As a business owner, it’s important to make a good first impression on your customers and to build a good reputation. Before your customers even meet you or your staff, they’re greeted by the appearance of your building and parking lot. A poorly maintained structure or parking area can make your customers feel that you don’t care about presenting your business well. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. So what’s one thing you can do to make your parking lot look warm and inviting? Re-stripe your parking lot regularly.
Is your parking lot starting to look worn and dingy? Are the lines so faded that it’s difficult to tell the difference between regular and PWD parking? Then it’s probably time to re-stripe your parking lot.
Benefits of Regularly Restriping Your Parking Lot
Maintaining your property increases curb appeal and shows your customers that you care. Having neat and clear lines in the parking lot makes your business look more appealing. If you’re thinking of selling the property, it’s a small and easy way to improve resale value.
The most important benefit of regularly restriping your parking lot is that it keeps people safe. Lines that are clearly visible with easily distinguishable coloring communicate to drivers where the lanes are, where to park, where not to park, where pedestrian walkways are located, and any other specialized instructions. Good communication like that helps prevent accidents that could damage vehicles or even hurt someone.
Your Parking Lot Needs to Be Restriped…
After Sealcoating
Sealcoating is another important component of parking lot maintenance. It can prevent damage from harsh elements like heat, snow, rain, and even further damage from existing cracks. But a beautiful layer of sealcoat over your parking lot will definitely cover up all of your lines. So once it’s completely dry, you’ll need to get your parking lot restriped.
If It’s Not Up to ADA Code
The American Disabilities Act occasionally updates its requirements. Do you have the right number of PWD (people with disabilities) parking spots? A striping company can help make sure that your lot is fully compliant.
If the Lines are Too Faded
Here are some of the things that should always be clearly visible in your parking lot.
- Firetruck lanes
- Pedestrian walkways
- Parking spaces
- Parking spaces for PWD
- No parking zones
How Often Should You Re-Stripe Your Parking Lot?
Professionals recommend that parking lots be restriped every 18 to 24 months. You might be thinking that that’s a pretty wide range and you’re right! It is. That’s because time isn’t the only factor in how often you should restripe your parking lot. What other considerations are there?
How much traffic does your business get? If you only have a handful of employees using your lot every week, then your lines should last a full 24 months. Heavy traffic might require restriping your lot every year.
What’s the weather like in your area? Any extremes like too much sun, heat, rain, or snow can cause parking lot damage and line fading. Make sure to inspect your parking lot after any period of extreme weather.
There are several circumstances where restriping your parking lot would be a good idea. But the most important thing to keep in mind is that you want your lines to be clearly visible to drivers and pedestrians to keep them safe. A beautifully maintained property will provide a warm welcome to your customers, making a positive and lasting impression.
What are some frequently asked questions about sealcoating? Get all your questions answered in our next post.
Does your driveway need maintenance? Our sealcoating team can help!