Road Markings

White lines are the standard colour for most markings: parking bays, drive aisles, stop lines and directional arrows. Yellow is used where a space is restricted or reserved, such as no-parking hatching or exclusive bays, and disabled parking bays are typically marked with a yellow border along with the wheelchair symbol in the bay itself. Solid lines generally mean don't cross; broken or dashed lines mean the space or lane can be entered when it's clear to do so. We design and mark layouts to these conventions so the finished site reads correctly to anyone driving through it, not just to people who already know the layout.

It depends mostly on traffic volume and which product was used. On busy parking areas and drive aisles, expect to re-mark somewhere in the region of every twelve to twenty-four months as tyre contact wears the paint down. On lower-traffic surfaces, such as a quiet estate road or a private driveway, a marking can last several years before it needs attention. Thermoplastic markings generally outlast paint by a wide margin because the material bonds harder into the surface and resists wear better. We'll tell you what to expect for your specific surface and traffic level when we quote the job.

Paint is applied cold, dries as it's exposed to air, and is the faster and cheaper option for most parking areas and driveways. Thermoplastic is heated to a molten state and sprayed or applied hot, bonds into the surface as it cools, and is significantly more durable and more reflective at night than paint. Thermoplastic costs more upfront but needs re-marking far less often, which makes it the better choice for high-traffic aisles, main routes through a complex or industrial site, and anywhere longevity matters more than the initial cost. We'll recommend whichever suits your traffic and budget rather than defaulting to one option.

South Africa's road traffic signs framework sets out standard designations for common markings, including parking bay marking, exclusive parking bay marking, disabled persons parking marking and no-parking line marking, along with standards for arrows, stop lines and hatching. We work to this framework when we design and mark a layout, rather than to an arbitrary or improvised grid, so the finished site follows a recognised standard rather than something that only makes sense to whoever laid it out.

Standard parking bay dimensions need to allow a vehicle to park and open its doors without encroaching on the bay next to it, and disabled bays need to be wider again to allow room for a wheelchair or mobility aid alongside the vehicle, which is why disabled bays are marked noticeably wider than a standard bay and identified with a yellow border and the wheelchair symbol. The right dimensions for your site depend on the vehicles using it and the space available, which is part of what we work out when we design the layout rather than applying a fixed template regardless of the site.