Fire Lane and ADA Striping

When your parking lot needs to be compliant with the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Standards of Accessible Design, there are a few things to keep in mind. To begin with, when you need to provide spaces for parking, you have an immediate obligation to remove any barriers to accessibility that may exist in your facility of parking. It is relatively inexpensive to do ADA striping and thus, quite achievable. Here are a few tips to ensure you get it right the first time.

Tip #1: Know Your Number

In each garage or parking lot, the minimum number of spaces accessible is based on the provided number of parking spaces. In every six spaces that are accessible, at least one needs to be accessible by van.

It is always a good idea to perform routine maintenance and repaint your parking lot every one to three years. Signage and striping is required and you need to meet the fire code and striping regulations of ADA.

Tip#1: Follow Your Own State's Parking Requirements

Restrictions of parking according to ADA requirements are mandated by the state. In other words, you will need to inquire about the ADA requirements that are specific to your own state. On the other hand, poorly marked No Parking Areas are a universal issue. Also, many drivers are aware and still decide to illegally park. State laws restrict parking areas for the purpose of public safety. After all, emergency personnel never wants to deal with limited access due to parking illegally.

Tip#3: Fire Lane Signs

If you own a building or a business, ADA requires that you display signs that indicate a fire lane in order to maintain a lane designated for first responders or fire trucks that they can use during a situation of emergency. These types of urgent situations can include fire extinguishing or even another type of emergency.

A fire lane that has a no parking sign indicates that all drivers and patrons of your business must not park in an area designated as a Fire Lane. In addition, in times when parking is not easy to come by, none of the cars ought to park blocking these fire lanes, as they must be kept free at all time. Often, these types of signage are also a requirement by your local government to ensure the protection and compliance of every public establishment.

Tip#4 Striping Your Spaces

When striping your parking spaces, you need to provide ADA-required parking space access. This means there must be a removal of every barrier that barricades access to existing parking lots. It is stipulated by ADA that parking spaces that lead to a specific building needs to be built in the shortest route accessible from the parking point until the entrance.

Tip#5 Size Matters

When striping your parking lot, size does matter. ADA has size specifications that you need to follow. For example, accessible parking spaces need to be a minimum of eight feet wide and should have an access aisle adjacent to this. When it comes to parking spaces for vans, an eight-foot adjacent aisle is required. If striping spaces for cars, there needs to be a five-foot wide access aisle adjacently placed to the parking space. Use the highest quality paint to assure the brightest lines possible.

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The Importance of Parking Lot Line Painting and Pavement Marking

In business today it's important to be professional. This includes the upkeep of property maintenance inside and outside of the business. Parking lot line painting is one of the most important aspects of external property maintenance and this article explains three excellent reasons why.

1) Appearance

The parking lot of a business acts as a welcome mat for customers and can often act as a first impression to new clients. If the parking lot pavement markings are worn and barely visible it may give the impression to some clients that the owners are irresponsible or that they don't care about the way their property looks. Parking lots simply look better with a fresh coat of high grade traffic paint on the stall lines, handicap symbols, arrows, speed bumps and any other pavement markings the lot might have. When line painting is done it allows that mat to say "welcome" again.

2) Parking Organization

If there is no visible lines to indicate parking spaces in a parking lot, people will park anywhere and everywhere they can fit their vehicle. This is not good since it increases the chance of people getting boxed in and unable to get out of the lot. When parked vehicles are in disarray it can also increase the chance of dings and scratches to vehicles if navigation around the lot is tight and difficult. Parking stalls and drive lanes have regulated sizes for these reasons and a nicely painted lot keeps the parked traffic organized and moving vehicles can be driven through the area safely and easily.

3) Space Maximization

I can't count the number of times I've seen 20 vehicles in a "full" parking lot that could easily fit 24 or 25 automobiles if it had been given the correct line painting job done. It doesn't seem like much but let's say it's a restaurant that averages $50.00 per bill. That adds up to about $200.00 - $250.00 in revenue. This to me would be the most frustrating parking problem for the business owner since most of the time if people can't park at the establishment, they don't shop there either. Painting proper stall lines allows optimal space maximization that fits as many vehicles as the parking lot can safely manage.

These are three basic problems that can be easily avoided if the correct pavement markings are applied to the lot. As long as parking lot line painting is done by professionals it can be one of the quickest and effective aspects of external property maintenance.

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Parking Lot Injuries Often Result of Distraction

 

Parking lots are riskier than you think. Tens of thousands of crashes occur in parking lots and garage structures annually, resulting in hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries. And, around the holidays, parking lots become even more dangerous.

Auto insurers report the number of claims spike on Black Friday and run above normal throughout the holiday shopping season. The number of incidents is probably higher than insurance claims indicate, as many fender-benders go unreported.

So Many Distractions

In an NSC public opinion poll, 66% of drivers nationwide said they would make phone calls while driving through parking lots. Respondents also said they would:

Program GPS systems (63%)

Text (56%)

Use social media (52%)

Send or receive emails (50%)

Take photos or watch videos (49%)

Learn more at: https://www.nsc.org/road-safety/safety-topics/distracted-driving/parking-lot-safety

Crack Sealing and Pavement Repair | Vaca Vet Striping

http://vacavetstriping.com/

Pavement cracks need to be filled and/or sealed to prevent water from entering sub-grade layers. Special rubberized materials are applied to the cracks, which seals the pavement and helps to prolong its life.

Application of pavement crack treatments consist of three basic steps:

• Cleaning the cracks
• Cutting the reservoir if needed
• Installing the material

Sealing treatments are used for pavements that primarly have working cracks greater than 1/8 inch. Sealing treatments consist of creating a widened reservoir to provide proper geometry and placement of flexible material that can accommodate the expected movements.

- Sealcoating, crack sealing, striping and pavement repair. We do it all.

- Filling Asphalt Cracks in your asphalt driveway or parking lot surface will be a very important part of extending the life of your asphalt surface.

- The forces of nature do their best to break down the surface, creating cracks and potholes, which decreases the life of your driveway or parking lot. We specialize in maintenance and repair to help you extend the life of your asphalt.

Call Vaca Vet Striping at 707-592-8331 for an estimate

Enjoy a Safe Driveway or Parking Lot by Hiring Expert Paving Contractors!

A safe parking lot or driveway is an essential first step to creating a welcoming atmosphere at any home or business. Prevent person injuries and property damage by hiring a professional paving contractor to perform effective, long-lasting pavement repairs, resurfacing, and more.

Potholed, crumbled, or cracked parking lots and driveways don't just give off a poor impression. They can deter customers from your business, create neighborhood eyesores, pose physical threats to people and vehicles, and even result in damage to your buildings due to poor drainage. If you have damaged pavement on your property or need a new parking lot or driveway, call your local paving contractors today. These professionals have the experience and know-how to provide you with attractive, safe craftsmanship that will serve you well for years to come.

How do paving contractors promote safety?

Correctable and preventable problems such as potholes, cracks, and dips can cause broken ankles, scraped knees, or worse. Your paving contractor is available to provide a variety of parking lot and driveway paving and repairs, such as filling in potholes, sealing cracks, installing block edges to prevent crumbling, and more. Replacement driveway or parking lot paving is also an option if your current pavement is irreparably damaged. These professionals will only use quality materials and tools to ensure a sleek look and continued performance season after season.

Your paving professional will begin by ensuring that the construction area is even and stable. Your terrain will be then be examined in order to determine the proper grade for your pavement. This encourages water to drain away from your property, which helps prevent water damage and puddles. The base stone will then be laid, bound with asphalt binder, and then sealed with a smooth top coat.
After proper pavement installation, your paving contractor can then provide additional safety features and services, including:

• Sign installation and pavement painting - Arrows, signs, parking lines, and other accessories and details are essential for an orderly parking lot. These features help prevent accidents, distinguish handicap reserved spaces, and more!
• Speed bumps - Discourage speeding on your property with strong, effective speed bumps.
• Prevent vehicular damage - Potholes and other deterioration are often the culprit behind popped tires and damaged suspensions. Prompt driveway and parking lot repairs can protect cars as well as people.

Installing and servicing reliable driveways and parking lots comes from years of experience and expert knowledge. Using a professional paving company is necessary if you want to enjoy quality work that can stand up to time, traffic, and the elements. If you want to help prevent vehicle accidents, remove safety hazards, or just are sick of having grass grow in the cracks of your driveway, don't settle for amateur work. Call your local paving professionals today.

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New Asphalt Repairs Its Own Cracks

They're a common sight on many roads and the bane of motorists' lives, but potholes could soon be a thing of the past thanks to nano-technology.

Researchers in Switzerland have patented a method that repairs stress-induced cracks in asphalt to prevent potholes forming in the first place and could double the life span of roads embedded with the technology.

A precise amount of iron oxide nanoparticles are mixed with bitumen - the sticky, viscous black binder obtained from crude oil and used to keep road material together.

Ever-so slightly heating up this asphalt using a small magnetic field melts the bitumen, allowing it to seep into the minute cracks to 'self-heal'.

Helping the Handicapped - How to Create a Handicap Accessible Parking Spot

When business owners are designing their location's parking lot, they should be sure to keep in mind their handicapped customers. The Americans with Disabilities Acts establishes a strict set of guidelines that must be followed by every business with a parking lot. Failure to comply with ADA regulations can result in fines. Luckily for business owners, the ADA specifications are rather straightforward.

ADA regulations require that a business owner have a certain number of handicapped parking spots. According to Adaptive Access, this number depends on how many parking spots a location offers. For small businesses with only 25 parking stalls, only one accessible parking space is necessary. As the number of parking stalls increases, though, so does the number of required accessible parking spots. At the maximum, for locations with more than 1,000 regular parking spaces, handicapped parking spaces must account for 20 spots, plus one for every extra hundred spots.

When deciding on the location of a handicap-accessible parking spot, there are a few rules that a business owner needs to observe. The accessible parking spots must be the closest parking spot to the store. At some businesses, the closest parking spot may not be suitable for an accessible parking spot. For example, the closest spot may be located on an extreme slope, or the ground may have large cracks in it. If this is the case, than the accessible spot needs to be as close as safely possible to the business' entrance.

The pathway from the handicapped parking space to the store must also be accessible to customers with disabilities. A handicap-accessible parking spot cannot be located on the top floor of a garage unless there is a ramp or elevator that leads to the store entrance. An accessible spot may also not be positioned in a spot where there is an extreme slope. If the path to the store crosses in front of any vehicular traffic, than the area must feature a clearly marked pedestrian-crossing zone.

Each handicap-accessible parking spot must be at least eight feet wide. Handicap-accessible parking spots must have two five-foot wide pedestrian loading zones, into which a wheel chair or electric scooter can easily fit. Two adjacent handicapped parking spaces can share one loading zone. According to the Florida Section of the Institute of Transportation Engineers, the parking spot must be outlined in blue, and needs to be repainted as necessary so that it is always clearly defined. Loading zones must be painted with diagonal stripes to denote that they are not parking spots.

The international handicap symbol should be painted on the pavement furthest from the curb so it is easily visible as a car approaches the stall. You can use the 39 inch (1 meter) international handicap parking stencil which is made to Federal ADA specifications. However, you should verify size requirements with your local zoning office as state specifications can vary and change without notification. For example, California requires the 36 inch handicap parking stencil and Florida requires the 60 inch handicap pavement stencil.

Handicap parking stencils are available in a range of sizes. A 21 inch is typically used in stadium row seating and the 72 inch is typically used at airports and large facilities.

ADA regulations say a handicapped parking spot must always have a handicapped parking sign placed in the front of the spot as well. A handicapped parking sign needs to be posted at a height so that it will always be viewable and mounted high enough for other cars to see - generally speaking, the parking sign needs to be posted five feet off the ground. The parking sign must also show the international symbol of accessibility. Once inside, you should include handicap bathroom signs.

For every eight handicapped parking spots, at least one spot needs to be accessible to vans. The van-accessible handicapped spot must still be eight feet wide, but the loading zones must be eight feet wide instead of five feet. The parking sign also needs to clearly designate that the spot is for vans, though regular vehicles with a permit may park there.

Designing a parking lot with handicapped accessibility in mind is key. Not only will it prevent a business owner from being fined, but it will also go a long way to pleasing any handicapped customers a business may have.

Daniel Keane has been owner of Alphabet Signs located in Wilmington DE since 1991. Daniel graduated Drexel University College of Business Administration in 1983. Membership includes International Sign Association and United States Signs Council. Alphabet Signs has over 3000 quality products in 50+ sign categories at discounted prices: http://www.alphabetsigns.com/

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Will I See the Asphalt Repairs When They’re Done?

One of the most common questions that I'm asked is, “Will I see the repairs when they're done?” My answer is always the same - yes. It's impossible to match old asphalt using new asphalt, even with infrared repairs. How well a repair blends with the surrounding asphalt depends on one main factor, how many times the surrounding asphalt has been sealed. Each time you sealcoat your asphalt, the voids between the aggregate get filled in a little more. The more times a driveway has been sealed, the less texture it has, leaving little chance it will match up with new asphalt that has more texture. Just imagine your old driveway next to a new driveway, that's the difference you will see.

A follow up question I hear a lot is, “Won't it blend in after I sealcoat?” It will blend better with a sealcoat (same color), but the textures will still be different and the repairs will be visible. Asphalt surfaces that have only been sealed a few times can eventually blend in pretty well with a few sealcoats, over a few years. If a new driveway is what you're looking for, you’ll need a paving company that can give you a new driveway. Infrared repairs are a nice option if a large portion of your asphalt is in good shape and you can accept that the repairs will not be invisible.

Article Source: http://www.asphaltadvisor.com/2013/07/will-i-see-asphalt-repairs-when-theyre.html

The 5 Cost-Saving Benefits of Sealcoating your Parking Lot

It takes 7 seconds for people to form a first impression of your business. That doesn’t give you a lot of time to be impressive.

Talk to any real estate agent and they will tell you about the importance of curb appeal when selling a property. The same is true for your business. you might not be looking for someone to buy your business, but you do want to attract customers to buy your products.

As soon as your customers drive up to your location, they’re already forming their first impressions. Sealcoating your paved parking lot is an excellent way to keep up your curb appeal and make a positive impression.

Let’s look at several benefits of sealcoating your parking lot.

1. Water-Resistant
Asphalt is a durable and long-lasting substance. That’s why it is popular for roads, parking lots, driveways, and more.

However, water is a big enemy.

Asphalt is a porous material. This means that moisture can get down inside the asphalt. When it does, this speeds up degradation and deterioration of the pavement.

In the winter months, this is further exacerbated by freezing temperatures. If you remember back to high school science class, water expands as it freezes.

So when the temperature drops, any moisture that is trapped in the asphalt can freeze and expand, causing cracks and damage to the asphalt.

Sealcoating the asphalt will diminish this effect significantly. The sealant protects the asphalt by creating a barrier that water can’t penetrate.

Snow and ice sitting on top of the asphalt can also cause problems. Not only can it be dangerous by causing cars to slide out of control, but also having water sitting on top of it constantly exacerbates the water exposure problem.

Sealcoating helps make snow and ice melt faster — protecting both your pavement and your customers and their vehicles.

2. Oxidation-Resistant
Water isn’t the only danger that asphalt faces. The sun is another element that your asphalt parking lot will face daily that can cause damage.

Asphalt contains a mix of oils that keep it supple and helps it maintain its flexibility. Constant sun exposure can dry out these oils, in essence, “baking” the asphalt. 

At first, as the asphalt dries out it may simply be more prone to cracking. Eventually, the material will become so brittle and weak that it can begin to crumble away.

Obviously, that type of disrepair isn’t the kind of impression you want to make on your customers!

Sealcoating helps slow the evaporation of the oils and keeps the asphalt “hydrated” for a longer period of time.

3. Chemical-Resistant
Asphalt is also exposed to a number of different chemicals. Cars can leak a variety of fluids including oil, gas, antifreeze, brake fluid, and more.

Just like water, these liquids can seep down into the porous asphalt. Depending on the substance they can cause even more damage than plain old water.

When you sealcoat asphalt, the same barrier that inhibits water from getting down into the pavement keeps these other liquids and chemicals out and minimizes the damage they can cause.

4. Replace Asphalt Less Frequently
What do the first three benefits we’ve talked about mean for your parking lot? Simple. You won’t have to repave it as frequently.

Though asphalt is durable and long-lasting, if you want to keep your parking lot in tip-top shape, you’ll need to replace it periodically. Remember, curb appeal is important for your business and a shoddy parking lot doesn’t make a good impression.

But replacing asphalt is an expensive and tedious process.

The weather/temperature has to be just right otherwise the asphalt won’t harden as it should when it cools. Rain can also complicate the installation as water exposure will cause significant problems with the asphalt before it solidifies.

It’s also an inconvenience. Your customers may not be able to use the parking lot while it is being repaved. Depending on your location, that could mean that you’ll have to close your business completely during the installation.

This means not only an expensive maintenance bill but also you’ll miss out on sales — hitting your wallet even harder.

Sealcoating your parking lot is a far less involved project. It won’t take as long and it isn’t as expensive. And it will drastically lengthen the lifespan of your asphalt, cutting down on how often it needs to be replaced.

In short, sealcoating is certainly preferable to the inconvenience of replacing asphalt.

5. Aesthetic Appeal
Aside from repairing cracked or crumbling asphalt, replacing your asphalt has one big benefit. It looks so nice afterward!
Fresh asphalt has that dark, smooth finish that looks so sharp and screams well-maintained. Unfortunately, it begins to fade to an ugly gray over time and with exposure to the elements.

Did you know that sealcoating creates that same dark look? It also helps maintain that look for a longer period of time due to the benefits we’ve already mentioned.

A fresh application of sealcoat will cover small cracks and other imperfections. It also goes on black — just like asphalt. So you get the fresh dark look, without the hassle of installing new asphalt. Simply paint the lines back on your parking lot and it will look brand new!

Find Your Sealcoating Professionals
Ready to breathe new life into your parking lot without going to the expense and hassle of replacing the asphalt? Then it’s time to look into sealcoating.

Article Source: https://www.mdpavingpros.com/the-5-cost-saving-benefits-of-sealcoating-your-parking-lot/