Faded Markings

As an industry, we tend to overgeneralize the various conditions of airport markings. That is likely due to the fact that it can be difficult to discern when a marking is broken, if you will. Our eyes may tell us that it doesn't look quite right, but it's a challenge to describe the condition accurately. Hence, to complete the work order, inspection, etc., we write "faded" as a catchall.

In my humble opinion, "faded" as it pertains to markings means one thing: the original color of a marking has become washed out over time, not unlike your favorite TWA t-shirt. I'd bet that among all the markings written up for being faded, less than half are actually faded, according to my definition. Regardless of the possible misdiagnoses, the prescription is always the same: repaint.

As an isolated event, repainting faded markings doesn't seem like a big deal. But consider what happens when this is your airport's maintenance strategy for 20 years? The cumulative effects can lead to significant issues on the airfield and is inefficient.

I have a better way.

Check out the video on the right. We have been calling this process "Marking Rejuvenation" at the Airfield Marking Symposiums and demonstrating the prowess of Stripe Hog ultrahigh waterblasters and its operators in the field. The marking being cleaned was approximately five years old, but looks as good as new with a quick rejuvenation.

Sometimes all you need is a cleaning.

If the paint color is truly faded after years of UV from the sun (e.g. red surface painted signs, yellow taxiway edge markings, etc.), waterblasting can remove the oxidized portions from the top of a marking without removing the glass beads. The video shows an ultrahigh waterblaster shaving a couple thousandths of an inch from a taxiway centerline using a relatively low pressure. However, rejuvenating faded markings requires a prerequisite: the marking must have been installed well initially to remain serviceable after cleaning. If your markings are applied well the first time by your crew/contractor, they can be cleaned multiple times, which yields big savings.

Sightline Marking Rejuvenation

This isn't theory.

Airports are currently using our methods, including marking rejuvenation, as part of an overall strategy to reduce the amount of time and money spent on maintenance in the long run. The results speak for themselves - it just works.

Could your airport's striping strategy use a little rejuvenating? Send me an email, and I'll be happy to listen to your story.

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