About Vanguard ADA Systems

Innovative Safety Solutions

VANGUARD ADA Systems, (www.VanguardOnline.com) the creator of VANGUARD Detectable Warnings / TWSI’s, GuideStrip tactile directional cues, EcoPath lane coatings, SkidGuard Nonskid pedestrian surface coatings and other great products offer a variety of solutions for pedestrian and vehicular surfaces.

As an owner of an asphalt maintenance company in the Seattle market area (www.TILCO.net) in the early 90’s we were being asked like so many others to install this new thing called detectable warnings (basically Braille for your feet for visually impaired folks) on ramps and accessible routes.

We tried them all, and no matter what we did, we couldn’t make any of them work. Some were slippery, some wouldn’t stay attached no matter how many screws, bolts, epoxy, etc. we put in or on them. Some were soft rubber and warped in the sun (or faded), and all claimed to be “slip resistant” which is meaningless after about 6 – 12 months of skateboards and semi-truck tires rolling over the top of same, polishing them smooth.

There were other problems too but, in the end, I simply got tired of fixing everyone else’s design flaws, and figured “there (had) to be a better way.” The Vanguard System was the result. Not including labor, it runs under $13.00 a sf (labor adds between 4 and 6 dollars a sf depending on how fast you are, the size of the job and prevailing wages). Stronger than the concrete or asphalt by design, it’s the only detectable warning that is guaranteed to rip up the substrate if it ever comes loose. Since snowplows can damage about anything, “their” maintenance kit is a backhoe, dump truck, complete demo, and replacement. A loss of use for 3 – 10 days: easily $7,500.00+. With Vanguard, you simply replace the damaged area: 2 hours and $70.00.

And, because Vanguard is liquid applied, it follows every contour and nuance of the surface, with no seams! It’s also “nonskid” (not “slip resistant”) and it can be installed on any solid surface (including asphalt), with a full 5-year warranty, and can be installed on both new and existing concrete (new concrete needs to cure 15+ days prior to installation). It installs faster, over more surfaces than any other product and, liquid applied, there is zero waste. No more cutting and tossing 30% or more of a preformed product just to get your job done.

We added EcoPath for a better solution to cover bike and bus lanes, available in green and red, and SkidGuard nonskid pedestrian surface coating to safeguard and slip-proof vault lids, ramps, stairs, and any other solid surface. Available in black, yellow and LumaLine white which glows in the dark.

It didn’t take long for cities and municipal agencies to start using Vanguard as well, since they too got tired of fixing all the other systems. It’s a well-respected product with a great history. More info of course can be found at our website. We are looking for installers nationwide and would love to talk to you! https://vanguardonline.com/installers/