To Paint or To PREFORM® Thermoplastic: That is the Question!
Glenco offers the full range of pavement marking products, delivering optimal safety and visibility for all types of roadway traffic. Pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists are all safer when pavement markings are clear, bright, and well-marked.
When choosing the best pavement marking product for a given application, Glenco generally recommends PREFORM® Preformed Thermoplastic material for durability’s sake. PREFORM® Preformed Thermoplastic material is a heavy-duty, intersection-grade material that greatly increases the life of pavement marking applications.
PREFORM® Preformed Thermoplastic offers the following benefits:
Available in letters, arrows, linear sheets, rolls, colored rolls, and accessibility markings
Custom designs offered
Compliant with FHWA Standard Highway MUTCD
Engineered for enhanced visibility both day and night
No minimum road or air temperature requirements
Designed for use in heavy traffic applications
PREFORM® lasts longer and requires less frequent maintenance and replacement than standard pavement paint. Thermoplastic has a life span of three to five years with minimal upkeep, as compared with paint, which degrades at a faster rate and must be re-applied every ten to twelve months.
Both of these products serve the purpose of marking pavements for roadway safety, but they offer different features and can meet different applications. PREFORM® Thermoplastic is a higher cost product requiring specialized equipment and a more involved installation process, but it is more durable and long lasting than paint. This makes PREFORM® the ideal solution for high traffic zones where frequent, ongoing maintenance and replacement would be disruptive to vehicles and pedestrians. Its performance and visibility are superior, which enhances safety, particularly in zones with heavy vehicular traffic and a high volume of pedestrians and cyclists. These factors make it worth the investment for such applications.
Applying paint, on the other hand, is a simple process requiring no special equipment. In lower traffic zones, where traffic safety is less of a challenge, paint is a good solution. The visibility, while lower than that of PREFORM®, still meets MUCTD standards and enhances safety. When budget is a primary concern, or when a job must be done immediately and specialized equipment and technicians are not available, paint meets the moment. In a situation where the markings are temporary or may be subject to change, paint is an ideal solution. For example, marking pavement for a temporary crosswalk due to a construction project, special event, or detour that will last less than a year, municipalities generally opt for paint and save the budget for PREFORM® when the permanent plan is in place.
Regardless of what your municipality’s needs are with regard to pavement marking, Glenco has you covered. We offer a full range of water based, spray can, glass bead and field marking paint, and we are an authorized seller of PREMARK®, North America’s premier brand of thermoplastic.
To learn whether to paint or PREFORM®, contact our sales team.
