If all graffiti could be as artistic as Banksy, people might not have such a problem with it.  Unfortunately, a lot of graffiti is rude, unsettling or just unsightly and it is something that should be abolished.  Graffiti can ruin the family friendly feel of villages or the feeling of safety in cities and is associated with crime and bad behaviour.

The cost of vandalism…

Beyond this, vandalism can destroy personal, company and local government property.  Even if the attacked item is not destroyed, it nonetheless is very inconvenient and costly to remove.  Network Rail spends approximately £5million per year cleaning up graffiti, while the London Underground spends close to a staggering £10million per year, proving that vandalism is a huge problem. Markings that obscure the purpose of the sign can be dangerous so it is essential that the messages of road signs or warnings are clear to the public.

At the Stocksigns Group we aim to reduce the inconvenience and cost associated with graffiti by offering signage that is graffiti and permanent marker resistant. These qualities are particularly useful as removing graffiti rapidly has been shown to help reduce the likelihood of re-offending, as vandals thrive off the chance to showcase their work.

How can graffiti resistant products help…

Although no sign can claim to be completely damage proof, we offer a wide range of graffiti resistant products. One of these products is Vitreous Enamel, a product that has been present for over 100 years and is renowned as one of the most hard-wearing, vandal resistant signage options.

The process of creating a Vitreous Enamel sign involves the fusion of an image onto glass coated steel in a furnace at temperatures up to 800oC, creating a sign with a lifespan of over 40 years. The finished sign has a high quality, vibrant, lustrous finish with fire retardant and fade resistant qualities,making them a popular choice for places where signs need to be long lasting in harsh environments.

Stocksigns can also supply a range of durable signs which provide many of the benefits of Vitreous Enamel. With vibrant colours, hard-wearing coatings and various metal options, they are robust and convenient vandal resistant signage and will last for over 10 years.

Extend the life of your signs…

Keen to offer products that are suitable for all applications, Stocksigns can also apply a protective overlay film (POF) on the majority of standard signs to extend the lifespan by up to 3 years. These are commonly used on construction sites and around local communities as the POF creates a surface which can be easily cleaned to rid graffiti with the use of specialist graffiti remover or just a simple microfiber cloth and water or acetone.

Managing Director of the Stocksigns Group, Danny Adamson said, “Vandalism always poses problems in society, so we aim to maintain and discourage damage to signage with our range of vandal resistant solutions, suitable for all levels of requirements. Recovering signs from incidences of graffiti creates a much longer lifespan making them more cost efficient.  Speed of removal also decreases time spent cleaning and restoring signage, diverting staff resources and money back to areas that require them.”

All surface rail companies are constantly striving to provide better access and a better travelling experience for all their customers. Stocksigns plays a key part in helping train operators deliver these improvement projects through careful management of the accompanying signage.

DDA and SFA

A Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) or Step Free Access (SFA) improvement scheme is designed to supplement access and egress around a station.

As part of this scheme, Network Rail have undertaken a comprehensive program to improve many of its managed station facilities. Under the Disabled Peoples Protection Policy (DPPP), access to platforms is being improved. This usually means the provision of a new footbridge with lifts, or when possible, lift towers developed next to an exisiting footbridge, giving a step free route between platforms.

Rail Signage

Although schemes are sponsored by Network Rail, in most cases the signage should be complementary to what exists at present on the station.

Station signage is usually specific to individual operators. Most train operators have their own typeface, colour scheme and corporate identity that specifies what is required.

View our selection of Disability and equality signs in our online store.

Where you must absolutely NOT use Vitreous Enamel Signs

If You Care about Your Signage – Don’t use Vitreous Enamel Signs (VE)

1. When you don’t want your signs to last a long time.
Why? –  Vitreous Enamel is notorious for its vastly extended life over other materials. They will look as good as new even after 40 years, making them an ideal long term signage solution.

2. When there is NO chance of any corrosion
Why?  – Vitreous Enamel’s glass-like properties protect the whole sign so that it is safe from attack from corrosion. That’s why they are specified for marine environments because they can resist attack from salt. Applications range from oil platforms to the logo’s on ships’ funnels.

3. When chemicals such as acids and alkalis are not going to be a threat.
Why? –  Vitreous Enamel has amazing resistance to most chemicals, including solvents. This makes them ideal for corrosive, industrial, or severe atmospheres.

4. When the finish and aesthetics of your signs are unimportant to you.
Why? – Vitreous Enamel’s lustrous surface appearance, “relief effect” of the enamel layers and the wide range of colours and designs available mean that Vitreous Enamel Signs are very pleasing to the eye. Because of this they are frequently used for decoration, especially in pubs, restaurants and hotels and used as a specialist medium for many artists.

5. When your sign will never be subject to mechanical abrasion.
Why? – Vitreous Enamel has the advantage of being virtually scratch proof compared with other materials, giving it  great robustness. This is one of the reasons why vitreous enamel is often specified for wayfinding lecterns in busy cities where there is a high level of vehicle and pedestrian traffic.

6. When you are keen to be involved in regular sign maintenance.
Why? – Vitreous Enamel’s hard surface makes the signs very easy to keep clean, restoring the original brightness with a wipe. This quality has made vitreous enamel the preferred choice for electricity pylon identity plates where access is notoriously difficult.

7. When you don’t mind the colours in your sign fading.
Why? – Vitreous Enamel’s colourfastness ensures the sign looks as bright after many years as it did when first manufactured. Examples of vitreous enamel advertising signs dating from the 18oos still look as vibrant as when they were first displayed.

8. When there is no danger of a graffiti assault on your signs.
Why?  – Any graffiti on Vitreous Enamel signs can be removed with a solvent cleaner. Vitreous Enamel signs are often the first choice for councils, particularly for park and recreation ground signage.

9. When you don’t have to worry about extremes of temperature.
Why? –  Vitreous Enamel can withstand a very wide variation in temperature, and is very fire resistant, which is why it is specified in London Underground stations.

10. When you have no interest in life time cost of your signs.
Why? – Vitreous Enamel Sign’s durability, longevity and brightness makes this material extremely cost effective over time. Their long life often means that vitreous enamels signs pay for themselves over and over again during long term projects.

So here in a nutshell are reasons for NOT using Vitreous Enamel Signs.