Graffiti artists' spray erased by Armaglaze

With corporations such as McDonald's, the Gap and even the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation offering ringing endorsements, Armaglaze must be a force to be reckoned with.

But only if you're a hardcore graffiti artist.

Lee Elver, sales manager with Aquarius Coatings of Woodbridge, was in London yesterday to demonstrate and talk up his line of anti-graffiti coating.

"This is a permanent solution to the problem of graffiti," he said following the demonstration at the ICI Canada store on Wellington Street, where Armaglaze is available.

Lee's beat takes him from Woodbridge and Toronto through the Niagara region and into London and Southwestern Ontario.

"There's more and more graffiti -- it just seems to be on the upswing," he said.

"I'm from St. Catharines and they're having a very hard time with it. It's everywhere."

Armaglaze, a paint-like coating that comes in clear and tinted versions, was designed specifically to combat graffiti and save wear and tear on building exteriors.

Soda and sand blasting can leave a marked surface, Lee said. So can other chemicals used to clean the spray paint tags.

Lee's product isn't the only one on the market. There are other similar products and what he calls "sacrificial coating" that creates a removable barrier between a building's surface and graffiti.

With Armaglaze, you can use an array of cleaners to take the paint off, but leave the coating intact. The coating lasts three to four times longer than traditional paints, an added bonus.

Lee's product is available in both a solvent base and a water base -- the latter being more environment-friendly.

His main customers are downtown associations, school boards, municipalities, institutions and franchise restaurants. But Armaglaze is also good for industrial buildings because of its resistance to chemicals.

Lee said it could also be used on concrete floors.

Municipalities and corporations have tried other anti-graffiti methods -- increased security, more outdoor lighting and even areas designated specifically for graffiti artists.

"But let's face it, part of the whole thing is doing it and getting away with it. This method works better," he said.