Road marking paint ensures that we can safely navigate safely helping to give clear instructions to both drivers and pedestrians, Road markings are subject to heavy use and wear and tear through constant traffic use, weather and UV rays. This is why it is important to ensure high quality road paint is used. The better quality of the road marking paint that is the most suited for the job will ensure longevity and ensure our roads are safe,
There are a few types of road marking paints on offer and to choose from we will look at a few below.
Water based paint – Water based road marking paint is the cheapest option as it doesn’t have any particular specialist ingredients. They are usually more suited roads with light traffic and will last around 6-12 months.
Solvent based paint – Solvent based pains have more resistance to wear and tear and have better adhesive qualities. Solvent based road paint will usually last 1-2 years.
Thermoplastic paints – These are more high quality specialist paints for road markings and are used on roads with higher traffic numbers. They have reflective qualities and are applied by specialists such as ourselves at Shawfield. These thermoplastic paints can last between 3 and 5 years.
Epoxy paints – These paints are the longest lasting of between 5 and 8 years and are used for roads with the heaviest traffic Epoxy paint is the most expensive of all road marking paints.
How do you choose the best road marking paint?
When we look to advise on the best road marking paint we will take into consideration a number of factors. These will include some of the points below.
Volume of traffic – Heavy used roads will wear down the markings much more quickly than roads that have light traffic. If your markings will be subject to high usage we will look at thermoplastic options or epoxy.
Weather – If the markings are going to be subject to extreme weather conditions including snow and rain the paint will erode much quicker so thermoplastic paint again would be a good option.
Surface – The surface of the road is also a factor to consider as concrete will mean the wear and tear of the paint is slower than porous surfaces.
Application – It is paramount the road marking paint is applied correctly to ensure that it lasts the length of time intended. This means correct surface cleaning, priming and drying times.