What kind of Paint to use on Asphalt
Whether you’re painting lines in a parking lot or you want to add an area for basketball to your asphalt driveway, you must carefully choose the paint you’ll use. Asphalt is a semi-flexible paving surface that will not allow many types of paint to stick. If you choose the wrong paint for your asphalt, all of that painting work will soon peel off when exposed to the elements. There are different types of paint that can be used on asphalt, namely acrylic paint, coal tar paint, oil-based paint and water-based latex paint.
100 Percent Acrylic Paint
This type of polymer-based, water-soluble paint will prevent your lines from lifting off the asphalt once you’ve painted them down. You can apply this paint with a brush, roller or sprayer. Since this paint is water-based, it will cause no damage to the asphalt surface underneath. Many colors are available, and this is the type of paint that many professionals use for parking lot stripes.
Coal Tar Paint
Coal tar paint is not as costly as acrylic paint, but it’s much more caustic to work with. Make sure that you’re wearing the proper protective equipment when applying this paint. Coal tar paint is mixed with other polymers and can handle the beatings from a driveway that’s located in the sun and used frequently. This is a black sealant intended for use as paint coverage for large areas of asphalt.
Oil-based Paint
This type of paint is slow drying. It’s available in multiple colors and is very resistant to heavy traffic. Because oil paint is not flexible, it will eventually crack.
Water-based Latex Paint
Water-based latex paint can be specially formulated for asphalt areas and is available in many colors. This type of paint must be used if the asphalt has already been sealed with another type of paint, such as coal tar. This is the fastest drying asphalt-appropriate paint and will be dry to the touch in approximately three hours.
Paint to use on Asphalt
So how to choose the right paint? Reading labels is always your best source. The key words to look for are ‘traffic paint’. That should be front and center on the packaging. This is very important as pavement paint is designed to last on hard surfaces. If you try to use another kind of product for parking lot lines, you’ll end up with fading, peeling, and early wear. In short, it’s a complete waste of time and money.
Apart from choosing the right paint for your needs, for obtaining a durable and long-lasting result preparation is a vital key. For the most durable and professional results make sure to clean the surface, especially when repainting existing lines; scrub or power wash first to remove any loose pavement paint. Apart from that, the asphalt surface must be dry as well as clean. It is advisable to check the weather forecast to plan for 24-hours free of rain. In addition to that, make sure that temperature is warm enough, i.e. our oil-based needs 50°F and our water-based requires 60°F, always check the product label for details. Another thing is to allow the paint to dry, or all that hard work will be for nothing if someone or something drives over the wet markings. You can also addglass beads for visibility, but this isoptional. If you intend to do so, these must be applied while the traffic paint is still wet; so it is better to plan ahead.
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