Can a Reno Parking Lot Striping Contractor Paint in the Winter?

You need a parking lot so that employees, guests, tenants, and customers have a convenient place to leave their vehicles. However, you realize that you must also consider their safety while they are driving or walking through your parking lot. Furthermore, you want your parking lot to enhance your property’s curb appeal rather than detract from it. One of the best ways to accomplish all your goals is through professional parking lot striping. If you did not get around to having fresh paint applied during the summer or fall, you may be wondering whether Reno parking lot striping can be performed in the winter. Wintertime striping and marking can challenge even a highly experienced parking lot striping contractor in Reno, but it may be possible to still deliver high-quality work.

Why Is Reno Parking Lot Striping Challenging in the Winter?

Your asphalt sealcoating contractor may have told you how very unlikely it is that your pavement can be sealed during the winter. Sealcoating is very, very sensitive to the weather conditions, so chances to successfully sealcoat a pavement in the winter are few and far between. Most of the paints that Reno parking lot striping companies use are not quite as sensitive to temperature as sealcoating, but they run a close second. However, the air temperature is not the only factor that a parking lot striping contractor in Reno needs to consider when assessing the feasibility of applying pavement paint.

What Other Factors Must Contractors Consider for Winter Applications of Reno Parking Lot Striping Paint?

Every reputable Reno parking lot striping company would like the ability to apply lines and markings 365 days a year. However, one sign of trustworthy Reno parking lot striping companies is that they know when to accept jobs and when to turn them down. This is especially true when a parking lot striping contractor is asked to handle a job in the winter. As already noted, wintertime striping can be possible, but several factors must be present for successful results.

1. Rate of Evaporation: In science class, you probably learned that temperature, humidity, and air circulation affect the rate of evaporation. Although one of these weather-related factors can have a significant impact, a Reno parking lot striping contractor must consider how the three combine to increase or decrease evaporation. On a cool, windless, humid day, parking lot paint will evaporate at a slower rate than on a hot day with a little wind and a low humidity level. If your parking lot paint does not dry properly, it can be tracked by pedestrians and vehicles. If it does not cure properly, it will not adhere sufficiently to the pavement, so its longevity will be severely reduced.
2. Paint Type: A Reno parking lot striping contractor can choose from a number of paint types. The minimum acceptable temperature can vary from type to type, but it is usually somewhere between 40 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Some types take longer to cure than others, and the drying time can also vary.
3. Pavement Condition: A pavement should be repaired before a Reno parking lot striping company begins painting lines and markings. However, a parking lot striping contractor must also consider the color of the pavement. A relatively new asphalt pavement will be dark in color, so it absorbs and retains heat better than one that is gray or white. Thus, a parking lot striping contractor in Reno might find it possible to paint a new asphalt parking lot but impossible to paint a concrete parking lot under identical conditions. Furthermore, the pavement must be completely dry before a Reno parking lot striping contractor begins applying paint, and the dry conditions must continue throughout the drying and curing process. Therefore, if there is snow or ice on the parking lot, rain has fallen the night before, or rain or snow is forecast for the following day, a parking lot striping contractor might choose to delay the job.
4. Project Scope: Obviously, it takes less time for a Reno parking lot striping company to paint the lines and markings on a small lot than a large one. However, the total area is just part of what a Reno parking lot striping contractor would consider the scope of the project. Other elements include the extent of the repairs required, the need to sealcoat the pavement first, and any special requests that the customer might have.

At Affordable Striping & Sealing, we want to build long-term business relationships with our customers. We feel that the best way to keep customers coming back is to deliver high-quality work and reliable service. We will not undertake a wintertime striping project unless we are certain that you will be completely satisfied with the results. In addition to being a Reno parking lot striping contractor, we are also an asphalt sealcoating and parking lot maintenance contractor. Our other services include residential sealcoating, asphalt crack repair, and parking lot layout. We have impeccable references, an unblemished reputation, and more than 30 years of experience. To request a free, no-obligation quote, complete the online form, call 775-825-1101, or email RenoOffice@AffordableStriping.com.