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What You Need To Know About Restriping And ADA Violations

ADA compliance is non-negotiable. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) aims to prevent discrimination, ensuring easy accessibility and accommodations for those who need them in all aspects of everyday life. Some of the most visible elements of the ADA are in parking lots. As a property owner or manager, it’s your responsibility to ensure your lot maintains compliance at all times. It’s not enough to fulfill those requirements during initial striping. You must also reapply lines and markings any time you restripe parking lot surfaces. Here’s what you need to know about restriping and ADA violations.

What Are the Consequences of Neglecting Restriping and ADA Violations?

Failing to restriping parking lot surfaces and maintain ADA-compliant markings can cost your business more than you might realize. Markings must be visible at all times. Allowing them to fade too much could lead to costly violations.

How much are ADA non-compliance penalties? For just the first violation, you can incur a penalty of up to $75,000! Subsequent penalties will cost you up to $150,000. That does not include additional state-issued fees or those imposed by local governments. Not striping parking lot surfaces to maintain those markings could also lead to reputational harm, lawsuits, and liability concerns.

Parking lot striping must continue to comply with ADA requirements over the long haul. Ignoring faded colors and barely visible stripes can harm your business in numerous ways. Therefore, it’s essential to hire restriping companies in Richmond on a regular basis.

What Common Restriping and ADA Violations Do I Need to Avoid?

Striping companies in Richmond can do the heavy lifting, restoring visibility to all stripes and markings on your parking lot. However, it’s easier to make mistakes and inadvertently lose ADA compliance than you might think. Here are a few common issues to avoid.

•Incorrect Stall Sizing: When you hire contractors to restripe parking lot surfaces, you must ensure every accessible stall meets minimum size requirements. In Virginia, these stalls must be at least 96 inches wide with an attached 60-inch access aisle. Experienced striping companies in Richmond are familiar with those dimensions and will maintain them as they refresh markings.
•Improper Accessible Stall Counts: Another mistake is failing to restripe all accessible stalls. You may remember to include the minimum number when you first get parking lot striping. However, you must ensure all stalls receive a refresh to maintain visibility. Parking lots with up to 25 total stalls need at least one accessible spot. The minimum number increases for bigger lots
•Location Changes: If you revamp the design when you restripe parking lot surfaces, you may forget to consider the location of accessible stalls. These marked spots must have the shortest possible route of travel to your building entrance. Contractors should check the location and applicable pathways when completing parking lot striping or restriping projects.
•Signage Mistakes: Every stall needs appropriate signage installed at least 60 inches above the pavement’s surface. Many focus solely on the striping, failing to realize that signs are damaged, difficult to read, or incorrectly installed. Correct that issue when striping parking lots to avoid non-compliance penalties.
•Faulty Symbols Finally, don’t forget to refresh pavement symbols when you restripe parking lot pavement. Stalls need the International Symbol of Accessibility in the signature blue color for visibility. Hire restriping companies in Richmond to ensure those symbols remain vibrant and visible.

What’s the Best Way to Maintain Compliance When Striping Parking Lots?

Striping parking lot surfaces isn’t a one-time job. Paint fades with time. Exposure to the elements and non-stop traffic can cause paint to fade more quickly than you think, resulting in reduced visibility. The best thing you can do is hire restriping companies in Richmond to reapply lines every 18 to 24 months.

The longevity of striping varies based on the formula used and the level of exposure your pavement has to damaging factors. As a general rule, contractors recommend striping parking lot surfaces once visibility drops by 25 percent. If you’re unsure of when that happens, consider having striping companies in Richmond perform inspections a couple of times a year.

CVA Striping has years of experience striping parking lots like yours. We are well-versed in all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. It’s our mission to help keep parking lots throughout Richmond beautiful, safe, and in compliance with local codes. Regardless of the size of your property, we’ll work diligently to ensure it meets all applicable standards. CVA Striping is available for all your parking lot painting needs. We also do sealcoating, asphalt repairs, curb painting, and more.

Call CVA Striping today at (804)432-3255, email cvastriping@gmail.com, or use our online form to get your free project quote.

Parking Lot Painting Facts For Striping In The Fall

Parking lot painting is one of those tasks that many property owners and managers overlook until it’s well past the peak service season. The truth is that Richmond parking lot striping deserves to live higher up on your priority list. Striping can improve safety, enhance traffic efficiency, ensure code compliance, and more. Once those lines and markings fade, safety and the overall driver experience suffer. So, what happens if you need service from striping companies in Richmond during the fall season? Here are some facts you need to know.

Is It Possible to Do Parking Lot Painting in the Fall or Winter?

Richmond parking lot striping contractors prefer to work during the warmer months. Spring and summer are peak seasons for parking lot striping, and it’s not so much about preference as it is about practicality.

You see, parking lot striping paint needs time to cure. Like sealcoating, paint cures partly through mechanisms of evaporation. Exact timelines and environmental requirements vary based on the type of parking lot striping paint used. However, standard water- or solvent-based formulas need to cure for as much as 24 hours before they can accept standard traffic. Those paints dry to the touch in about an hour, but they won’t have the durability you need until a full day later.

So, how do seasonal conditions come into the mix? In the spring and summer seasons, the weather is reliably warm and dry. Thus, evaporation can occur without issue. That’s not the case during the late fall or winter. As a result, parking lot striping may not cure properly. Instead of vibrant lines and markings, you’ll have slow-to-dry paint that doesn’t bond tightly with your asphalt.

What Conditions Do Striping Contractors Need?

Parking lot striping companies require temperatures above 50 degrees Fahrenheit for optimal results. Some formulas can perform well in temperatures as low as 45 degrees, but 50 degrees is generally considered the standard rule of thumb. But that’s not all. To facilitate proper curing and efficient evaporation, conditions must also be dry. Humidity levels above 50 percent can stall curing, preventing that all-important bond.

In early fall, Richmond parking lot striping is still a viable option. However, come October, things get tricky. While daytime temperatures are usually above that 50-degree threshold, paint can struggle to cure at night. Even further into late fall, nighttime temperatures can dip into freezing territory.

If you need striping in the fall, you must schedule your appointment with striping contractors as early as possible in the fall season.

Are There Any Types of Parking Lot Striping Paint That Aren’t Impacted by Temperature or Weather?

Striping companies in Richmond may offer more premium formulas. Some are more suited for winter striping than others. For example, two-part formulas that contain an acrylic-based resin are more resistant to cold weather. Those parking lot striping paint formulas cure faster, making them more suitable for fall and winter projects. However, they come at a premium price, and not all parking lot striping companies offer them.

What Other Factors Can Affect Parking Lot Painting in the Fall?

It’s not just about temperatures. Other factors could derail the work that striping contractors do. For instance, what happens if your pavement needs additional repair or maintenance work? If you wait until the fall season to complete that work, you’re likely to run out of time before conditions become too unfavorable for parking lot striping.

Sealcoating and repair work also need time to cure. By the time those projects are complete, the weather may be too harsh for parking lot striping companies to do their job.

Don’t hesitate to contact CVA Striping if your parking lot needs a refresh. We’re among the most reliable striping companies in Richmond, offering prompt service with high-quality paint formulas. We’ll work closely with you to meet your needs, even during the fall season. In addition to parking lot striping, CVA Striping offers services like sealcoating, asphalt repair, athletic sports courts, fire line marking, warehouse floor markings, and more.

Contact us now to request a complimentary quote and schedule your parking lot striping appointment. You can reach CVA Striping at (804) 432-3255. Alternatively, email the team at cvastriping@gmail.com or use our online form to submit your information.