Industrial line striping is used in distribution centers, warehouses, manufacturing plants, and industrial settings to designate areas, improve safety, and increase efficiency. Line striping in industrial and commercial settings isn’t achieved through paint. Instead, a highly durable resin is used, which requires a more intensive process than simply painting lines. To help you get high-quality, long-lasting results, we’re sharing the four phases of industrial line striping.
Below is the video outlining the four step process.
Surface Preparation Before Line Striping
In order for the resin to properly bond to the concrete slab, it needs to be clean, free of any old coatings, paint, dirt, and other materials. In addition to this, there needs to be a specific surface profile that will allow the resin to “grab” the concrete and ensure proper adhesion as it cures. The resin manufacturer will have a recommended surface profile for your line striping project.
A shot blaster is the most efficient and effective way to clean, strip, and profile the concrete to prepare it for the resin coating. Most shot blasters have an 8-inch blast path, which is much too wide for industrial line striping. That’s why we recommend the Impacts S210 option because it has an 8-inch blast path, but an included plate can be quickly installed that will reduce it to a 4-inch blast path.
After using the shot blaster to prepare and profile the slab, you’ll want to use a magnet to sweep up any leftover shot as well as clean any remaining dust or residue. However, if you’re using the recommended dust collector, any shot or dust will be minimal.
Taping Off the Area to Be Marked
The next step is taping off the outside of the lines. This stops the resin from bleeding outside the prepared area which is particularly important. While paint that bleeds may look messy, when resin bleeds onto coated or dirty concrete that hasn’t been properly prepared, it can ruin the entire project.
The tape you use is incredibly important – simple painter’s tape isn’t going to cut it. We recommend Clean Green tape to line the outside of your prepared area. This was specially designed for industrial line striping and ensures the resin won’t soak through or bleed underneath.
Applying Your Coating
Once the area is properly taped off, you can prepare your concrete coating. As we mentioned, you’ll want to use a line striping resin that can be colored or tinted to meet your project needs. After that, simply apply the coating with a roller that is specially designed for solvents.
Removing the Tape
Removing the tape is probably the easiest step of the process, but even this requires care. You want to make sure the resin is set enough that it won’t bleed or run when the tape is removed, but you can’t wait until the resin is totally dry. Otherwise you won’t be able to get the tape up from the concrete. We recommend giving it a bit to become tacky and sticky but not dry.
After the tape is up, you’ll want to look at the manufacturer’s guidelines for when you and your team can walk or operate machinery over the freshly applied lines. Typically, it’s between 12 and 24 hours, but again, you’ll want to check with the specific manufacturer to be sure.
Order Your Line Striping Materials Today
Whether you need a shot blaster to achieve the proper surface profile or resin coatings that will stand up to both machine and foot traffic, we have everything you need to get the job done right. Order your gear online or speak to a member of our customer service team today at (815) 278-1308 or fill out our contact form to get started.