Dirty Paint

I am having issues with my lots strying bright. I will stripe a lot at nite, using either latex or Oil, and by the next night, the lines are so dirty the lot dosent even look like it was done. I have tried a couple different types of paint, Sherwin Williams, and a couple smaller suppliers with the same results. I do not add anything to the paint, just use it straight. I have a line lazer 3900. Any suggestions? PLEASE HELP.

Hey Are you striping on Fresh Sealed, New Asphalt, is it a re- strip, is there alot of traffic on the lines the next day? There are a lot of factors with this subject that I did not metion. What color were you using? We just go done sealing a parking lot and we had to do it in sections. When we got done I had to do the Handicaps over just so the old ones would look as good as the new. -Dean

Bruce- As Dean said, there are a lot of factors that may be contribting to your problem. If it doesn't involve fresh asphalt or sealer here is just one. If you are painting at night, the "cure" time will be longer (especially latex if it is humid) than the day because of the lack of sun and warmth. Most paints will have a fairly short period of time where they will not "track" if vehicles drive over them. They will however look dirty because the paint is still "soft" and picks up "dirt" from anything that drives or walks on them. If traffic hits the lot early in the morning, the paint may not have cured as yet and this may cause the lines to look like they may not have been painted. Try coning off a few stalls if possible for the day and see what happens when you open them up to traffic. Just curious, do you have a light on your equipment and are the lots you stripe very dirty? Keep us posted.

I agree with S.A.M. there are many variables as to why this could be happening. When we have had this issue it is usually paint related, and due to the viscosity, usually when it is slightly too thick is when we would see the paint turn dirty. You can add very small amount (a couple of cups per 5) of a fast drying solvent like toluene to solvent based paints, that worked for us.

We have this happen to us a number of time on a busy lot. Found out that the lot is dusty, but it looks clean. Also noticed that the lines don't last as long with the dirty looking lines. We did stripe it one time and it rained the next day and the lines look really good. So hope it rains the next day after you do it. We lost the account for 2 years from someone out of the area, until it happened to them. Now we do it twice a year for them.

We use SW latex paint, sometimes the lines will look dirty from the traffic but seems after a rain they brighten back up.

I have better luck with chlorinated rubber than with waterbased, but both can pick up dirt if they get traffic within 24 hours or so. I have used one type of paint that stays clean on dirty, high traffic lots. That's Supreme from Technical Coatings. It's hard and glossy and bright. It doesn't seem to last as long as cr, but sure looks good while it lasts.

never used Chlorinated rubber, is that like oil based? clean up w/ mineral spirits Is the cost much higher than SW latex?

It's oil based. It's more durable than ordinary oil based paint. Costs a couple dollars more. cleanup with mineral spirits, xylene or tolulene.

Thanks for the help. The lots are very busy the next morning, and they are getting older, ie, dust, dirt and oil spots. The Prop mgr. does have the lots swept twice a week so not terrible. I am striping in Upstate NY, so temp is still boarderline. 50's I was wondering if I was putting in too much TSL in the pump, and it is mixing with the paint keeping it soft longer. I took my pump apart today and noticed some TSL in the bottom ball area. I am going to test a strip of "virgin" paint rolled on in one of the high traffic areas tonite. If it gets dirty the next day, I am going to chalk it up to the parking lot, or temp, and not me or my machine.

Just a tip for an easy way to start to find if the problem is the paint or inevitable. Go out to a lot a couple of days old that has done this. Take a little cleaner (not thinner, something like soap) and water and a rag and "wash" a bit of a stripe. If it looks new again it's not the paint, it's a dirty parking lot (swept or not). We used to use a paint from another manufacturer that was like what Robert described, kind-of glossy & hard and it didn't pick up the dirt as bad. Was more expensive but looked great. But they quit making it, rumor was because of the shiny look somebody said they slipped on it and sued...