ADA, stencils & fire lanes · Michigan
If it is still the old symbol, it is out of date.
Accessible stalls, access aisles, blockout hatching, fire lanes and arrows. Marked to the current spec, and I will say so before I repaint something that is not.
The markings people get wrong
A re-stripe copies whatever is already there.
A re-stripe usually follows whatever was on the ground. That is the right instinct for stalls and the wrong one for stencils, because a stencil that was correct when the lot was built may not be correct now. Copy it faithfully and you have just reprinted it for another few years.
The accessibility symbol is the obvious one. Plenty of Michigan lots still carry the previous standard, and it stays there precisely because nobody looks at it during a re-stripe. I raise it before painting rather than after.
The access aisle is the one that actually matters. Hatching wears faster than the stall lines around it. Once it is faint, people park across it, and the space stops working for the person it exists for. Repainting it is a couple of hours of work, which is nothing set against what it fixes.
What I mark
Stencils, hatching and lettering.
Accessible stalls
Marked to the current accessibility symbol, not whatever was there.
Access aisles
The striped aisle beside the stall, laid out properly rather than implied.
Blockout hatching
Diagonal hatching that keeps an aisle or zone clear.
Fire lanes
Pavement and curb marking with the wording your fire marshal specifies.
No-parking zones
Hatching and lettering for areas that have to stay clear.
Arrows & direction
Traffic arrows, one-way marking and stop bars.
Loading & reserved
Loading zones, visitor, EV and reserved bays.
Numbering & legends
Stall numbers, unit numbers and custom wording.
Scope
Paint on the ground. Nothing vertical.
People assume one contractor covers all of it, so it is worth saying plainly where this stops.
What I do
- Pavement stencils and symbols
- Access aisles and blockout hatching
- Fire lane marking and lettering
- Custom legends and wording
- Curb lettering
What I do not touch
- Signs, posts and bollards
- Wheel stop supply and installation
- Anything vertical
- Compliance certification or inspection
Recent stencil work
Symbols, legends and fire lanes.
Questions I get about ADA and stencils
Questions I get, and one I leave to your inspector.
Is my accessible parking still up to standard?
The old accessibility symbol is out of spec, so if that is what is on your lot I will tell you before I paint it back on rather than after. I mark to the current symbol, with proper access aisles and blockout hatching. How many accessible spaces you need and where they sit is set by the code your building falls under, so confirm that with your local authority. I am the striper, not your compliance consultant.
What is actually wrong with the old symbol?
It is the previous standard, and it is still sitting on a lot of lots because re-striping tends to copy whatever was there before. Repainting it exactly as found just reprints yesterday's version for another few years, which is why I raise it before painting rather than after.
Where do lots usually fail?
The access aisle, far more often than the stall. The hatching wears away first, people park across it once it is faint, and then the space is not usable by the person it exists for. Repainting it takes a couple of hours, and it is the easiest thing on a lot to overlook.
Do you install the signs and posts?
No. This is pavement marking. Signs, posts and bollards are a different trade and want somebody who does that properly.
Can you add markings that were never there?
Yes. Fire lanes, no-parking hatching, loading zones, numbering and directional arrows get added to lots all the time, usually after somebody has had a problem the markings would have prevented.
Can you do custom lettering or a legend?
Yes. Reserved bays, tenant names, unit numbers, EV or visitor bays, or wording your fire marshal has asked for. Tell me the exact wording you need and I will lay it out.
How long do stencils last?
Less time than the lines around them, because stencils sit where tyres turn and where ploughs scrape. Accessible symbols and fire lane lettering usually want refreshing before the stalls do.
Nordic Lines LLC
Send me the lot and the concern.
If you are not sure whether your markings are current, send an address and I will tell you what I can see.
(734) 624-4164Call or text. If I am running a machine, I call back in the morning.