Delineators are fairly straightforward devices: usually simple plastic posts designed to provide a visual guideline for pedestrians or drivers to understand lane divisions. Sometimes they’re called “channelizers” because they clearly indicate the different channels foot traffic or vehicle traffic should follow. Most often they use bright colors and reflective tape to enhance visibility, like the orange delineator post pictured here.
But there are different types of delineators that mount in different ways and therefore require different installation processes.
Types of Delineator Posts
- In Ground Mounted Delineators
These in-ground mounted delineators can be the most complicated to install, sometimes requiring special equipment to hammer or push the stake at the base of the delineator into hard ground surfaces. If the ground is soft enough, they may be able to be hammered into the ground with standard hammers.
This style ranges in price, but can be found for $20-$30 apiece and is most commonly used along roadsides as a traffic or road delineator.
- Surface Mounted Delineators
The most complicated of the delineators are flexible plastic posts with bases that can be fastened into the ground. These are made to be flexible enough that a vehicle could bump into them without any destruction (to either the vehicle or the delineator itself), and without uprooting the post from the ground. Typically these delineators are mounted by making small drill holes to mark where the screws and anchors should go, drilling down into the marked points a few inches deep, inserting the anchors, then screwing the delineator into the anchors. This varies from brand to brand, but the general process is the same.
This style ranges in price but can typically be found for $30-$50 per piece. These are also used along roadways as traffic delineators, road delineators, and possibly bike lane delineators.
- Delineator with Weighted Base
Delineators with weighted bases have the easiest setup. Since they are free-standing, they don’t really require installation and can simply be set up and moved wherever they’re needed. With these styles, a heavy vulcanized rubber base is placed over the top of the delineator post. The base is easy to slip on and off and is heavy enough to keep the delineator in place.
This style is very cost effective, with options under $20 per piece, including both the post and base. Because these are portable and not fastened to the ground, these delineators may be more commonly used for temporary worksites rather than permanent roadways. They may also be used in parking lots or other construction sites.
Delineator post and base features:
Mounting styles are not the only features to consider when assessing the different delineators for sale. Here are some other features you may want to consider.
- Bright colors: As mentioned before, delineators are typically available in bright colors to make them especially visible to pedestrians or drivers. Since delineator posts are typically made from a type of impact-resistant plastic, it is quite easy for the color to be customized. Orange and yellow are among the most common colors, but white, blue, and lime green are also common options.
- Reflective features: Most delineators have reflective areas at the top of the delineator post called the reflective collar. Again, since the purpose of a delineator is to clearly establish lanes or channel divisions, this simply aids in that goal by making the delineator post visible in headlights.
- Handles and loops: Some delineators have handles or loops at the top of the delineator post. This serves multiple purposes. For instance portable, free-standing delineators with bases may be moved around by hand. The handles at the top make this easier. As a secondary purpose, this also provides a way to loop caution tape and chains from delineator to delineator and create a continuous barrier.
These delineator posts are versatile in their simplicity, able to be used for visible barriers of almost any kind, permanent or temporary. Because of their low cost, high visibility, and durability, they’re especially useful for visual barriers along roadways and parking areas.
