Ask the Expert Question-and-Answer Archive

by Ron Joseph

March, 2009

Adding Glass Beads to Paint

Q. I paint the streets and street corners in South Africa. Is there a product/beads I can use in the road marking paint instead of adding the glass bead after painting it first, can this be done?

A. The purpose of adding beads after you have painted is so that the upper half of the glass beads will not have paint on them and can reflect the light. If you add something to the paint before you apply it, you will loose out on the reflectance of street marking paints.

Therefore, to answer your question, I am not aware of anything you can add before painting that will give you good reflectance.

Regards,

Ron Joseph