Tagging leaves a path of graffiti-marred murals, street signs, walls and buildings in its wake.

The cleanup is often costly and challenging, involving chemical solvents, a new coat of paint and sometimes complete replacement of signs or public art. One local company is marketing a coating that cities, companies and others can use to protect property and make cleanup easier whether the tagging is done with Sharpie, spray paint or stickers.

Jeff Macgregor, vice president of sales and marketing for Coster & Son Enterprises in Camarillo, said he saw the value of the coating when he joined the company.

"I've seen nothing but the graffiti problem just continue to grow," said Macgregor, who lives in Oxnard.

One application can last 15 years

David Coster, owner of Coster & Son Enterprises, said he started selling the urethane coating because it complemented his business's line of environmentally and user-friendly auto detailing supplies. He started the company in 1984.

"It fits in with my philosophy of running a business," he said.

He said most potential clients ask, "You've got something to prevent that? It exists? Something I can put on to prevent graffiti from sticking?"

Though the actual coating has its fair share of serious chemicals, it is exempt from the state's regulations for volatile organic compounds. That's because a single application can last for about 15 years and graffiti can be cleaned off with a biodegradable cleanser. Over time, it has a lesser effect on the environment than the chemicals commonly used to clean off graffiti and the constant repainting, Coster said.

The clear coating also provides some ultraviolet light protection for the paint beneath even as it protects it from tagging and cleaning. Those selling it say it can be applied to most anything: wood, tile, concrete, terra cotta, metals and fiberglass, for example.

A gallon and a half of the product costs $300. A gallon covers about 470 square feet when applied at the proper thickness. The product is made by KSG Innovations LLC, which also makes anti-mold and anti-rust products.

The biggest challenge so far has been the credit crisis and the need to trim more out of California's state budget, which has stalled purchases.

A lot of cities have large funds for paint that could be trimmed through use of the coating, Macgregor said.

On a recent weekend, company members applied coating over a new mural on Pacifica High School's gym. Coster & Son works with Cal Coast Painting to do its applications. Workers went out early on a Saturday and completed the project in a few hours.

While watching the clear coating cover the image of Triton, Coster noticed some blocks on a different wall that had recently been painted over. The blocks had been tagged and ghost outlines of the writing was still visible. A paint similar in color to the original blocks covered the area.

Coster said an application of the anti-graffiti coating would have kept those bricks in their original condition with only a pressure washer and a rag to wipe off the marks.

Some students stopped to watch the coating being applied.

"That's pretty cool. We never had something like that before," said Esmeralda Padilla, an 11th-grader.

Exclusive distribution rights

Principal William Dabbs said the coating serves a dual purpose in protecting the mural.

"It's a very expensive mural, but it's also a symbol for the school," he said. "We wouldn't want any rivals to try to deface it." The mural faces the setting sun, so the coating also is to prevent fading, he said.

Coster & Son Enterprises officials are growing business by talking with cities that have anti-graffiti programs, talking to businesses, such as apartment complexes, and pitching the coating as an additional service sign makers can offer customers. The company has exclusive distribution rights to a territory of seven Western states.

Coster said he plans to establish business in the tri-county area and have most of the Southwest covered by the middle of next year. He said his company's existing distribution network for its automotive detailing supplies will help facilitate that rollout.