Does anyone have any recommendations for Graffiti-Resistant coatings for Brick and split face masonry? I also have some EIFS that may need a coating. I have looked and Chemical Products and Prosoco. I was speaking to a representative and they said the sacrificial wax coatings can sometimes leave a white film. All of the products appear change the color of the masonry to some degree. I dont have any experience with this one so I would appreciate anyones comments. I am leaning to non-sacrificial products at this time.
Thanks,
Jeff
Jeff,
I would look to Evonik Corporation for the Protectosil Antigraffiti.
Go to www.protectosil.com
I second Wayne’s recommendation, it’s the only stuff I specify for porous substrates. Note that this product requires a “prep” coat of one of Evonik’s water repellents, which works out pretty well because we specify water repellent for all of these substrates as a default requirement, and it’s then an easy thing to specify/show an additional application of the graffiti-resistant product only over those areas that require it (typically up to about 8 feet above the adjacent waking surface).
I would talk to the EIFS manufacturer’s as well - my past research led me to the conclusion that there are compatibility issues with graffiti coatings and EIFS and they aren’t recommended
A really, really good anti grafitti coating is probably going to change the appearance of the underlying material. The others are going to make cleaning most of the grafitti easier, but are probably not going to do the job with a really aggressive graffitti environment. Verify the amount of grafitti you client expects, then chose a product, possibly with compromises from the designer.
Another thing to keep in mind is the actual cleaning process. Some manufacturers have products that require only soap and water to remove the grafitti (I think Protectosil is one) and others require an additional proprietary product for removal.
Thanks for all the info!
I will need to check into the blocks to make sure they don’t have a water repellant in the mix. Or that it would be compatible.
I will check on the degree of graffiti problem. Higher levels of protection can/will cause higher discoloration. That would be a good one to make clear with the client. I will have them install it on the mock-up half way up also.
Cleaning with just soap and water would be a big plus also.
Thanks,
Jeff
I would think that the issue raised by Robin is going to be paramount. Most anti graffiti coatings are applied to porous concrete block (portland cement product) or brick (fired clay). EIFS, while it looks a little like stucco (portland cement product), it is actually an acrylic coating. Thus, I would not expect these two coatings would be happy together.
I realize that the EIFS is a weak point. I have called both Protectosil and Dryvit. I will be sending Dryvit the Protectosil cut sheets to get their response. If I get a positive response from Dryvit. I will post it. Protectosil said they would work on EIFS but as a sacrificial coating. I am thinking that Dryvit probably will not Ok it.
Looks like we will be putting some Graffiti on the mock up wall for a test. That would be something I have never done before!
Jeff
Mockups are a very good idea. There are a lot of coating products out there and some that work well for one substrate may not work with another.
Caution, sealing porous products such as brick and CMU can lead to spalling since they will not allow air or vapor to permeate. You may need to increase the number of vents you build into your wall to permit greater air flow. I would definitely advocate upper and lower vents to create air flow behind the veneer. You might want to look seriously at compartmentalization as well to increase the effectiveness of your air flow.
I’ve found it cheaper and more effective aesthetically to recoat the EIFS on an as-needed basis, often requiring sanding or other removal methods of the graffiti first. Frankly I would not use EIFS as locations prone to ‘tagging’.
In the mockup, be sure to include the expected variety of anticipated graffiti materials that are common in the area: spray paint, crayon, alcohol-base markers, etc. The variety of graffiti chemistries requiring removal is a big challenge for anti-graffiti products.
Anybody have a legible copy of Protectosil product data?
Much better! Thanks, Ron!