To insure the legacy of street art murals, those of us who plan them should consider the permanence of the sites we choose. Upon inspection, murals in our area were found to be suffering from defacement, color fade, atmospheric weathering and poor adhesion.
Restoration can be difficult, though possible with most problems, except adhesion.
With current available technology, such as peel coatings, we need advance planning that includes consideration of compatible substrates with a careful evaluation of site location. The following explains product failures we've experienced when reviewing existing murals. To protect an investment of time and energy I am recommending a series of steps that will preserve and extend the artist's vision. With many art treasurers in need of stabilization at a time the original artist is unavailable, we must look back and learn from our past experiences. With a natural concrete substrate on a bridge abutment or wall, when that wall is a retaining barrier for soil and vegetation opposite the mural, the muralist must consider the problem of moisture intrusion.