Parking Lot Striping in Ames, IA

Parking lot striping wears faster in Ames than people expect. Plow blades, sand and salt scrape paint all winter, and by spring many lots have stalls nobody can see. Faded lines lead to wasted space, cars parked across two stalls and confusion at entrances. Restriping after the snow is gone, or right after sealcoating or an overlay, puts the lot back in order.

Restripe or new layout

A straight restripe follows the existing lines. A new layout changes stall angles, sizes or traffic flow, often to fit more stalls or fix a bottleneck. HomeGuide notes a new layout costs 20 to 50 percent more than restriping existing lines, because it has to be measured and marked from scratch.

Accessible parking

When a lot is restriped, the 2010 ADA Standards for accessible parking apply. That covers how many accessible spaces the lot needs based on its total, how many must be van-accessible, the width of spaces and access aisles, and signs. We count the stalls, check the slope at the accessible spaces and lay out the plan before any paint goes down.

What we paint

• Standard stalls and double lines
• Accessible spaces, symbols and access aisles
• Directional arrows and stop bars
• Crosswalks, fire lanes and loading zones
• Curb painting and stenciled numbers or words

Timing

Paint needs a clean, dry surface and mild temperatures. After a new overlay or sealcoat, we stripe once the surface has cured enough to hold paint. Many owners schedule restriping each spring once the sand is swept.

Working around your hours

Striping goes quickly and most lots can be done early in the morning, in the evening or on a weekend. We block off sections as we go so the lot stays open.

Accessible space requirements in brief

The Justice Department's guidance on restriping lists the minimum number of accessible spaces by lot size: one for a lot of 1 to 25 spaces, two for 26 to 50, three for 51 to 75 and four for 76 to 100, with at least one of every six accessible spaces van-accessible. Car spaces must be at least 96 inches wide with a 60-inch access aisle; van spaces need 132 inches with a 60-inch aisle, or 96 inches with a 96-inch aisle. Spaces and aisles cannot slope more than 1:48 in any direction, and signs must be mounted with the bottom at least 60 inches above the ground. We measure the slope at the spaces you plan to use before striping them.