Graffiti - No Problem!



Spray Paint Graffiti - Before



By having a strict policy of removing graffiti within 24-hours of the occurrence and preferably before the end of the workday, you can help nip tagging in the bud. However, we can help while vandals are in the process of tagging. The recycled plastic signs or high density polyethylene signs we create have a water absorption rate of less than 1 percent which means spray paint, markers, and even engravers will find it hard to make their mark—and have it stick.

“They marked the pillars of the shelter and tried to write words on the signs. There were permanent marker marks on the sign but they wiped right off with soapy water and a rag,” says Doug Foley, director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Manchester. It took only 15 minutes to clean up the graffiti versus 8 hours of time if it had been a metal or wood sign, which most likely would have needed to be sanded and repainted.

Up Close - Graffiti Removed

“We have had one or two instances of graffiti spray paint and marker,” says Steve Mott, superintendent, Town of Mount Pleasant Parks and Recreation. “We removed it with graffiti remover and the signs were fine.”

“The recycled plastic material is inert and responds to several graffiti removers,” says Taylor Bressler, parks planning and project manager, Spokane Parks and Recreation. “If it gets gouged or burned you can easily sand it out.”

“We have yet to replace one sign due to vandalism in the last ten years,” says Todd Younkin, deputy director, Preservation Parks of Delaware County. “The endurance and durability of the plastic signs acts as a deterrent.”

GRAFFITI REMOVING PRODUCTS

We have recommended and used a number of different Graffiti Removers in the past and wanted to list a few resources for you to check out. 

- Remover Magic by Certol

- Graffiti Safe Wipes

- Elephant Snot

In our experiences, we have been really happy with Remover Magic by Certol and have some samples in case you are curious. 

Customer Profile - Preservation Parks of Delaware County

Routed Plastic Sign with
Laser Engraved Logo Insert

Recycled plastic signs will cost a little more than other kinds of signs like wood or metal but you will quickly see the return on your investment as the signs do not need to be sanded or painted. Plus, since the high density polyethylene has a less than 1 percent water absorption rate , nothing sticks to the sign and that includes every park manager’s foe – graffiti.

“We look at the long run cost savings and even though these signs are a little more expensive, over the long run they are less expensive than repeatedly replacing the signs,” says Todd Younkin, deputy director, Preservation Parks of Delaware County. “They blend in well together and are consistent in size, color, and font. Every time I order, they are exactly like the ones I ordered before which is important in keeping the overall consistency of the signs in the parks.” And, Younkin would know since they have right around 300 recycled plastic signs from us.

We can supply signs that look exactly like the ones bought years ago. In fact, Preservation Parks of Delaware County installed new signs next to signs that have been out in the field exposed to the elements for years and couldn’t see a noticeable difference—even when the signs are side-by-side. 

Over 300,000 people visit the nine parks that cover over 1,000 acres and signage is important to make sure everyone has a good experience. Signage includes: pets on leash, directional signs, hiking trail markers, trail names, no fishing, rules and regulations, wildlife viewing blind, and more.

“If we had someone out painting them, with as many signs as we have, it would take them a couple of weeks,” says Younkin. “We are probably saving between $1-2,000 per year but just not having someone paint the signs. There is literally no maintenance that we have done to the recycled plastic signs.”

Customer Profile - Town of Mount Pleasant

With 12 parks covering over 300 acres of land, the Town of Mount Pleasant, New York needed a simplified and affordable way to handle their ongoing need for park signs. The primary need for park signage was at the entrance of the parks.

They opted to switch from the original routed redwood signs to the recycled plastic signs that have a brown exterior and a contrasting vibrant yellow interior. We created visually appealing park entrance signs with the park’s name routed on it with the yellow as the lettering. The resulting signs are readily visible and have virtually no maintenance.

The redwood signs required sanding and painting every few years. Plus, the wood signs were heavy which created structural problems with the bolt holes becoming weak.

The Town of Mount Pleasant has about 20 signs from us and are switching the rest of their signs to our recycled plastic signs. “We are saving about 40 hours per year,” says Steve Mott, superintendent, Town of Mount Pleasant Parks and Recreation. “Once we change over all the signs, we expect to see at least 80 man-hours a year in savings.”

For a parks department with limited funding this is an important savings tool. Plus, they like the way the signs look and that there is almost no maintenance. In fact, when a sign was marked up with spray paint and marker they removed the graffiti with graffiti remover. Can you imagine if that was a wood sign? Mott estimates it would take nearly 40 hours to have a wood sign removed, sanded, repainted, and then reinstalled.

Recycled plastic signs are resilient against graffiti because they have almost no porosity—there simply is nothing for the graffiti to stick to.

Customer Profile - City of Spokane Parks and Recreation

Salt eats away at everything including wooden park signs. Spokane Parks and Recreation Department in Spokane, Washington decided to switch from wooden park signs to more durable recycled plastic park entrance signs. They also wanted to standardize the look of the park entrance signs including the color, size, design, and fonts.

The high density polyethylene park entrance signs are 45 by 24-inches and are supported by two plastic 4-inch square posts. The park signs are a combination of a beige background with green lettering. The first Park-Signs’ sign was installed over a decade ago.

Spokane Parks and Recreation now has 120 recycled plastic signs from us. This includes 87 entrance signs with the rest being signs for the aquatic center, trails, and disc golf course. All of the signs are in the same format and coloring to provide universal and easily identifiable markers.

“We don’t fuss with the signs unless they need to be repaired, replaced, or installed,” says Taylor Bressler, parks planning and project manager, Spokane Parks and Recreation. “We don’t have to touch-up or apply any paint to the signs. That is a lot of time savings.” Bressler notes that they would have spent a solid month with an individual traveling from park to park fixing the wooden signs because wood rots but now the maintenance staff is free to work on other projects.

By switching to routed recycled plastic signs Bressler estimates that Spokane Parks and Recreation saves about $20,000 in not having to replace signs. “The signs last a long time and the material is getting less and less expensive,” says Bressler. “The signs are durable and are visually consistent even over several years.”