Parking Stop Buyer's Guide

Avoid property damage and protect pedestrians by adding parking stops to parking lots and garages. Available in different materials, sizes, and colors, you can easily find the perfect product to meet your needs. Each stop comes with distinct advantages and disadvantages, depending on your facility’s requirements.

To assist you in choosing the correct parking block, the Discount Ramps product experts have put together a helpful guide detailing the three main types of parking blocks:

Types of Parking Blocks

Concrete Parking Stops

Traditionally, parking stops have been made from concrete. While their heavy weight can be an advantage, it also makes these stops expensive to ship and difficult to install. Concrete stops can cause heavy damage to vehicles when they’re hit, and the installation hardware can crack pavement if it is dislodged.

Concrete parking stops will need to be painted to keep them from blending in with their surroundings, and will require multiple touch ups over the years due to fading and chipping paint. Although concrete does have a long lifespan, about 50 years depending on weather conditions and how well it’s maintained, when it does begin to crack and crumble, the concrete pieces can become safety hazards. Concrete parking stops are best used on completely flat, even surfaces as they can’t flex to accommodate gravel or uneven asphalt. Because of this, the product is difficult to properly anchor, weakening its stability and effectiveness.

Recycled Plastic Stops

Recycled plastic parking stops are easy to install and are available in a variety of sizes and colors. These plastic stops are available as sturdy, solid blocks, and if you’re looking for a more lightweight and cost-effective option, they are also available with cutouts molded into the bottom of the stop. Plastic parking stops will maintain their color, and won’t crack and chip like concrete.

Plastic stops are also resistant to the negative effects of gas, oil, salt, sunlight, and other harmful chemicals.

With a little more give than concrete, plastic blocks won’t cause damage to the front bumper of a vehicle, and can even be driven over without breaking. Even though plastic is more flexible than concrete, plastic curbs are still not ideal for gravel surfaces or uneven asphalt.

Recycled Rubber Stops

More expensive than concrete, but cheaper than plastic, rubber stops are flexible enough to accommodate uneven surfaces without compromising structural integrity, and are easy to install. Extremely durable, rubber stops won’t crack, chip or fade, promising years of dependable use.

Available in a variety of sizes, rubber stops come in a wide range of color combinations, including blue and white to designate handicapped parking spots, and include reflective tape for increased visibility in dark or snowy conditions. Rubber stops are less likely to cause damage to the underside of trucks and cars, even if they are run over by the vehicle.

Available Colors

Available Sizes

Installation Hardware

While most parking stops will come with installation hardware, it’s important to know which kind of hardware is appropriate to use on your surface.

Safer Parking Lots

Using parking stops in parking lots, garages, and even at home can greatly reduce the risk of vehicle and property damage. By designating parking spots and serving as a guide for cars, these stops are an essential product to increase parking lot safety. When the correct material, color, size, and hardware are chosen, these stops will be a huge asset to anyone looking to make their parking lot safer.