Stop graffiti before it starts

If there’s one constant that lowers property values, it’s graffiti. Constant tagging of outside surfaces can be a massive burden on businesses. It’s an eyesore, and it can provide a bad impression for customers who are coming to make a purchase or clients who want to bring business.

One vandal with a spray can and a little persistence can do a lot of damage! But the right kinds of coatings can help.

There are anti-graffiti coatings that work perfectly to stop paint-wielding graffiti artists. ANd the best part is that once they’re applied, they’re easy to use. Here’s how they work.

How paint works

No matter the kind of paint someone wants to use to deface a building, they all have the same general structure: a pigment (the color), a binder (the glue, usually a polymer), and a solvent (water for some paints, oil for others).

Paint has no underlying chemical bond with the structure it’s painted onto. As it dries, the solvent evaporates away, leaving only the binder and pigment. These form an interlocking structure over the surface—but it’s only held on physically, not by any underlying chemical reaction.

What that means is that you can stop paint from ever sticking in the first place if you apply a coating.

Anti-graffiti coatings

There are a few different types of anti-graffiti coatings, including sacrificial, semi-sacrificial and permanent. Permanent is exactly what it sounds like. It’s able to repel the paint so it’s easy to wipe off with just a little toluene and elbow grease. Sacrificial and semi-sacrificial coatings work a little differently. They create a separate surface that the paint binds to, and then that surface can be taken care of with a high-pressure washer or elbow grease.

Either way, they make cleanup far easier.

Be aware that if you have a historic building or are in a historic district, you may not be able to apply these sorts of coatings. Check your regulations. But if you can, they’re a valuable addition to any maintenance arsenal. Call us today at JK Industries and see how we can use anti-graffiti coatings to win your war on graffiti.