When purchasing forestry supplies, it's important to choose the right marking paint. Here are some tips to help you out.

Since there are a plethora of uses for wood products, it makes sense that the American harvesting and forestry industry is always growing. From lumber, to wood chips to paper products and wood pellets, there are tons of applications that require logging companies to harvest trees effectively. And marking paint is a huge factor.

Purchasing the right marking paint is step one toward obtaining wood for these needs. Read on to learn how to choose the right paint products for your everyday applications.

The Basics of Marking Paint

Marking Paint has a few primary uses and they all boil down to communication; Tree marking (with paint or flagging) is how landowners, foresters and logging companies instruct logging crews. Color coding with marking paint indicates which trees to cut and which trees should remain. Paint Marks can also indicate tree harvesting boundaries and where no one should trespass. Others show property boundary lines. Log yards, logging crews and sawmills use tree marking paint to color code logs, indicating how the log is classified or is to be used.

Choosing the Right Paint Colors

Before purchasing marking paint, it's important to consider your goals.

If you're looking to mark property boundary lines, you'll need to use whatever color is specified in your contract or according to state, federal, or local agency regulations. Fo example, some states require purple boundary paint.

Usually bright Fluorescent Red or Fluorescent/ Blaze orange paint is necessary for both harvest tree marking and harvest boundary marking. The former identifies what trees to cut down in a selection harvest and is denoted by either one 45-degree horizontal line or a dot. The latter creates a boundary for an entire area that must be harvested and uses two 45-degree horizontal lines.

Blue paint is also essential for some operations, namely "leave tree" marking. This identifies what trees should be left alone even within an area designated for harvest. One horizontal/45-degree blue line or a blue ring means that the tree is excluded from cutting.

Each color has its own meaning, so you should consider what hues are needed for what you're looking to communicate. Buying the right color paint is the first step toward effective communication and collaboration.

Understand the Types of Paint Products

When people think of marking paint, they tend to think of spray paint cans. This does describe many tree-marking paints, but it isn't the only option.

Tree Marking Paint and Boundary Marking paint is available in Aerosol Cans, Gallon Cans (Brush On or Gun Type) and Quart Cans (Gun Type). Paint Guns can typically be attached to any quart can. This method is ideal for those marking wide areas. Since they shoot fine pin streams, they're easy to target and direct. 

A lot of users buy Gallon cans and pour marking paint into empty quart cans. Buying the larger gallon cans is typically more cost effective and also gives you a bigger supply of paint, however, the quart cans are easier to tote around the woods. Some foresters and boundary line painters use Paint Brushes and gallon cans of boundary or tree marking paint to paint lines. Although not as often used as they once were, backpack sprayers are carried like a backpack, hold several gallons of paint and spray like a paint gun.

Research various paint types and application methods. Decide what's best for your team and talk to clients about what will work for them. This is critical when making a decision that makes sense.

Browse Brands and Options

Getting essential forestry supplies means knowing the brands and options available to you as well as knowing specifically what your needs are. How long do your paint marks need to last? Tree Marking Paint marks can typically last up to 5 years and a lot of Boundary Marking Paint marks can last up to 8 years. Does the paint need to be water reducible?

Aerosol Marking Paints such as Nelson Aero-Spot, Aervoe Tree Marking Paints, Aervoe Professional Choice Boundary marking paint and BarkMark Tree and Boundary paint are some of the most well known and easiest-to-use options on the market with many color options. Aervoe offers three different kinds of Aerosol Tree Marking Paint to accommodate different needs; Standard Tree Marking Paint, Wet Coat - which is designed for use on "green" (wet) lumber, and Professional Choice Tree Marking Paint - which is a combination of standard tree marking and Wet Coat marking paint. 

For gallon options in marking paint, choose from Nelson Econo Spot, Nelson Super Spot, Nelson Boundary Paint and Bark Mark Water Reducible Tree Marking Paint, or Bark Mark Boundary Paint.

Know what your application requires and learn what each brand provides. Read reviews so you can be confident in your purchase. You also may want to look into promotions and Bulk discount pricing that Bayou Field & Outdoors offers on various marking paint brands since we only work with the most reputable retailers.

Other Application Accessories Needed

Different marking paint options require various application accessories. For example, you'll need to budget for enough paint guns so that your team can do an effective tree-marking or boundary line marking job.

However, even handheld spray cans can benefit from accessories like the Original Can Gun. You put the can into the applicator and pull the trigger rather than the can top. It's more ergonomically designed and has a no-slip grip so that workers won't drop cans or waste paint.

Convenience items, like paint can pouches and quart can pouches make the job of carrying paint around the woods just a little bit easier.

Buy High-Quality Forestry Supplies

Now you know how to choose the right marking paint for your forestry and logging company's daily operations. That means it's time to begin purchasing the items you need to effectively communicate the intricacies of timber sale contracts.

Bayou Field and Outdoors offers a wide range of paint products and other agricultural, sawmill, forestry, and logging supplies. Contact our team to learn about the high-quality brands we work with and how we can assist you.