New in the business; lacking a good line striper

[Anonymous]

I’m running a small crack fill/sealcoat operation consisting of squeegees and buckets, building up to where we want to be.

I don’t want to hire a line striper after every job but I don’t have a machine and there are no used ones for sale anywhere near me. I need a temporary alternative, if one exists.

I tried the spray-can contraption and it’s horrible.

Could I use a paint roller and a bucket of traffic paint for small jobs or should I sub out the work to a pro line striper? I’d much rather do it on my own if possible, but it needs to look nice.

thanks.

[Girish C. Dubey, President STAR, INC.]

Hello Azharr
NO…! The trouble with “rolling” the line is two fold…:
1) It’s uglier than the Upside Down Spray Can job…and…
2) It is sooo hard…it’s back breaking.
On the perfect lot…which does not exist…it MAY work…maybe.
BUT…almost all lots have irregularities. It would be like trying to roll Stucco.
Yes…you could use a roller with a “Nap” of 3/4″ = …a big floppy roller…to get into all the cracks…tiny holes…ruts…etc.
BUT…the edges would be too ugly.
AND…you will pick up debris like…pine needles…or just plain ol’ gritty grit.
…don’t do it.
Next…here’s the first answer…RENT. Only some Tool Rental Shops carry Airless Line Striping Machines. Try that though. You may be one of the lucky ones…who finds a rental nearby.
Next…both Graco and Titan have a 1300.00 to 1500.00 machine. Graco = the Field Laser and Titan = the PL850. ( PL = Parking Lot. )
Both have bike tires and you can only walk 1 MPH while spraying…but…at least you know.
Next…keep this in mind…the reason you cannot find a good used Line Striper…is because they are precious. Buying one isn’t a bad idea.
IF…if…you RENT one and try it … then…if…if…you BUY one to stripe yourself…I really doubt you’ll let it go. It’ll make you a living.
Last…that said…rent the Field Laser or the PL 850. Try it. Then…if you have the cash…BUY the next machine UP = Graco’s 3400…or Titan’s 2850. Both machine can do anything. Both machines allow you to walk 3 MPH = you’ll get done…!
Bottom line…don’t “roll”. Sub…if you need to. Rent if you can…just to see what you may learn.
How’s that?
Let me know.
Keep in touch.
Dan

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the input. On the lot I’m working on now, I’m going to give the roller a shot. The lot is not too big; 66 spots, 1 handicap, 30,000 sq feet. I’d rather invest in a hot crack filler before the striper(bigger profit margin with the cracks) unless I can find a killer deal.

After reading your post last night I searched online and found a FieldLazer for $220 on Allegroshops.com with free shipping.. I saw how much it went for on other sites so I immediately bought it. Today I received and email from them telling me they had priced it incorrectly and they were canceling the order. I almost got a sweet deal on that one. I’m going to keep looking around.

Check out their incorrect price lol: http://www.allegroshops.com/athletic-connection-graco-field-lazer-li-graco-fieldlazer-sports-field-striper-1179477.html?gclid=CKGZiZ7j77ECFQWHtgodM04Axw

I came across an issue today that I have no experience with; as I was measuring the lot to come up with an estimate I noticed that within an alligatored area many of the cracks were damp and had algae in them, there’s apparently water entering the asphalt from below. Can I seal over this? What’s the correct approach here?

[Girish C. Dubey, President STAR, INC.]

Hello azharr
…almost…! It would’ve been a great deal.
It sounds like you’re well on your way.
As for the Crack Fill and Seal…that may be best answered in those Forums.
I’ll be around for striping, though.
Keep in touch.
Dan

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