Graffiti prevention
A graffiti prevention coating is a coating that prevents paint from being able to bond to the surfaces in the first place.
Cleaning graffiti off buildings can be a costly exercise. Many councils and businesses have started graffiti prevention programs in an attempt to make the process of removing graffiti easier and cheaper. The graffiti prevention coatings being developed and used can be added on top of existing paint or building facades. Depending on the substrate and the severity of graffiti, different coatings give different benefits and disadvantages.
There are two common types of paint being used today. The first are water-based paints such as latex and acrylic paint, and the second are oil-based paints. All paints however are made up of the same basic structure.
- Pigment or color – This is the part of the paint that you can see. The pigments of all paints contain a white base composed of titanium dioxide (TiO2) or zinc oxide (ZnO), then dyes are added to the pigment to give the paint it’s color.
- Binder – the binder is the glue that holds the paint together. This is usually a polymer which when dry will help the paint “stick” to surface it is applied to.
- Solvent – this is what makes up most of the paint, it is used to keep the paint workable while it is wet. After the paint is applied to a surface the solvent evaporates, leaving the pigment and the binder behind. The solvent is water for water-based paints, and an oil for oil-based paints.
The important thing to note here is that there is no “chemical bond” between paint and an underlying surface. When paint is first applied to a surface it goes on as a thick wet coating. As the paint drys it seeps into the porous surface on which it is coated. Graffiti prevention coatings simply make the paints unable to stick to the surface they are being applied to by penetrating those porous surfaces first to form a film.
Graffiti prevention coatings can be invisible to the eye. There are two different types of graffiti prevention coatings. The first, is called a sacrificial coating. It is applied to a surface and then removed when any graffiti is applied. The surface underneath will be left clean and a new sacrificial coating can be applied again. Though it doesn’t stop graffiti from being applied in the first place – it makes the job of removing the graffiti far more economical than if there was no coating at all.
The other type of coatings are permanent coatings that prevent graffiti from adhering to the surface in the first place.
Permanent coatings are more expensive than sacrificial coatings, but if used properly only have to be applied once. These coatings create a protective surface that spray paint cannot bond to. If the surfaces are sprayed with spray paint, all that is needed to remove the paint is a simple solvent (toluene) and some manual labor. The underlying surface and the protective coating will remain undamaged.
Weis Contractors work closely with our coating Manufactures. Our 2 pac nano coating would have to be the toughest coating we have come across in recent years. On one toilet block alone in a 6 month period we removed 400m2 of graffiti from white painted walls. This process was made so much easier due to the “non-stick” surface that had been first applied.
We have used this product to protect all of Ipswich City Councils skate parks, Gladstone City Council. Mortern Regional Council and Brisbane City Council