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We bought a no parking stencils last year and it doesnt seem as big as the ones we are finding to repaint on our jobs. It looks like we need a separate NO and separate PARKING. Whats the standard size and I think the measurement from the bottom of the N to the Top is 12 in. but not sure. Do they measure stencils from the rectangle sides or the letters? The NO is also usually on top of the Parking.
Hello Schaef
First…I say there is no standard.
Next…in my area…everything “seems” to be 12″ lettering. ( I started with 10″ lettering, then switched to 12″. )
In California 8″ lettering rules the world.
BUT…it is all up to the owner.
I manufacture stencils. I have 4″ all the way up to 12 Feet !
There are NO PARKING stencils for the curb = 4″. There are 24″ NO PARKING stencils for the Fire Lane.
I’ve seen 12″ NO PARKING in the Fire Lane too.
And again…I’ve seen Red Curbs with White NO PARKING on the Curb’s tread.
( Remember, stenciling is not enforceable by law. The stencil may be faded, covered with snow, under water…etc. So…”hard signs” are really needed. Such as NO PARKING FIRE LANE…or H/C signs in a bollard…in the stall too. That said…I’ve just finished striping a Menard’s. It’s the size of a Lowe’s or Home Depot. It had NO H/C stencils…ONLY H/C hard signs in the stalls. )
Next…you can order a one piece…or two piece. First…the 12″ can all be put onto one piece of plastic. The plastic is 8′ long.
1) You can then use it as a one piece or…spray the NO…then slide the “PARKING” part to the right about …any…dimension you want…say three feet…and spray that.
2) When you get into the 18″ lettering and certainly the 24″ lettering…there isn’t enough room to put the entire NO PARKING onto the sheet of plastic. So…we make it a two piece. Then again…you decide the spacing between the words. And you can “stack” them if you want. ( That’s why I manufacture DRIVE THRU in two pieces. Do what looks best for that job. )
Last…the phrase “Standard” is subjective. I’ve had a 36″ H/C for 17 years. THEN someone says “Standard 39″ H/C”. And the world begins to think that the STANDARD IS 39″. ( remember, we live in American…bigger is better AND…39″ is simply one meter AND…it may as well be 39″…because if I cut two H/C stencils from ONE sheet…I have waste that I throw away. SO…I might as well make the H/C bigger! ) OR…why not just give more “Edge Distance”? blahblah…
Next…if some architect calls out a SIX FOOT H/C…!…paint it. Have you seen Wal Mart?.
Next…I’ve also seen “Home Made” stencils. These are totally understandable. BUT…I…nor you…can match everything down there ( on the pavement ).
Bottom line…buy a good, long lasting stencil. Black their’s out…nicely. Put yours down…and do a nice job. Space the words nicely. Measure if you want to. But take a look at it too. ( Maybe you shouldn’t straddle the ramp. Scoot it over. )
OK…last…last…I’ve seen 42″ tall lettering with a 9″ wide letter. What? Picture that. Now, if that’s what they want…cool. But I just cut a 42″ STOP with MY STANDARD 17″ wide lettering. It just looks much better. And, my prices are still low. And, by the way…they actually wanted a 48″ tall STOP. I suggested a 42″ tall letter. WHY? Not because of any “standard”…but price. I cannot cut a one piece 48″ tall letter from a 48″ wide piece of plastic. I can cut 4 individual letters though. SO…let’s go with a 42” tall letter. Less cost to you and it’s done.
OK…last,last,last…if you’re on a Public road, there may be “requirements”…actual “drawings” that tell you what to do. Also, there is a D.O.T. “Standard”. “Department of Transportation”. THAT needs to be…but on the neighborhood business…you’ll see everything.
Pretend it is your parking lot. That’s my best advice. Well…and know this…you’re doing fine. Press on.
DanWell it is hard to add much to what Dan said. With the exception that we stock 12″, 18″ and 24″ NO PARKING stencils. The standards are usually set by the local government or fire department. At a quick glance I did not see anything in the MUTCD on it for federal regs. Lastly be careful in just replacing as it was, it could be wrong.
Hello Schaef
…a couple things…
1) I’m sorry, I failed to address this…
We measure the actual letter from top to bottom. 12″ tall, 14″ tall, 6″ tall…etc. What ever you want.
That said…you’ll see different widths out there…of the letters themselves. Just make sure you’re ordering the width you’d like.
Then…compare plastic thickness…( all of my personal stencils, which I still use kinda daily are 125 Mil thick = 1/8th inch thick ). No 60 Mil for stripers.
Next…be careful of the “Edge Distance”. Some MFGs offer a 2″ Edge Distance. I offer 3″.
It’s not only about “Over Spray Protection”. It’s about strength, too.
Then…compare price.
Bottom line…letter height, letter width, plastic thickness, edge distance, price.
( Edge distance is also sometimes disclosed as “Overall Height”. Mine would be 18″ “Overall height”…on a 12” Tall NO PARKING lettering. )Next…
Stay relaxed. I don’t even own a “Mother of all Uniform Traffic Control Devices”…Manual.
Ok…the M stands for Manual.
Here’s why…you’re off road.
1) I try to put back what the customer had. If it’s an 18″…and I have one…cool. If I don’t…just ask ’em…”Do you mind if I put back a 24″? It’s a little bigger. Same price. I’ll space them out nicely…not too many, that the place looks mucked up…not too few, that they fail to do the job. I’ll make it look nice.” 999 out of 1000 are nice people who trust you. THAT’s why you get the job. And…notice…I didn’t ask if they wanted a 24″ letter in the WIDE font…or a 24″ letter in the NARROW font.
Schaef, you’re doing fine.
Next…on my bid…I will make the statement that I’ll be converting the existing H/C stencils into “Blue Block” design. And, Schaef, I don’t disclose that mine is 36″ or 39″. And…I don’t put a White Border around it…unless it had one. No Biggee.
2) I’ve striped miles of roads. Almost always I have a drawing. That’s someone else job. I just go by the drawing. If it calls out for an 11″ “Suicide” lane…guess what…?…Uncle Dan Paints it 11′ wide. Sometimes the drawing calls for a 10′ curb lane…sometimes an 11′ curb lane…sometimes 12′.
3) As far as the D.O.T. = Department of Transportation; my DOT = Ohio…= ODOT. Florida = “F” DOT. Texas would be TDOT…etc.
YES…when we all travel on public streets and highways…we should adopt a single standard. I do own an 8″ ONLY, Arrows…etc…that I use in the street.
Next…that said…whenever I have a job…such as a strip mall or a large hospital…that has a “Ring Road”…or a nice big ol’ “Drive Lane”…I try to adopt these standards…not out of fear of reprisal…but I just think of it as “what if it were mine”? “What would be best?” I don’t sweat it. I will make the Stop Bars 24″ wide. I will also use probably just the top half of my 12′ and 13′ arrows. Unless of course it’s a Re-Stripe. Then I’ll decide…it that existing Directional Arrow ok?…or can I make it better?
Next…here’s the beauty too…the road is probably, already some multiple of 12′ wide. In other words…it’s already 24′ wide…or 36′ wide. If it’s 35′ wide…make the suicide a little wider then the “Curb Lanes”. That would be comfortable…etc…etc…etc… (…that’s a line from a movie…)
Bottom line…relax…you’re doin’ fine.
Dan
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