acetone cottage cheese

When needing to set gun height/line width, another option besides using tar paper or stencil is to use the area where the handicap square will be placed, the head/tail of arrows, anything that will be covered up later. If contractor/customer ask why it was done tell them its a wear indicator strip.

Or just shoot it on a stencil(so you wont have a glob of paint that's been covered up)

i always just spray it on the bucket lid that away your just placing it right back on the bucket anyway and if it goes anywhere it will go where it should

I use a piece of LDP about 20 x 30 inches. Last forever till you loose it.

Fonz wrote on Jul 10, 2009:Go to #4

I use a piece of LDP about 20 x 30 inches. Last forever till you loose it.

Ditto

whiteline wrote on Jul 17, 2009:Go to #5

Fonz wrote on Jul 10, 2009:Go to #4

I use a piece of LDP about 20 x 30 inches. Last forever till you loose it.

Ditto

And for when it gets lost, there always seems to be a sheet of cardboard nearby.

I always have a sheet of cardboard large enough to set the machine on when ever working on it. Like filling it or installing the gun in the holder or warming up the machine. I can't count the number of times it ha has saved me from cleaning up a spill. It gets heavy after s few test strips but well worth having it around. It can also make you look good if a car owner happens to be standing around if you use it against his wheels. and the good thing about it is it ia free.

I usually stage on a canvas tarp

We use the acetone based SW paints on new asphalt with no issues. No discoloration issues here. Dave - NJ

I use all acetone, no issues to report here.

Thanks for the info...

It's not a "turns brown" issue with latex on new asphalt it's a reaction with the light oils in the asphalt and the paint like acetone or ant solvent paint reacts with the oil in the asphalt and can weaken the asphalt or cause side cracking (cracks down the side of the stripes). Many people "get away" with it but the Asphalt Institute the NAPA etc. ALL say "waterborne on new asphalt" it's because of the solvents and the light oils that need to cure out of new asphalt & the two's reaction visible or not. Solvent type paint is just not "good" for the asphalt. I don't understand it but the 2 "biggest authorities" that all the states & everyone look two say so so I figure their scientists are smarter & might as well use waterborene. But unlike sealer it's not a"turns brown" issue" I have seen lots of solvent paints-all types- "look" fine on new asphalt.

Don, I always thought when you get side cracking on new asphalt its because someone put the paint on to heavy and the shrinkage of the asphalt caused the crack due to the heavy amount of paint. Now I dont know what to think, but i certainly prefer to use acetone when possible.

My experience is that all types of paints will cause "side cracking" on new asphalt, however: applying paint too thick will exaggerate the condition. Waiting for new asphalt to cure is helpful, when that option is available.

Years ago we had a contract to stripe an airport runway. (small town, it amazes me how many tiny towns have paved runways) The contractor had just finished "fog sealing" the new asphalt and called us in immediately to stripe it. The inspector complained that we were putting the paint down too thin, so we go back over a few areas with more paint and start applying it thicker to the rest. Two weeks later, we start getting phone calls that the paint ruined the surface. Sure enough, it looks like an alligator's back out there. 8"x8" is about the largest size of paint that did not crack. Not only that, but it was like saucers out there, the lips of the cracks picked up over 1/4 inch from the original surface. After a lot of debate that didn't really go anywhere, our company, the prime contractor, and the airport agreed to have a mediator come in and assess the situation. Well, this "impartial" mediator was from an asphalt company, so we were pretty well screwed. This asphalt expert decided it was the paint's fault (surprise surprise) and that we put the paint down too thick. Just as you would expect the inspector promptly forgot any conversation about the paint being too thin. We had to come in and repaint every square inch at our cost. I am very leary of freshly sealed asphalt to this day. Solvent or latex based.

wally wrote on Aug 3, 2009:Go to #15

Years ago we had a contract to stripe an airport runway. (small town, it amazes me how many tiny towns have paved runways) The contractor had just finished "fog sealing" the new asphalt and called us in immediately to stripe it. The inspector complained that we were putting the paint down too thin, so we go back over a few areas with more paint and start applying it thicker to the rest. Two weeks later, we start getting phone calls that the paint ruined the surface. Sure enough, it looks like an alligator's back out there. 8"x8" is about the largest size of paint that did not crack. Not only that, but it was like saucers out there, the lips of the cracks picked up over 1/4 inch from the original surface. After a lot of debate that didn't really go anywhere, our company, the prime contractor, and the airport agreed to have a mediator come in and assess the situation. Well, this "impartial" mediator was from an asphalt company, so we were pretty well screwed. This asphalt expert decided it was the paint's fault (surprise surprise) and that we put the paint down too thick. Just as you would expect the inspector promptly forgot any conversation about the paint being too thin. We had to come in and repaint every square inch at our cost. I am very leary of freshly sealed asphalt to this day. Solvent or latex based.

Do you think that if you had a "change order" form or anything like that to have them sign off that it would help in this type of situation? I was reading this and thought if there was anything that deviated from standard operating procedure, have the person wanting the changes sign it so if something like this later happened, it would be in their shoulders. Maybe also take pictures of what it looked like after painting then maybe the next day? Just wondering.

Ohio Joe wrote on Aug 3, 2009:Go to #14

My experience is that all types of paints will cause "side cracking" on new asphalt, however: applying paint too thick will exaggerate the condition. Waiting for new asphalt to cure is helpful, when that option is available.

This isn't the paint but the application. And not to be critical of Joe-we are good friends, but he wasn't a paver-probably means he's smater than me To prevent this (and I'll always say waterborne because I was a paver, not just a striper) To prevent side cracks shoot the stripe once with a thin coat. This will "seal" the asphalt so the finish paint is sitting on paint not the asphalt. Then come back and apply a finish coat. No cracking. (I'm sure would help with a slovent paint too but I won't go there) The cracks are caused because the asphalt has not fully cured * there's still softness especially on top. You are sealing in the light oils that sealcoaters always have to wait on to go away. So applying a thick coat of paint will create a lot of surface tension as it dries "pulling" the edges of the soft surface towards the center thus the edge cracking. A thin coat will give the top layer something else to "pull" on besides the pavement as well as providing the old adage "2 thin coats are better than one thick coat" which applies to almost all coatings. You will see the same thing on old lots in areas where the stripes never wore off (unused spaces in outer areas) and continual re-striping made the paint too thick-resulting in the same problem. A wise striper would have painted them thin to avoid paint build-up.

Don, you are correct. I was just making the point that it does not make a difference what type of paint you use: whether oil, acetone or latex. All types can cause cracking if not applied properly. The best solution is to wait before striping ( as printed on all paint cans ) but that rarely happens. I had a customer insist I double coat new asphalt in 100 degree heat about two hours after the paver left, against my reccomendations. He called a month later and wanted to know why the paint and edges were cracking. My reply was: "You made me paint outside standard procedures. Next time listen to someone who has 20 years experience."

Chris wrote on Aug 10, 2009:Go to #16

wally wrote on Aug 3, 2009:Go to #15

Years ago we had a contract to stripe an airport runway. (small town, it amazes me how many tiny towns have paved runways) The contractor had just finished "fog sealing" the new asphalt and called us in immediately to stripe it. The inspector complained that we were putting the paint down too thin, so we go back over a few areas with more paint and start applying it thicker to the rest. Two weeks later, we start getting phone calls that the paint ruined the surface. Sure enough, it looks like an alligator's back out there. 8"x8" is about the largest size of paint that did not crack. Not only that, but it was like saucers out there, the lips of the cracks picked up over 1/4 inch from the original surface. After a lot of debate that didn't really go anywhere, our company, the prime contractor, and the airport agreed to have a mediator come in and assess the situation. Well, this "impartial" mediator was from an asphalt company, so we were pretty well screwed. This asphalt expert decided it was the paint's fault (surprise surprise) and that we put the paint down too thick. Just as you would expect the inspector promptly forgot any conversation about the paint being too thin. We had to come in and repaint every square inch at our cost. I am very leary of freshly sealed asphalt to this day. Solvent or latex based.

Do you think that if you had a "change order" form or anything like that to have them sign off that it would help in this type of situation? I was reading this and thought if there was anything that deviated from standard operating procedure, have the person wanting the changes sign it so if something like this later happened, it would be in their shoulders. Maybe also take pictures of what it looked like after painting then maybe the next day? Just wondering.

What we learned from all of this is not to let the prime contractor push us to put stripe down before the asphalt cures out. It is currently specified in the FAA Advisory Circulars that we have to wait 30 days before we paint on newly laid asphalt. I'm not sure, but I think it was specified back then too. If so, then the company I work for was at fault for putting it on the pavement too soon. What we do now when we get into a situation like this is to write up a short letter saying that we strongly recommend waiting the 30 days, warn the contractor of what COULD happen if we don't wait the 30 days, and have the contractor assume all liability if it happens. Then have someone with the prime sign it before one drop of paint hits the pavement. A person can "fail to remember" a conversation, but when you sign something, thats a lot harder to get out of.

Been usingasitone for years never a problem plus waterborne lifts the new asphalt after q while