Advice on preventing and removing graffiti is provided by RICHARD NEUMAN, partner at Relocation Management Solutions.
Graffiti is unsightly, costly to business and ruins public spaces. The important thing is to remove any graffiti as soon as it appears, otherwise it becomes an open invitation for others to add to the graffiti.
What steps should you take to maximise protection on the premises you maintain? There are two issues: indoor and outdoor graffiti.
For outdoors graffiti, you can use environmentally friendly graffiti removal solutions that are applied over the tag, let it sit and keep it from drying by reapplying if required (application time is the most important step for good results). You then use high pressure hot water to wash it off. The hardest removals are porous surfaces which often leave shadow effects. The solution dissolves the graffiti and the hot powerful spray gets in at it.
Indoor (primarily bathroom stalls and walls), you’ll want to use less aggressive products so as not to cut into the existing surface paint on walls. Some facilities managers’ report that they have had success with surface sealers that repel graffiti, however this makes resurfacing of the area (repainting) difficult. There are other products that can be applied on the existing surface and be peeled off (like a skin) when covered with graffiti. There are also some good anti-graffiti paints on the market that make it much more easier to remove graffiti.
The best approach is probably a combined proactive and reactive approach. Use a product for initial protection and then respond quickly with regards to removal.
This article first appeared on Richard Neuman’s ownersrepny.com blog here.
