So, you get the phone call from a Mr Smith who lives in Flat 3, shouting that ‘somebody’s sprayed graffiti all over the wall again, what are you going to do about it?’

As a property manager, you need to act fast. Firstly, because Mr Smith is angry, and quite rightly so. Secondly, you need to determine some facts because although graffiti is, in most peoples’ opinion, unsightly and an act of vandalism, some ‘tags’ need to be removed quicker than others.

You need to find out if the tag is in a prominent area where most people will see it, whether it contains swear words, whether it is a racist comment or slogan, or if it is aimed at a particular person or community – if the answer is yes to any of these, then it has to be removed as soon as possible as it could cause distress to tenants.

 If the tag is purely a form of graffiti artwork (although this is still classed as vandalism), the need to remove it does not have to be as quick. However, do not be complacent; if not removed promptly it could still encourage others to leave tags and before you know it you could have more than one tag to deal with. It will be an expensive task to remove the tags and sometimes it can turn into quite the battle; another could appear as soon as you remove one, and the only way to win is to remove all of them completely and hope that the ‘artist’ gives up.

Graffiti Removal

The removal of graffiti is a great skill. A lot of companies boast they can remove all traces of it and will paint the area with anti- graffiti paint afterwards. However, this does not always work. Some use very strong chemicals, while others high pressure washing systems. There are also some who use cheaper products, although these can do more harm than good.

A few of years ago, our specialist cleaner spent a couple of days on a large tag using chemicals recommended to us by a local council. At the end of the second day, he came back exhausted, downhearted and beaten saying that he had barely removed it and what had gone had left a ghosting effect. The pointing on the brickwork was falling out from all scrubbing and pressure washing. This was not cost-effective for us; the client was also being let down and staff morale was low.

The Best Methods

With this in mind, it is always important to investigate the best methods of removing graffiti. It can often take hours of research to find the products that tick all the boxes.

 When removing graffiti, you should always consider a variety of aspects.

• Is the product safe for the environment?
• Does it meet control of substances hazardous to health regulations?
• Does it come with safety data sheets?
•  Is it going to leave shadowing/ghosting effects?
• Will it cause damage to the surface the graffiti is on?
• What personal protective equipment is required for staff?

And most importantly –

• Does it work?

Specialist Staff

Removing graffiti can be expensive. However, it is always better to invest first rather than pay for a failed fix. It is also important to ensure you hire specialist staff who have licenses to work with dangerous chemicals. In terms of time, it could take anywhere between a few hours to a couple of days – it entirely depends on the tag, the specialist and the materials you’re working with.

Some specialists use a low-pressure washing system, which causes no damage to the pointing or brickwork. The system is bio-degradable, can be used on heritage work like statues and war memorials, leaves no ghosting or shadowing and ensures a speedy service. Also, as mentioned earlier, graffiti artists often like to tag the same areas repetitively, so when a system works well, they soon stop. Then Mr Smith will be happy that you have reacted to his call in a professional manner.

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For more information, please call a member of the team on 0800 281 235.