[leighatkins]

I have been mulling over an idea for preventing graffiti which I know is not currently on the market as yet (or last time I enquired).

Most graffiti-proofing products are self-sacrificing – that is they wash off with the removal of the graffiti itself. They only make removal of the offending material easier but they must be reapplied every time you have cleaned the paint off. Some products will last a few times but will eventually have to be reapplied.

Have you ever tried to spray paint on a surface with paraffin wax on it? Probably not as I am sure that you are all good law-abiding citizens… Well, it just balls up and runs off, and if you are a graffiti artist (or whatever they call themselves), that is most dissatisfying as you can’t even make a start. You would be more likely to just go somewhere else and not return, which is what we all want, right?

Well, my idea is to combine paraffin wax with a solvent (I think benzene is the one but I may be wrong) and to spray the surface you intend to keep clean of graffiti eg. train, fence etc. The liquid paint balls up and streams onto the ground etc. in puddles which just wastes their precious medium. A hosing with cold water removes any residue that just happens to have stuck but most times, one cannot even tell that the graffiti artist was even there. The paraffin coating does not come off unless you purposefully remove it with a hot steamer so it is not self-sacrificing. As for how long it lasts, I don’t know that yet because I have not done any extensive testing along those lines. The surface would have to be properly cleaned before application, but that is standard for any graffiti-proofing anyway. It is a completely colourless and transparent coating and it dries pretty quickly after application (one would need protective clothing etc. according to OH&S).

It would seem to be the ultimate in graffiti-proofing coats so if someone could comment on this and let me know what they think about feasibility etc. I would appreciate it.