How Long Do Line Markings Last For?

Sometimes it feels that roadworks are going on around us all the time.

And we’ve all had that particularly annoying thing whereby as soon as one company has finished digging a road up – to replace gas pipes, for example – then five minutes later it’s being closed again by the water company or for resurfacing.

And each time the road itself gets dug up, then sure as night follows day, any line markings that have been disturbed will need to be repainted.

But on that rare British road that doesn’t get regularly closed for roadworks, how long would the markings last if all they had to deal with was traffic and the British weather?

Why are clear road markings important?

Of course, it’s vital that road markings are kept as clear as possible all the time.

Even though most experienced drivers will have an innate sense of where they need to be on the road, we all subconsciously rely on the markings for positioning some of the time.

And new drivers in particular are likely to be thrown when they’re not there, particularly at night.

Usually when we come across a road without any markings, it’s because the road has been recently resurfaced. When new tarmac has been laid, although it dries relatively quickly, it’s susceptible to surface damage for a number of days. That’s why it can take a while for markings to appear on a newly resurfaced road, otherwise they would just get damaged again as soon as traffic is allowed back.

You also need the roads to be dry before new markings are applied, otherwise the materials in the paint won’t bond with the surface, although you can force dry the surface to speed things up if it is deemed necessary.

Natural wear and tear

It’s not just new or newly-resurfaced roads that need fresh line markings applied, though, because over time it’s inevitable that old markings will fade and become harder to see, especially on unlit roads at night.

Under relatively normal conditions – by which we mean even heavy traffic and the average amount of British rain – new road markings can be expected to last for a good few years, probably around four to five.

The thermoplastic paint we use at Northern Marking can take just minutes to dry, so whether it’s been put down because of roadworks or the ravages of time and the British weather, any disruption to traffic is going to be kept to an absolute minimum.

And because such line markings are refreshed at times when traffic is relatively light, chances are you won’t even know it’s been done until you happen to notice they’re looking significantly brighter than they did the last time you checked!

Northern Marking is based in Manchester, but provides services to clients in the following areas; Huddersfield, Blackburn, Rochdale, Preston and beyond. Northern Marking is a leading road marking company, providing the following services; line marking, school & playground markings, warehouse markings, electric car parking space marking, line removal, white lining and car park markings.

To find out more about line markings available from Northern Marking, whether that’s for roads, playgrounds, sports pitches or factories and warehouses, get in touch with us today.

We’re an ISO 9001:2008 accredited company working across Greater Manchester and can deliver a fast response and the highest standards every time. 

We all know that feeling of exasperation when a stretch of perfectly good road you use every day is suddenly adorned with traffic lights, cones and workers. There are plenty of reasons why roads that seem in perfectly good order get dug up - to access faulty utility pipes beneath them, because of hidden structural damage, or even because of a new junction or pedestrian scheme.

What you might not know though is that every time a piece of tarmac is ripped up and replaced, that road markings need to be reapplied - especially line marking paint.

But how long do those line markings last? Or, more pertinently, how long before that stretch of road will need to be closed off again, sans any burst water mains or landslides?

How long line markings last

Really, it all depends. In the UK where roads are constantly subjected to rain, ice, wind and then random bursts of heat during the summer months, it’s incredibly common to see the effects of weather on the roads we use every day - including tyre-killing and suspension-shaking potholes.

We also need to take into account how heavy traffic is on particular road surfaces too, and how often it is that line markings are going to be driven over. For example, a rarely-used country lane with a single white line down the middle, could last for anywhere between 5-10 years, although it will gradually fade over time.

Extremely busy roads, such as motorways and A-roads, might need a refresh every four to five years. Which, when you consider there are over a quarter of a million miles of road in the UK, is a massive job to maintain.

What helps councils, Highways England and road marking companies stay on top of this is making it as quick as possible to apply new paint. For example, our thermoplastic road marking paint can be applied and dry within minutes, meaning stretches of highway don’t have to be closed for more than a few hours to finish a refresh job.

Also, different thicknesses of applied paint can affect the durability too. For example, 3mm of paint thickness will last and stay visible for longer than a 1.5mm thick thermoplastic line.

The use of priming is always underestimated, the durability of the markings depends on the use of the right primer for the right surface.

Read more: The problem with ghost markings

But it’s also very common to see road markings lasting less than two years, especially in busy warehouses, car parks and on roads with high footfall, such as near stadiums or shopping complexes.

If you’re looking for line marking paint to refresh your existing markings, then shop online here.