An extensive set of full-size line marking stencils, such as those required for marking public car parks and sports fields, can be a significant investment. Naturally then, you will want to make sure your line marking stencils are kept in excellent condition at all times, extending their useful working lives and making your investment last as long as possible.

Happily, line marking stencils are made from tough, long-lasting materials, and keeping them in top condition is not a particularly arduous task. Keep the following maintenance guidelines in mind, and you should experience years of precise, reliable service from your stencils.

Remove paint regularly

You may be tempted to leave the paint that collects on your line marking stencils alone since your stencils are only going to get repainted after you clean them anyway. However, allowing multiple layers of paint to build up on your stencils can alter the stencil's contours, blunting the ordinarily crisp edges of lines, letters and pictographs. Lumpy layers of paint can also make stencils difficult to rest flush against the ground, further reducing marking accuracy.

As such, you should remove paint judiciously. Line marking stencils made of plastics (such as commonly used polypropylene) are particularly easy to clean, as layers of paint can often be peeled off by hand once they are allowed to dry. More stubborn paint deposits can be tackled with ordinary paint stripping chemicals formulated for your chosen type of paint. For your own safety, you should apply these chemicals sparingly with a cloth in a well ventilated area.

Store them safely

Proper storage is vital for keeping your line marking stencils in good condition, and your stencils should be kept in a sheltered area that does not experience extremely temperatures. Keeping your stencils out of direct sunlight is particularly important for plastic stencils, as many types of plastic become brittle and crumbly when exposed to prolonged, intense sunlight. By the same token, you should not store stencils in particularly cold areas, as they can become stiffer and more prone to shattering.

Storing your stencils separately, or separating them with suitable dividers, is also important. Stacking your stencils on top of one another may save space, but it can also cause cut-out sections of different stencils to catch on each other and become tangled, potentially damaging multiple stencils at once.

Keep an eye on the weather

Line marking stencils should also be protected from damage caused by inclement weather. A particularly important maintenance task is cleaning your stencils after they have been used on wet ground -- failure to do so can promote the growth of mould and fungi, which can thrive in the dark, warm environment of stencil storage. You should also be very careful when using your stencils in cold winter weather because of the aforementioned brittleness that can come with cold temperatures.

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