Advantages of Self-adhesive Road Marking Tapes
There are some reasons to consider choosing preformed, self-adhesive tapes for pavement marking as an alternative to other products:
• product already contains reflective glass beads and anti-skid particles
• tape is ready to be applied
• cold application without the use of heat
• easy and fast application with uniform results
• no drying and curing time
• long service life thanks to high abrasion resistance
• products for temporary and permanent uses available
Find the Right Road Marking Tape
In order to find the best product for your pavement marking project, a couple of factors need to be considered:
- Permanent or temporary marking? Self-adhesive road marking tapes can be used for overlay applications on concrete and asphalt surfaces. Some tapes are made for a permanent use while others are intended for short- to medium-term applications and are thus removable.
- On which surface is the marking applied? Not all road marking tapes are the ideal choice for surfaces like e.g., open-pore asphalt (OPA), some of them can be applied but need the use of a primer prior to the application to enhance adhesion.
- How travelled is the road? Traffic classes (P2-P7) indicate the number of wheel passages a marking tape can survive during its intended service life.
- Is wet reflectivity important? When it comes to retroreflectivity, there are two types of road marking tapes available, both using glass bead technology. Type I road marking tape is highly reflective during day and night, but the structure of the tape does not enable good reflectivity when the road is wet. Type II marking however, is highly reflective in any condition, even when the road is wet thanks to the raised glass beads.
Tools for Professional and Easy Application of Road Marking Tapes
In order to achieve excellent results and make the work easier there are some tools that can be used for professional pavement marking:
3M™ Spray Applicator: When surface and type of application require the use of 3M™ Stamark™ Surface Preparation Adhesive P50, this tool can be used for an even application of the primer prior to the application of the tape.
3M™ Tape Applicator: The tape applicator can be operated manually by one person and helps to carry out pavement marking fast and easily providing professional results.
3M™ Roller Tamper Cart: Self-adhesive road marking tapes use pressure sensitive adhesives that bond to the surface. The tamper cart is rolled over the laid-out tape and applies the right amount of pressure to activate the adhesive in order to ensure good adhesion.