If you work in the city and commute to work by car, finding parking spaces can be real headache.  A company premises that offers a free car park is great news for for staff, although you will need to mark it out properly.  This helps to ensure that space isn't wasted and makes sure that everyone has room to park their vehicle.  By hiring the right equipment, you can save money by doing the job yourself. Here are some tips on marking out your company car park.

Preparation

Before you can start, you'll need to do some preparation.  Pick a time of day or a weekend when there are no vehicles in the car park and you won't be inconvenienced by foot traffic.  For the best results, the surface of the car park must be clean and dry so go around the car park and clear it of any debris such as fallen leaves, stones, sand and other contaminants.  The quickest way of doing this is by using a leaf blower or industrial surface vacuum, which you can hire from a tool hire shop, together with a line marking machine and the associated materials.

Marking the car park

If your car park has a new concrete or bitumen surface, you'll need to wait for a few weeks before you begin line marking to allow the concrete to cure properly.  It's also very important that the concrete surface is completely dry before the marking product is applied so that it adheres properly to the surface.  For this reason, choose a period when the weather is forecast to be fine and dry so that you can clean the concrete and allow it to dry thoroughly before marking.

In the case of bitumen surfaces, intense heat can be problematic as it can cause the car park surface to become sticky, preventing the marking paint from adhering properly.  For this reason, it's best to wait for a spell of cool, dry weather.

Although a lightly used car park can be safely marked out with paint-based products, an area that is in heavy use will be better served by using thermoplastic line markings.  These line markings are preformed and applied to the surface through blow torching.  Thermoplastic markings last much longer than paint applications, but they do need to be applied by a professional line marking contractor.

It's worth noting that line markings can become slippery during wet or freezing weather, and this can present a health and safety hazard.  You can overcome this by using line marking products that contain anti-slip grit or glass bead additives.

In conclusion

If you have the luxury of a car park at your company premises, maximise the space by marking it out following the tips given above. For more advice, contact a business such as A1 Roadlines Pty. Ltd.