SPECIALIST CLEANING
Preventing and removing graffiti
Dave Rudge, Operations Manager at REACT Specialist Cleaning, shares best practice for getting rid of graffiti – and stopping it from happening in the first place.
Artists like Banksy might increase the value of the properties they paint on, but for the most part, they’re the exception.
Graffiti in its most common form is a hugely damaging problem across the UK and, indeed, the rest of the world. Some estimates suggest its removal costs the UK over £1bn every year, and the black-and-white reality is that graffiti is illegal.
While some might condone graffiti, there are several reasons for the ban. Graffiti, which is one of the most common forms of vandalism in the UK, can damage the image of a building and the area it’s located in. That can drive the property and surrounding properties’ values down, which can disrupt entire communities.
There are also clear practical arguments against it. Graffiti on a shop front could deter potential customers. Trains that need to go through graffiti-removal processes might need to be taken out of service for extended periods, which could disrupt rail services. Sometimes, the presence of graffiti attracts even more vandalism, as criminals believe that their actions will go unchecked.
Despite all this, the prevention of graffiti might be an impossible task. Even with harsher punishments, graffiti is quick and easy to apply. The required materials are cheap and easy to buy, meaning almost anybody can make graffiti. Police, who often have more serious crimes to attend to, might not want to get involved in cat-and-mouse chases that sap their resources.
Graffiti removal, however, is no easy business – it’s often perceived as a luxury service anyway. When budgets are slim, organisations tend to label it as a ‘nice to have’, which may never get done at all. Yet, the longer the paint remains on a surface, the more difficult it becomes to remove it. Bricks, for example, suck paint into their porous surfaces over time, meaning chemical strippers require hard manual labour to apply.
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There’s a way around this, though. Over the past few years, we’ve noticed a significant shift away from traditional methods of treatment at REACT. Many clients no longer ask for graffiti removal, which was once the traditional method of treatment. Now, about half of them are asking for ‘paint over’ services, which didn’t even exist a few years ago.
Graffiti-proof paints can make it up to 80% easier to remove graffiti from a surface. For both indoor and outdoor surfaces, non-stick, non-mark paints and coatings such as fluorocarbonates often work well. For outdoor furniture, signs and walls, fibreglass and porcelain coatings work best. Some people even glaze accessible surfaces and objects with plastic laminates.
Graffiti-proof paints are an imperfect solution, however. While they may make it easier to remove graffiti from a surface, there’s a chance that they damage the underlying material. On wooden surfaces, they might prevent it from breathing, which can lead to rot. Finding a colour that matches a building’s original paint colour can also prove difficult, meaning you have to sacrifice the structure’s original design. Cleaning specialists should consider this carefully.
In recent years, the ecological impact of cleaning agents has received greater attention. Some traditional cleaning chemicals, like hydrochloric acid, can harm the environment, as well as the people applying them if they fail to wear suitable protective clothing. New ‘environmentally friendly’ products are changing that. Although they were once less effective than traditional chemicals, manufacturers have improved them to achieve similar results.
Graffiti remains a serious and widespread problem in the UK. Cleaning specialists face the difficult task of managing this threat to public life. With new methods, innovative products, and a suitable approach, it is possible to protect and clean clients’ buildings when necessary.
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