Insurance Restoration Specialists, Inc. (IRS) received a call from Somerset Joint Insurance Fund (SCJIF) to respond to graffiti defacing Washington Rock Park. IRS used an advanced graffiti removal technique and quickly had the park back in operating condition. One of the oldest state parks in New Jersey, Washington Rock was originally purchased in 1913 to commemorate the historical events of 1777. The state park is situated on top of Watchung Mountain in Green Brook, New Jersey. The park is operated and maintained by the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry and the Somerset County Park Commission. Known for its scenic vista and historical significance Washington Rock park is also a popular site for picnicking and relaxing.

The Damage

Vandals used spray paint in various parts of the park, each of which posed different remediation challenges. The surfaces damaged included the rock base of a flag pole, a commemorative plaque, a rock walkway, retaining walls made of large uneven rocks with grout and high up a large wall that descends straight down from the top of the lookout. Although this is an unfortunate example of property damage, IRS regularly has to figure out different ways to safely restore properties and has trained remediation staff on hand.

The Graffiti Removal Process

IRS technicians assessed the site and concluded they would need to use a tool that was able to remove the graffiti but gentle enough to not damage the historic aspects of the site. Luckily, IRS uses a cutting-edge bead blasting technique that is strong enough to remove the paint without further stripping away what is underneath it.

This method worked extremely well and all of the impacted surfaces were restored. The customer was grateful for our response and the appearance after our response adding:

“Thank you to all the IRS Staff who worked on this claim. The Somerset County Park Commission is extremely pleased with the results.
When the call came in as to the upsetting destruction of our facility, I knew IRS was the right company for the job! “

Insurance Restoration Specialists, Inc. (IRS) is a premier provider of disaster recovery mitigation, environmental remediation, biohazard emergency response and HVAC inspection and cleaning in the New Jersey-Philadelphia-New York City area. IRS is certified by NADCA and have Certified Air Systems Cleaning Technicians and a Certified Ventilation System Inspector on staff. Services include mold removal,water damage restoration, fire damage restoration, flood damage cleanup, smoke damage remediation, and biohazard remediation.