Anti climb paint is widely recommended by the police and security professionals. But many people are still unsure whether using anti climb paint is legal, how to use it safely and how it works. Here are some answers to commonly asked anti-climb paint questions.
What is Anti Climb Paint?
Anti climb paint is a thick, slipper substance that’s applied to surfaces like normal paint. The big difference is that anti climb paint doesn’t dry and it remains slippery for many years.
Anti climb paint is applied in a thick, 2 to 3mm coating. Application is best achieved using a brush or even a trowel. It is typically used on walls, fences, posts and poles to prevent these structures from being climbed.
How Does Anti Climb Paint Work?
As noted, anti climb paint never sets like normal paint. It remains in its highly slippery state for many years, making it impossible to grip or climb any surface where it has been applied. Walls, painted above 2 metres with anti climb paint, cannot be climbed. Posts, poles and other structures, coated with anti climb paint, are too slippery to grasp and therefore cannot be climbed.
How Long Does Anti Climb Paint Last?
The typical lifespan over which anti climb paint remains slippery and effective is around 3 years. But this is dependent on many factors including the surface to which it has been applied, how thick the application coating was and environmental conditions. Also, if attempts are made to climb a surface or structure where anti climb paint is present, the thickness can be affected and re-application might be beneficial.
Re-application is generally recommended every three years. But there is no need to remove the previous coating as this can act as an effective undercoat for subsequent layers.
How to Remove Anti Climb Paint
Anti climb paint can mark both clothing and skin. The anti climb paint substance is typically based on petroleum gel which doesn’t simply wash off with water. To effectively remove anti climb paint an appropriate solvent is recommended. White spirit is typically used for removing anti climb paint from clothing and surfaces.
Is Anti Climb Paint Legal?
Not only is anti climb paint entirely legal, it is widely recommended by police forces and security professionals. If you take a look at the advice provided by various police forces they all clearly state that anti climb paint is entirely legal, but they make these important usage recommendations.
- Anti climb paint should only be applied to surfaces above 2 metres from the ground, to prevent inadvertent transfer to peoples clothing.
- Warning signs should be prominently displayed to protect businesses and householders from being sued in civil court.
Does Anti Climb Paint Work?
The short answer to this question is - yes it does.
Anti climb paint is widely recommended by police forces precisely because it is very effective in both deterring and preventing people from climbing where they are not supposed to. Some police premises even use anti climb paint to protect their properties.
Anti climb paint is now widely used by schools, hospitals and other public buildings, to prevent people from climbing onto rooftops and attempting to break in.
Churches and stately homes are also extensive users of anti climb paint. They need to protect their valuable roofing materials from being stolen so anti climb paint is often used to prevent access to their rooftops.
And some city centre premises have protected their rooftops from expensive damage previously caused by Parkour enthusiasts. Applying anti climb paint to the areas where these troublesome daredevils accessed rooftops, along with warning signage, has entirely prevented subsequent visits and further roof damage.