For a great experience, whether it is for a road, playground, or car park, quality markings are crucial. The material used for the markings is one of the most important factors to consider when you want to provide your customers with the best possible quality road and playground markings.
To help you make the best choices for your project, let’s go through the main benefits of thermoplastics over paint for road and playground markings.
Thermoplastic is far more long-lasting and resilient
One of the characteristics that makes thermoplastic road and playground markings so much better than paint, is their longevity. The purpose of a marking is to draw the attention toward an activity or to convey a rule that needs to be followed, which is why having them made from durable and long-lasting material is so important. Markings in a poor condition can lead to loss of engagement on the playground and potential accidents on the road.
The reason why thermoplastic is superior in terms of longevity, is due to the fact it can easily last much longer and keep its vibrancy. Whereas paint can start to show wear just a few months after repainting and within a year it will need to be repainted again.
There are two main reasons for that:
Handling weather conditions with ease
Thermoplastic is UV resistant and handles the sun without any issues, while paint fades much faster under UV exposure. Paint is also far less durable when it comes to rain and snow, which can impact its appearance, while thermoplastic won’t crack or flake.
Higher impact and abrasion durability
Thermoplastic performs much better than paint in heavy traffic and handling impacts. Paint, on the other hand, will start showing wear much faster and will likely end up needing a repaint within less than a year.
In general, thermoplastic markings can easily last between 5 to 10 years, making it at least 5 times more durable than paint.
Thermoplastic is much more cost-efficient
When your playground or road markings start showing wear, their efficiency is significantly reduced. This is one reason why you cannot afford to let them be in a bad condition. While it is true that thermoplastic has a higher initial cost, you would still end up saving up with it. The cost to invest in thermoplastic markings would be much less in comparison to getting your markings repainted each year.
While paint has a lower initial cost, you would need to pay that price at least 5 more times before you reach the thermoplastic material’s minimum lifespan of 5 years. In lower traffic conditions, thermoplastic markings could even reach over 10 years. This means that if you choose paint, you will have to pay for repainting 10 times before thermoplastic needs replacing.
Thermoplastic is much easier to install than paint
Even when it comes to smaller projects, when using paint, your playground or road could remain closed for days whilst it dries. This can be extremely inconvenient and on top of that, the timeframe could be bumped up by any mistakes or spills that can occur when applying the paint.
On the other hand, thermoplastic is quick and simple to install, with a minimum risk of errors. The markings are pre-designed, so once laid out on the ground, they just need to be heated in order to bond them to the surface. Once they have been applied, it takes less than 30 minutes for them to cool off and assume their solid form, with absolutely zero spills. Best of all, even with larger projects, thermoplastic marking rarely takes longer than a day to be applied.
Neat, vibrant, and clear designs
Thermoplastic has much more vivid colours and is easier to spot, no matter whether it’s on the road or the playground. When installed, they will look exactly as they did when you first chose them.
Their vibrancy also makes them a good choice for use in playgrounds. Since children are easily fascinated by bright colours, thermoplastic markings encourage more activity on the playground. On the road, the markings will be easy to spot, even in harsh weather conditions. This is extremely important when it comes to line markings for your roads.
Intricate designs can be cut into thermoplastic too, which is not something easily achieved with paint.
From fun games to clear and well-designed road markings, thermoplastic is simply the best choice of material to use for your playground, road, and car park projects. Learn more about what thermoplastic is, it’s properties and advantages, and make sure to browse our site for high quality designs after!
