Anyone ever do any sealing of artistic murals? Don’t normally do add-ons like this but I got a good customer asking that I do it and I think it could be a lucrative venture. It’s something different anyway. Any thoughts, comments, or suggestions?
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Try contacting the artist and see what they would recommend?..
I got that taken care of. We picked the sealant and decided to spray apply from a lift. Everything’s a go. Just thought I’d poke around these guys to see if I might be missing something. The artist doesnt like hieghts. Lol. Wont go back up.
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http://www.cpag.net/guide/2/2_pages/2_1.htm
Finish Coatings
Generally a mural is coated with matt or semi-gloss acrylic varnish when it is complete. The quickest route is to spray the varnish with an airless sprayer. Varnish can also be rolled or brushed onto the wall. Avoid having to repair heartbreaking damage to your completed mural by doing a test-varnish on a small section of the wall. Rolling is the least preferred method; the one most likely to cause damage to your work.
Occasionally, a varnish can become overly cloudy in its drying. Care must be taken to do this work in appropriate temperatures. A clouding of the varnish occurs because:
The varnish is applied too heavily
The varnish is brushed or rolled after it has begun to dry
The varnish is applied to a hot wall and dries too fast
It is best to use at least two coats of varnish. The first coats should be done with a high gloss varnish to preserve the clarity of the colors. For the final coat, use a varnish of the desired degree of gloss. Be sure to test your varnish—sometime matte is very matte, sometimes it has the look of semi-gloss. You can intermix several varnishes of the same brand to achieve the desired glossiness.
Polyurethane coatings are not recommended by CPAG. These coatings may yellow over time and they are not as flexible as acrylic, which allows moisture to escape from a wall without cracking of the paint layer.
A mural can also be coated with graffiti protection. CPAG recommends Soluvar, produced by Liquitex. It is a varnish that can be purchased at many art stores. It is expensive, but as a graffiti protectant, it only needs to be applied to the lower areas of a mural. If you are planning to coat only the bottom of the mural, experiment with mixing matte and gloss Soluvar, until you achieve a mix that matches the gloss of your mural finish. It’s also a good idea to apply the Soluvar along the edges of forms in the mural and to feather it out so as to avoid a noticeable edge between the two types of sealer.
Soluvar is an acrylic polymer designed to be solvent in mineral spirits. Use soft rags soaked with mineral spirits to remove the Soluvar and graffiti without damaging the underlying surface. After the graffiti is removed, the Soluvar should be reapplied.
There are many advertised anti-graffiti coatings. Be suspicious of the various new claims of anti-graffiti companies. Often, these polyurethane-type coatings will ultimately cause yellowing and chipping—damaging your mural and the underlying wall.
One method that may be worth trying is a sacrificial hot-wax treatment. Heated wax is applied to the wall after the painting and sealing of the work. In case of graffiti, the company returns to wash the wall with hot water, the graffiti is washed away with the wax, and then wax is reapplied to the wall. Such a coating could also effectively protect a mural from a build up of dirt over time. Check to see if this treatment is available in your area.
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I should have put quote marks around that. It’s part of an indepth article from the Chicago Public Art Group website.
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Thats funny. It’s the same one I read today.
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I used to paint Murals. I used a semi gloss clear coat varnish. Painted it on. But mostly indoor stuff.
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I didn’t the whole thing, but man, someone took the time to write everything down. Cool pics too.
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Here it is.
WOW!!! Nice, where is that?
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