Recently, a World War II Memorial in South Boston was vandalized with oil. As we watched the City of Boston try to plan out their course of action, we decided to offer our help! Once the Memorial had been restored, we decided to sit down with Paul and Melissa Bunis, owners of Boston Stone Restoration, to ask them a few questions about the best way to restore stone that has been vandalized.
What kind of graffiti and vandalism can be restored?
Spray paint, oil and magic marker stains can usually be removed most effectively
What stone surfaces do not restore well?
Surfaces that are very porous and rough (honed or flamed surfaces) present more of a challenge as it’s difficult to get into the small nooks and crannies without damaging the stone.
How does a stone pro remove graffiti and vandalism?
Our preferred course of action is to use certain strippers, poultices and cleaners that we know do the trick without causing any damage to the stone. Dry ice blasting or sandblasting is also an option
How long does it take?
It varies from job to job, but poultices take the longest as they are wet when applied and pull the stains out with them as they dry which often requires multiple applications.
What can municipalities do when faced with large problems?
As a preventative you can apply a coating such as Microguard by Adsil which is formulated to be a barrier to graffiti, but always call a professional ( like our team here at Boston Stone Restoration)! Trying to do it yourself can often make it worse.
There ya have it, folks. If you have stone that needs to be restored, don’t delay, call Boston Stone Restoration today! For a quote, click here.