You’re probably wondering about the composition of the paint on your roads; is it environmentally sound?
Have you ever noticed that when you drive, the lines painted on the roads are usually perfect and pristine? That’s because our country’s road painters are experts at their jobs. Rarely do you see mistakes in road lines. The colors are vibrant and resistant, and last for months or years. They have to follow strict regulations and rules, just to make sure they’re going to direct traffic the way they should. You’re probably wondering about the composition of the paint on your roads; is it environmentally sound? What makes it last so long? And why does road paint even exist? Read on to find out.
History
According to word-of-mouth sources, road lines were created when a man in Michigan saw milk leaking from a truck. As you can imagine, it makes sense to give roads lines, especially now that traffic is so heavy. Overtime, the popularity of road lines has increased and reaches all the way across the world to Australia. You probably can’t imagine driving without lanes or signals painted onto the asphalt!
Paint Composition
The paint itself is a mixture of pigment, resin and water-based solvents. It also contains tiny glass beads that reflect the light, so you can see the lines better when it’s dark. Most states allow for use of certain resistant chemicals that allow the paint to last longer, while others restrict it due to bad environmental effects. Acetone in runoff water, for example, is not good for the Chesapeake Bay.
Other methods of marking roads include taping and adhesives, which you see sometimes for crosswalks in particularly pedestrian-heavy areas, like cities.
In some states, lanes are separated only by Bott’s dots. These are tiny reflectors that save paint and last longer, but are harder to see. Places with heavy snowfall paint black lines in between white dotted lines so the contrast is better. In Australia, the same tactic is done with yellow lines instead of white lines.
Need new road paint? PTG Enterprises can do the job.
We can do your road striping and marking for you, so it’s up-to-code and up-to-date. When you work with PTG, you can be sure that your road paint will last the longest time possible, and it will be bright and easily recognizable. Check out our asphalt services page for more information.
PTG stands out as an industry leader due to our methodology of pavement management planning: a systematic, long-term approach to managing and extending the life of your pavement. We will work with you to develop a comprehensive strategy to extend and maximize the lifespan of your asphalt and concrete surfaces.
If you have any questions about winter asphalt maintenance, please contact PTG Enterprises today by calling 410-636-8777, or click here today! You can also check us out on Facebook and Twitter.
