How does an anti-graffiti coating work?
It might surprise you to know that graffiti costs local councils, state governments, service providers and private property owners upwards of $2.7 billion per year throughout Australia. That’s a lot of money that could be better spent on other, more useful, things! Graffiti is a big problem in Australia, and can be a constant headache for business owners and councils.
While some graffiti can be artistic, creative and very well-executed, in most cases it’s just an eyesore, and decreases the appeal and value of your premises. It can make people feel less safe when visiting your building, undermine the quality of your business and make your whole area seem unsavoury.
The answer? Anti-graffiti coatings are becoming a widespread and popular way of dealing with the problems of illegal graffiti. Here’s what you need to know.
What is an anti-graffiti coating?
An anti-graffiti coating is a specially created paint, varnish or glaze that makes it much harder for graffiti paint or markers to successfully stick to a surface. There are many different types of coating, from sacrificial or temporary (which can be easily removed and replaced with another coating when necessary) to permanent, which rarely needs replacing.
The costs associated with removing graffiti from a property are considerable. They include the direct cost of cleaning, products and the cost of paying someone to remove the damage, plus the indirect costs arising from insurance premiums and taxes. As well, if your building is a regular graffiti target, you’ll need to repaint if much more often. An anti-graffiti coating eliminates many of these costs, as well as minimising the societal costs of graffiti on your building.
What is it made of?
Anti-graffiti paints are often made with polyurethane chemicals and silicone, which work to effectively repel any and all graffiti media. A lot of scientific technique goes into creating these coatings, which are designed to repel oil-based paints as well as water-based paints and marker pens. The paint is usually clear, and is applied as a finish over a surface, even if it is already painted.
How does it work?
Anti-graffiti coatings work in two ways to protect your building from graffiti attacks. Firstly, the coating has a preventative effect. When graffiti artists realise that their artwork just won’t stick well to certain surfaces, they won’t be back to mark your building. They’ll quickly move on to a more graffiti-friendly surface where they can actually make an impact. Pretty soon local graffiti artists will be steering well clear of your building, allowing it to present a clean façade to the world every day.
The second way an anti-graffiti coating protects your building is by making it much easier to remove the graffiti if your building does get tagged or marked. The graffiti paint is unable to properly adhere to the building surface and dry, and thus can be washed off quickly and easily, without leaving shadows or stains behind. The coating will also resist solvents in the cleaning products that are used to remove the graffiti, ensuring that the visual look of your building is unaffected.
How long will it last?
Most anti-graffiti paint coatings will be able to provide around 10 years of graffiti protection – sometimes more, depending on how often your building is the target of graffiti artists, and how quickly you are able to clean off any graffiti.
What surfaces can you use an anti-graffiti coating on?
Anti-graffiti coatings can be safely and successfully used on most common building material surfaces, such as brick, concrete, stone and painted surfaces. Anti-graffiti paint is not only for use on buildings either, it can also be used to protect bridges, trains, street furniture and painted murals etc.
Advantages of an anti-graffiti coating
Aside from the obvious advantage of protecting your building from graffiti attacks, anti-graffiti coatings offer some other great benefits:
- The coating is not obvious and won’t make your building look unsightly
- Insurance companies are starting to offer benefits for buildings with anti-graffiti coatings and to restrict cover for those without one
- It can often reduce staining on your building, as the paint provides a barrier to pollution and dirt as well
- It will provide you with peace of mind that the appearance of your building is protected
If you find that your building is being targeted often by graffiti artists, it’s time to take a stand and claim back your space. Discover how we can protect your building with a high-quality and long-lasting anti-graffiti coating.