Parking lot markings have a straightforward job: they need to apply cleanly, remain visible, and hold up after the striping crew leaves.
But not every parking lot or zone-marking application has the same performance requirements.
When a customer is looking for a solvent-based acrylic zone-marking paint with greater durability than a conventional fast-dry option, Gorilla™ Hi-Performance Acrylic Zone Marking Paint is one Aexcel product distributors should know.
The key is knowing when to recommend it.
What Is Gorilla™ Zone Marking Paint?
Gorilla™ is Aexcel’s high-performance acrylic zone-marking paint.
The solvent-borne formulation is designed for customers looking for a durable marking system for applications such as parking lots and other zone-marking projects.
Gorilla is available in multiple colors, including:
- White
- Yellow
- Blue
- Red
- Black
Current Gorilla formulations have a published maximum dry-to-no-pickup time of 15 minutes at 77°F. Because product characteristics can vary by color and formulation, distributors and contractors should review the current product data sheet before application.
Why Does Parking Lot Paint Durability Matter?
Parking lot striping does more than improve appearance.
Clearly visible markings help define:
- Parking spaces
- Traffic flow
- Crosswalks
- Accessible parking areas
- Fire lanes
- Curbs
- Loading and restricted zones
- Other designated areas
As markings wear, the property eventually needs to be re-striped.
For property owners and contractors, durability can therefore affect more than the appearance of the lot. It can also influence maintenance frequency, labor, material use, and disruption associated with restriping.
That’s where a higher-performance zone-marking paint may make sense.
When Should a Distributor Recommend Gorilla™?
Don’t start with the brand name.
Start by asking what the customer needs from the paint.
Gorilla may be worth considering when a customer:
- Wants a solvent-based acrylic zone-marking paint
- Is looking for greater durability than an ordinary fast-dry option
- Is striping a parking lot or another appropriate zone-marking application
- Needs a fast-drying formulation
- Wants multiple color options for different markings
- Places a higher priority on durability and maintenance intervals
But those requirements should still be considered alongside the surface, application conditions, equipment, VOC requirements, and project specifications.
What Should You Ask Before Recommending Gorilla™?
A customer asking for “good parking lot paint” hasn’t given you enough information to make a recommendation.
Ask:
What are you painting?
Is this a parking lot, crosswalk, curb, fire lane, loading zone, or another marking application?
What is the surface?
Determine whether the customer is applying the coating to asphalt, concrete, or an existing marking and confirm the appropriate surface-preparation requirements.
Is this new striping or restriping?
Existing coatings should be evaluated before another coating is applied. Peeling, flaking, poor adhesion, excessive film buildup, or compatibility concerns may need to be addressed first.
What conditions will they be painting in?
Temperature, moisture, weather, and other application conditions can affect the job. Always compare actual conditions with the current product data sheet.
How quickly does the area need to reopen?
Gorilla’s solvent-borne formulations have a published maximum dry-to-no-pickup time of 15 minutes at 77°F.
Actual drying depends on application and environmental conditions, so published values shouldn’t be treated as a guarantee under every jobsite condition.
Are there VOC requirements?
Gorilla is a solvent-borne coating. If the project has specific VOC requirements, verify the applicable regulations and the VOC content of the individual Gorilla formulation being considered.
If a lower-VOC product is required, another Aexcel traffic or zone-marking paint may be a better fit.
Gorilla™ vs. Conventional Fast-Dry Paint: What’s the Difference?
Fast dry time and durability aren’t the same thing.
A conventional fast-dry product can be the right choice when the customer’s primary requirements are straightforward application and faster return to service.
Gorilla is positioned as a high-performance acrylic zone-marking paint, making it an option when the customer is looking for additional durability as part of the recommendation.
That doesn’t mean every parking lot needs Gorilla.
If a customer’s application doesn’t require the additional performance, another Aexcel traffic paint may provide the performance they need at a more appropriate cost.
The better question isn’t:
“Which paint is toughest?”
It’s:
“How much performance does this particular job require?”
When Might Gorilla™ Not Be the Right Choice?
A strong distributor recommendation includes knowing when to suggest something else.
Gorilla may not be the best starting point when:
- A waterborne coating is required
- Lower VOC content is a priority or requirement
- The application calls for a different specification
- The customer needs performance characteristics better addressed by another coating technology
- A conventional traffic or zone-marking paint already meets the project’s needs
Aexcel manufactures several traffic and zone-marking technologies, so the goal isn’t to make Gorilla fit every application.
It’s to use Gorilla where its performance characteristics fit the job.
What Other Aexcel Traffic Paint Options Should Distributors Know?
If Gorilla isn’t the right match, the application can point toward another part of Aexcel’s traffic-paint lineup.
For example:
Waterborne traffic paint may be appropriate when the project calls for a waterborne system. Aexcel offers Regular Dry, Fast Dry, Quick Dry, Jet Dry, High Build Jet Dry, and other waterborne options.
Low VOK™ provides a solvent-based acrylic traffic and zone-marking option with VOC content below 100 g/L.
ToughLine® provides another high-performance, low-VOC traffic and zone-marking option.
AquaTough® is a two-component waterborne/epoxy hybrid for applications where greater wear resistance is required.
The right product depends on the surface, application, conditions, dry-time requirements, durability expectations, equipment, and applicable specifications.
What About ADA and Accessible Parking Markings?
Accessible parking areas can have specific requirements for markings, symbols, access aisles, and colors depending on the project and jurisdiction.
The federal ADA Standards require accessible parking spaces and access aisles to be clearly identified, but state and local codes may add specific pavement-marking or color requirements.
When a project calls for a specific compliant color, choosing the right coating is about more than matching that color on application day. The marking also needs to maintain suitable visibility and color performance over its service life.
For distributors, that means asking:
- Does the project have an ADA, state, local, or owner-specific color requirement?
- Which markings need that color?
- What pavement and exposure conditions will the coating face?
- How important is long-term color retention for maintaining clearly identifiable markings?
Gorilla™ is available in multiple zone-marking colors, including blue, giving distributors an option to consider for projects where blue pavement markings are specified.
Always confirm the applicable accessibility and local marking requirements before recommending a product.
Help Customers Choose the Right Parking Lot Paint
Gorilla™ gives Aexcel distributors a high-performance acrylic option for customers looking for durable solvent-borne zone-marking paint.
But the strongest recommendation isn’t simply, “Use Gorilla.”
It’s knowing why Gorilla fits the customer’s application.
Ask about the surface, existing markings, application conditions, dry-time needs, durability expectations, VOC requirements, and specifications. Then compare those requirements with the current Gorilla product data.
If the application isn’t straightforward, Aexcel’s technical team can help you determine which traffic or zone-marking product should be considered.
[Explore Gorilla™ Zone Marking Paint]
