Walgreen Specs

[Anonymous]

I’m bidding a Walgreen’s Drug Store new parking lot. The engineering specs require that the parking lines be yellow and 4″ wide with a 2″ wide black stripe on each side of the yellow line. I am wondering if anyone has done this kind of striping before. Do I paint an 8″ wide black line then overlay a 4″ yellow line in the center of the black line OR do I shoot the yellow line then shoot a 2″ black line on each side?

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

Hey Striper Ed…how are you?
My answer?…the first way. Put down an 8″ black line…then a 4″ on top.
Trying to spray a 2″ line is difficult enough…let alone perfectly beside an existing 4″ line.
I’m guessing this is a concrete parking lot? I see these. I’ll bet then the arrows will also have a black border around them.
I think it’s because some well intentioned engineer or architect thinks…hey, you can’t see paint on concrete.
My only advice is this…
1) I find that a good latex works well on concrete.
2) Alkyd turns a lovely orange when applied to freshly installed concrete. That may not occur though, since the black is there first. This may also be a reason for the black. But…then again…the stores I see use white on top of black…and again…it’s on concrete.
3) Don’t be afraid to bid it right. Black costs more. Buy it in single gallon cans. Open each can only as you have need. Then…return the rest. Maybe keep some for some unforeseen mistake you must “black out” on a different job.
4) Maybe…just maybe…you can spray a 3″-4″ border around an arrow…that you own. But if you must cut new stencils…add the complete cost to the job. Odds are…you’ll never use it again…you decide.
5) Bid it right. Time…paint…switching colors…hand painting…new stencils…
All that said…I hope you get the job.
Let me know.
Dan

[Anonymous]

Thanks Dan!

I appreciate your input on this. I, too, was leaning toward doing the 8″ black first even though it will take more paint this way. And yes, it is a concrete lot (they don’t require it on asphalt). Seems like a waste of money up front plus for their annual maintenance. This particular engineer even wants the DRIVE THRU stencil letters to be outlined in black too. I am proposing painting a black rectangle instead and then placing the yellow stencil letters on top of that. They require the arrows to be outlined also and I plan to do them with the machine. My quote may be outside their budget limit…we’ll see!

Ed

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

Hey Ed.
I wouldn’t hold back.
1) They aren’t going to come over to our side = they are going to go with these specs.
2) …and again…bid it to your favor.
Sometimes when I bid a job outside the limits of normalcy…
…and I get the bid…
…my first thought is…
…crap…what did I miss?
I liked your idea of a rectangle for the DRIVE THRU.
That makes total sense.
Conversely…when I do not get the bid…
…I think…that’s ok.
Now I’m going to talk out of the other side of my mouth.
Walgreen’s aren’t that big = 100 cars?…(4) directional arrows?
…and it’s a new lot? = wide open and no traffic.
Bid it right…take your time…and look for more.
You’ll do great.
Keep in touch.
Dan

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