If you have a situation where site furnishings are the frequent target of vandals, you should consider the benefits of an expanded metal picnic table or park bench.
Why? Kids will be kids and every year there is a new flock of misguided youngsters who engage in destructive behavior that can have a harmful effect on an entire community.
This is what administrators at Brookline High School in Massachusetts encountered one day when they discovered vandals had written some very nasty words on picnic tables nearby.
These were not just curse words, but were of a racist and homophobic nature. The miscreants also drew some offensive body parts on the picnic tables. Very shocking. Administrators had the tables quickly removed and placed out of sight.
"We contacted the police and have begun our own investigation into this incident based on initial fact-finding and interviews. Our hope is that students with information about who might be responsible for this transgression will come forward," wrote interim headmaster Anthony Meyer. "As frustrated and offended as I feel, we will use this as an opportunity for reflection about who we are as a school, who we want to be and our role as leaders in the Brookline Community."
Expanded metal picnic table with a porous surface is an effective way to deter vandals
In Howell, NJ, vandals wrote anti-Semitic statements and symbols on picnic tables in Echo Park, a place with a large Jewish population where many parents like to gather with their children to spend time outdoors.
The township immediately painted over the offensive graffiti.
"These are attacks on the entire community. It's important for members of the community - the entire community - to speak with one voice and condemn these despicable acts of hate and bigotry," said Joshua Cohen of the Anti-Defamation League.
These are some of the incidents that made the news. But you can be sure, the defacement of picnic tables, park benches and other site furnishing is taking place on a regular basis in local parks and schools across the nation.
How one type of expanded metal picnic table offers a solution
As we said, kids will be kids. They hang out in parks, restaurants and schools. They sit at picnic tables. They get bored. When in a group, they sometimes do dumb things to try and outdo one another. With just one can of spray paint, that activity can escalate into something ugly in just a few minutes.
In previous years, when wooden picnic tables were the norm, there wasn't much officials could do. They would sand down the tables to remove the words, refinish or repaint the tables or just purchase new ones.
This practice can be time-consuming and costly for departments that are already understaffed and on a tight budget. It also detracts park personnel from using their time to make planned improvements in a park. It's hard to build something new when you are busy repairing and repainting existing facilities and furnishings.
Finally, repainting old wooden park tables can never really bring those tables back to their original look. Sometimes, if you look hard enough, you can still see the graffiti.
This is when it's time to consider expanded metal picnic tables.
An example of a perforated metal bench. As you can see there is not much of a surface for graffiti or spilled liquids
For one, an expanded metal picnic table doesn't really have a flat, solid surface for someone to deface. The steel surfaces appear perforated (actually the metal is expanded to create openings). This makes it difficult and less appealing to spray paint graffiti. Since the surface is not solid, it is also practically impossible to carve anything offensive into the metal. In essence, half the table is air.
Because of advancements in metal working technology, these expanded metal picnic tables are very durable and strong.
With the perforated pattern, liquids won't gather, rain falls right through and to the frustration of graffiti artists, there isn't much of a platform for painting.
An expanded metal picnic table usually has two options for patterns - choose a diamond shaped pattern or a round one. Tables can be circular, square or rectangular. ADA versions are available as well.
The other benefit of a metal picnic table today is that the technology for coatings has improved by leaps and bounds.
These metal picnic tables can be covered with a thick, thermoplastic covering that resists molds, mildew and yes, spray paint. In fact, some coatings are impervious to paint so the chemical can't even adhere or sink into the metal. Any harmful spray paint can be easily removed with ordinary cleaners. (The Park and Facilities Catalog offers an advanced type of thermoplastic coating called SealGuard that won't peel, crack, stain or warp. With the use of performance-enhancing additives, the coating is able to display a high-gloss look that lasts for years.)
What's even better, is that after the spray paint is removed, the thermoplastic coating retains a like-new appearance that makes it seem as though the picnic table was just installed.
Metal picnic tables with thermoplastic coatings such as SealGuard also resist fading and UV rays
Weather can also wreak havoc on picnic tables. Especially when you consider outdoor site furnishings are exposed to the elements every day of the year through every type of season. Another benefit of a thermoplastic coating, is that the plastic covering is resistant to UV rays, so the picnic table will keep its original luster. (SealGuard is 20 times more durable than a standard powder-coated table). The color will not fade. These coatings also protect the steel from rust or corrosion.
That means little maintenance is required. There is no sanding to be done or repainting. In fact, these tables are built to last a very, very long time.
Every year a few ill-mannered young people will vandalize public property. That's not going to change. Even with today's internet technology, teens will still want to place their mark on outdoor site furnishings, walls and sidewalks.
But the manufacturing of picnic tables has changed. There are now better solutions out there. Products such as an expanded picnic table that is sturdy, yet does not present much of an opportunity for vandals.
No municipal or school official wants to issue a statement about disturbing graffiti found on their picnic tables. Or have families in their area exposed to repugnant language and artwork.
Don't give vandals a place to do harm. The more ways a community can thwart them the less likely they will do these terrible deeds. Expanded metal picnic table manufacturing is the solution.