How to Remove Line Marking Paint

There are many ways to remove unwanted or redundant line marking including painting out, pressure washing, sand or shot blasting, and surface grinding.

After reviewing the existing marking in your carpark, warehouse or facility, you may be left asking yourself how to remove line marking paint from concrete or other surface types in order to remark the area to improve operations or increase safety. The most common methods and their advantages and disadvantages are:

Paint Out

This method involves covering the existing paint with new paint. This can be an easy and quick solution where the colour can be matched to the surrounding surface, for example black for ashphalt or grey for concrete. This will provide a clear and even surface for the new marking to be applied. You should ensure the area is cleaned and ready to accept new line marking.

Pressure Washing

Depending on the surface and age of the line marking, it may be possible to use a pressure washer (potentially with a mixed chemical paint stripper) to remove existing line marking. This method can generally remove lines from concrete without damaging the surface

Sand Blasting / Shot Blasting

This process involves sand, steel beads or other inputs being shot at high speeds on the surface to remove existing paint. The type of shot used in this process will vary depending on the amount of force that the surface can withstand. For example, the use of steel shots can result in several milimetres of the surface being removed, leaving a rough surface which can improve bonding for the new line marking to be performed. Generally machines that perform this will collect dust/residue to minimise mess and contaminants.

Asphalt/Concrete Surface Grinding

Surface grinding is a very common method of removing existing paint / lines from a surface. Surface grinding will leave a smooth surface that allows new line marking to be applied to the area. Surfaces that are ground down usually blend in over time as weather or traffic change the newly ground area.

One of the things that can impact how easy it is to remove existing paint under any of the above methods is how long the line marking has been installed.