at night and won’t slip up either. The application of these markings is swift, requiring little drying time, and is affordable. For high traffic roadways, thermoplastic is the best substance for keeping roads safe.
Cold Paint
Cold paint is another common material for road and parking lot markings, although it is better to use it for areas with lower traffic and milder weather. Cold paint consists of pigment, water, and binder. Sometimes, glass beads are added for the benefit of reflectivity. Although this material is affordable, it will not last nearly as long as thermoplastic paint. Depending on the weather and traffic conditions, the cold paint job will only last around a year before a restripe is necessary, as opposed to thermoplastic, which generally lasts for 2-5 years. Cold paint is also only best for flat lines rather than textured ones. While thermoplastic road marking is better for the highways, cold paint is acceptable for parking lots and smaller roads.
Contact Teniseal/Parking Striping Corporation for Your Asphalt Repair!
Teniseal Corporation specializes in the application, restoration and maintenance of all types of asphalt surfaces. It makes sense to trust your asphalt job to experts with the experience and technical know-how to do your project right from the start to provide a long-lasting result. Teniseal offers services for Baltimore, Anne Arundel, Howard, Prince George’s, Harford, Carroll, and Montgomery counties in Maryland. For more information, email us at [email protected], or call us at 410-485-5660 or 410-485-0717. Keep in touch on social media through Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn!
