Advice on Line Marking Removal

[Steve Wilson]

Hi Guys,
Just needing some advice in regard how you guys handle removing line marking coatings off asphalt on motorways. In Australia it is normally done by sandblasting leaving an extremely etched surface. I have been called in to see if my method of using our water blast system with the injection of Armex Blast Media and Garnet will do the work. Has anybody encountered this before? How was it overcome & was it successful? The other issue is dealing with thermoplastic coatings on pedestrian crossings & lane changing arrows. If I add heat to the mixture it will create a sticky mess thus cleanup being an issue. If anybody out there can provide expertise or solutions it would be greatly appreciated.

Regards

Steve Wilson

 

[Henry]

Hi Steve,

Had to remove line markings from CONCRETE before. The only efficient way to remove them was with a diamond disk grinder (very hard work and very dusty). Tried a heat gun, chems, wire brushes etc and nothing else worked. The grinder leaves groves in the concrete though and may not work at all on asphalt.
Burning the markings off (with a gas torch) or painting over them may be the only options. I am not sure how the burning would affect the asphalt though but I have seen it being done before either on concrete or asphalt. Caution and prior testing are a must on this.
Hope this is of some help.

Johannes

 

[Dave Olson]

Hello Steve,

Here is a picture of my guys taking paint off of a curb. 200 degrees F 8-10 gpm, 3000 psi. Worked good.

Tried the same process on lines across concrete walk/driveway, and was Real slow! I've never tried taking lines off of asphalt, you have a real challenge.

Dave Olson

 

[Ron Musgraves]

Scott Stone and i have seen the ultimate line machine remover. We can rent them from a local company. I will take a photo of this unit when i see it again. It removes miles a nite i'm sure and is very fast. chemicals i'm not sure about but does remove the line without damage to the surface.


I rearly see them being removed by the old torch method.