After years of pushing to raise the bar on third‑party verification, PROSOCO has reached another industry milestone, this time for anti‑graffiti and surface protection technologies.
PROSOCO has secured an Evaluation Service Listing (ESL) from the International Code Council Evaluation Service (ICC‑ES) which covers all six of its Blok‑Guard treatments, as well as SafStrip and Graffiti Remover. According to the ICC-ES, “the PROSOCO anti-graffiti system is the only one currently recognized in an ICC-ES ESL.”
This listing provides nationally recognized, third-party-verified compliance for non‑sacrificial anti‑graffiti systems and graffiti removers (an indicator the industry has thus far lacked), saving time for everyone from architects and consultants to building officials, developers, contractors and owners.
The achievement is particularly satisfying for Courtney Murdock, Director of Project Testing for AMT Labs, which handles PROSOCO’s outside testing. Murdock has been working on this project for at least a year, carving out a previously uncharted path.
“It’s very satisfying to see this come to fruition after so many months of work and correspondence with various entities involved,” she said. “It paid off with multiple rewards. We established a way forward that previously did not exist, we helped PROSOCO establish yet another first, and we verified compliance on their anti-graffiti treatments.”
What initiated Murdock’s work on the listing was the discontinuation of the Los Angeles Research Reports (LARR) program, which documented pre-approved building materials and products for use on construction projects in the city of Los Angeles.
When the program was discontinued around 2023, the city of Los Angeles did not replace it, but instead looked to national third parties that recognize building materials, one of which is ICC-ES.
A hurdle appeared when Murdock discovered that the ICC-ES did not have an acceptance criteria for penetrating anti-graffiti treatments. She overcame that obstacle by working with an engineer for the city of Los Angeles, ICC-ES, and a certified testing lab to forge a path to approve PROSOCO’s anti-graffiti products for use in Los Angeles – and by way of doing so, she also certified the performance of the products nationwide.
What the ESL covers:
The ICC‑ES Evaluation Service Listing applies to:
- All six Blok‑Guard surface treatments
- Blok-Guard & Graffiti Control WB 6
- Blok-Guard & Graffiti Control WB 15
- Blok-Guard & Graffiti Control 9
- Blok-Guard & Graffiti Control 15
- Blok-Guard & Graffiti Control VOC 9
- Blok-Guard & Graffiti Control VOC 15
- SafStrip
- Graffiti Remover
All products on the listing were evaluated using ASTM D7089, a widely recognized standard for assessing the performance of anti-graffiti products on concrete, masonry, and natural stone.
The ESL states that when applied to CMU, the listed coatings and removers achieved:
“Cleanability Level 2, defined in ASTM D7089 as “graffiti completely removed with a commercial‑based graffiti remover and high‑pressure cold‑water wash.”
About Prosoco
Based in Lawrence, Kan., Prosoco is a national manufacturer of products for stabilizing masonry walls; cleaning, protecting, and maintaining concrete; making building envelopes air- and water-tight; and cleaning, protecting, and restoring new and existing masonry buildings. We strive to provide innovative products and services that improve the appearance and performance of our built environment. Since our founding in 1939, we’ve fostered a reputation across the nation and internationally as a company that goes above and beyond for our customers in every way possible.
