Graffiti removal

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Graffiti removal

While some may see graffiti as a form of vandalism, others recognize and appreciate it as a form of art with varying styles and types that can be seen almost everywhere in the streets today. Being a very dynamic form of art, it’s not uncommon for artists to add or paint over the artwork of other artists and as a result, give birth to an entirely different work of art. If you’re paying a close attention to the graffiti you come across every day, you’d realize that there are very different styles of graffiti. In this post, we’re going to give you an insight into some types of graffiti that happens to be very common amongst the lot. Let’s take a look!

  • Tag or tagging. This is the easiest and most recognized form of graffiti which is usually done using spray paint cans having a single colour and writes the artist’s name or identifying a symbol.
  • Throw ups. This is similar to tagging but it possesses a bigger size which is more sophisticated and may incorporate a number of paints and colours. Most often than not, they’re created with bubble style writing making use of spray paint cans.
  • Blockbuster. This is a lot more sophisticated than throw up as it’s much bigger and usually covers an entire space like a wall. Remarkably, they’re created in a relatively short period of time just like a tag and throw up.
  • Wildstyle. These are also text-based; however, it incorporates large font styles which can make them hard to read. You’ll discover complicated and interlocked letters, spiked arrows as well as other creative elements to create the sophisticated work of art.

 

How long does it take to remove graffiti?

It can be extremely frustrating suddenly finding graffiti all over your wall or fence especially when you’re well aware it’s your responsibility to have it removed. And talking about graffiti removal, this is not the most pleasant of tasks and one which most home and property owners would prefer to avoid. It’s either you hire the expert services of a graffiti removal professional or take on the removal process yourself. If you wish to pull this off by yourself, then you’d probably want to know just how long it’ll take to complete the process. In this post, we’re going to give you an insight into this to help you make an informed decision and start planning. Let’s take a look!

As you would have imagined, graffiti removal is in no way an easy task and as a result, can be very time consuming especially when you’re not highly skilled or experienced in the field. Therefore, there’s no simple and straightforward answer to this question as there are a number of factors that can impact the length of time it’ll take to complete the entire graffiti removal process. Firstly, there are a number of techniques that can be used to remove graffiti, so while some are fast others aren’t so fast. Secondly, the area covered by the graffiti – the larger the area the more the time it’ll take to have it removed. The expertise of your hired professional can also go a long way to determine just how much it’ll take to complete the task. Overall, graffiti removal should be completed within 15mins to 30mins, but this can be a lot more depending on the factors highlighted above and more.

Things to consider before arranging for Graffiti removal

Your building or any other one isn’t completely immune from being tagged without due consent by a random graffiti artist. Be it a residential or commercial property, unwanted graffiti comes with a lot of drawbacks and as a result, you shouldn’t waste any time before having it removed. However, this does not mean you should be too hasty to have it removed either by yourself or hiring a professional. Before you make a decision, there are a couple of things you may want to consider to help you make the best-informed decision possible. Let’s take a look!

  • Hire a professional or do it yourself? When graffiti appears on your property, it can be removed but you’d have to determine whether you’d be doing this yourself or hire a professional. If it’s a relatively small one and you have some time on your plate, you can tackle this on your own. However, bigger and more complex ones are best left to the professionals who can do a perfect job while also guaranteeing the safety of your property.
  • The company’s experience, knowledge and skills. When it comes to graffiti removal, the experience and skills of a professional is paramount to ensure the task is done perfectly. They should also have the right tools and cleaning solutions. Without the right equipment and cleaning products, the removal job can easily turn out to be a mess - leaving the property even worse than you met it.
  • Does it speak value or just a pure act of vandalism? Surprisingly, there are some graffiti that are actually pleasant to the eye. If you feel it suits your property quite well, then you might want to consider leaving it intact.
  • Is the company insured? If anything happens to go wrong, you can be rest assured that you’re fully covered if your selected graffiti removal company is insured.

How much does Graffiti removal cost?

If you want to remove the graffiti on your property, then you’d probably want to know the cost to get this done. However, if you think this is a straightforward question in which a simple answer can be provided, then you must be mistaken. The fact is, graffiti removal prices vary from company to company which makes it a lot more difficult for home or property owners to know just how much they’ll be charged for such service. You know this is a great problem in the country when you realize the estimated cost of cleaning up graffiti in the country exceeds a whooping £1 billion every year. If you need to clean up your home or business property, then you must take note that a lot of factors will come into play to affect the total cost for such service.

So, what are the factors that influence graffiti removal cost?  Well, this is simple and logical. The main reason why graffiti removal prices can vary largely is because every job is unique and there are also a number of techniques that can be incorporated to get the job done as well. If you’ve obtained a price list for graffiti removal, then you’re likely to observe that the costliest estimate is for tasks which has to do with monuments, heritage statutes as well as listed buildings. This is due to the fact that old stonework needs to be treated with great care and the more reason why you can’t overlook hiring a specialist. The more experienced companies will make use of low-pressure systems while also steering clear of abrasives. The best companies will take their time to assess your unique situation, identify the best approach to take and provide you with a reasonable quote.

Average Graffiti removal cost

The regular cost of Graffiti removal is £208 in your area. Costs differ based on the materials and the organisation hired. The upper price range can be as high as £312. The bulk of the cost is the Labour time to do the work.

Average price per Graffiti removal job in 2023

Avg. price low

Avg. price low
£208

Avg. price

Avg. price
£260

Avg. price high

Avg. price high
£312

£500

£375

£250

£125

£0

Prices based on actual Graffiti removal costs for your area, as reported by local Quotatis members.

Graffiti removal installation cost in your area 2023

Labour cost £200
Material cost £50
Waste removal £10
Time frame: 1 day

Advantages for Graffiti removal

  • Graffiti can often be removed
  • Removal does not always take very long with the correct tools and chemcials
  • Commercial grade paint removers used

Disadvantages for Graffiti removal

  • Without the right chemicals and tools removal of graffiti can be nearly impossible
  • Sometimes staining or marks can be left behind
  • Cost of the service

Graffiti removal FAQs

Who is responsible for graffiti removal?

First and foremost, there exists a common argument which revolves around graffiti. While some particular set of people believe that graffiti is vandalism and a punishable offence, other believe it’s actually a form of art which should be encouraged for more to be done. There exists some graffiti with great value, however it must be stated that not all (if not most) graffitis are pleasing to the eye. If you happen to live in an environment that’s rife or perhaps your very own property is vandalized, the detracting aspects of graffiti can be highly frustrating. Therefore, if graffiti is carried out on a property without the consent or permission of the property owner, then this is considered to an illegal act. If you have one done on your property, you’d probably want to know who will be responsible for the graffiti removal. So, who is responsible to removing graffiti which suddenly shows up? Although there are varying rules in various councils, the general rule of thumb is the person responsible for graffiti removal is owner of such property. In other words, if it happens to be on your personal or business property then it’s your responsibility to have it cleaned. However, if it appears on a public or council property, then it’ll be the responsibility of the council to have it removed.

You can report any form of graffiti on your property, but different councils have their unique ways for making such reports. For instance, the City of London offers an app dedicated to help home or property owners report both vandalism and fly tipping. Other states may provide phone numbers and email addresses where you report graffiti to the authorities.

Does it matter if graffiti’s been there a long time?

The short and simple answer to this question is yes, it definitely does matter if the graffiti has been there a long time! When it comes to graffiti removal, one thing to have at the back of your mind is prompt removal is always the most effective. However, this doesn’t mean that a long existing graffiti can’t be removed. Graffiti that has been in existence a long time can be removed, but you shouldn’t expect this to be a walk in the park. If you don’t have the experience, tools and skills to pull this off, it’s strongly recommended that you call in a qualified professional for help so as to ensure the best result is achieved without any form of damage to your walls.  However, if you wish to give this a shot, then here are some tips that should put you in the right direction.

 

Here, we’ll advise you to get an effective graffiti cleaning solution such as Elephant Snot® to remove the long existing graffiti. To start the removal process, simply brush the product ( Elephant Snot® ) with the help of a wallpaper brush on the affected wall. Once completed, let the product sit for about 45 minutes to 1 hour to make for an easy removal. After this, you can then proceed to power washing it off at about 1400 to 1600 psi cold water. This should remove virtually all the paint leaving only a few behind. Identify the remaining stubborn graffiti and go for a second application. Repeat the process until the graffiti has been fully washed off. This should leave no damage to your wall whether brick or mortar.

What is Graffiti prevention

Unwanted graffiti by a random artist on your property, be it residential or commercial, can be extremely frustration to say the least. Not only does it encourage further acts of vandalism and reduces the value of your property, but it can also deter your visitors or customers. The list goes on and on, however, one thing you should know is removing graffiti can be a tedious and time-consuming task. And that’s exactly where graffiti prevention comes in! By taking preventative measures, you can avoid having to incur the expenses or pass through the stress that comes with graffiti removal. So, what are the preventative actions you can utilize to deter such vandals? Well, there are a number of measures that can be incorporated, these includes maintenance, fencing, paint colour, protective coatings, vegetation, security, lighting as well as report.

  • Maintenance involves keeping your property clean and tidy to pass the message across that you take good care of your property and any act of vandalism wouldn’t be tolerated.
  • Fencing your property with a metal cyclone or natural materials such as bamboo or bush reed or bar fencing which doesn’t offer the flat continuous surface which graffiti vandals prefer. Textured surfaces are also tricky to spray paint.
  • Paint colour. The use of dark colours to paint your walls and fences will discourage vandals as graffiti is less noticeable on dark coloured surfaces. Hence, denying the vandals the recognition they desire.
  • Protective coating. This is the perfect solution for areas that are repeatedly vandalized. Make use of graffiti resistant materials or protective coatings which allows the graffiti to be removed with relative ease.
  • Vegetation.  You can consider utilizing trellis on blank walls and fences to create an uneven surface which graffiti vandals do not like.
How to remove Graffiti from brick

A real headache is having graffiti on brick. This material is porous which enables paint to sink with ease inside all of the surface’s grooves. Unlike wood, they can’t be scraped and if it happens to be an internal wall, it can’t be sand- or water-blasted. Here, chemical and gel masonry stripper are your best bet. And while stripping of the brick is not a complex task, it does involve a number of applications of stripper and multiple scrubbing which makes it very time consuming.

Basically, a fresh and wet paint should be soaked up with am absorbent material without wiping the paint in order to spread the stain. Once done, you can then proceed to apply a suitable solvent like white spirit. After this, wash the area using a degreasing agent taking care in the disposal of the run-off material.

With dried paint, simply scrape off the paint as far as possible and apply a paint removal using the following steps:

  • Put on your safety gear like a face mask, safety googles and gloves.
  • Apply the paint stripper over the brick wall with a brush starting from a corner at the top of the wall and then working outward and downward.
  • Leave for the specified amount of time by the manufacturer. Then start to scrub off the masonry paint stripper beginning at the top of the wall again. Remove as many paints as possible.
  • Use rags and warm water to wash the brick wall and allow it to air dry.
  • Repeat the process over again to remove every form of stubborn paint that’s left.
  • Use a white vinegar to spray the stripped brick wall and wipe off any residue of paint with a brush and rinse with water.
What is the best way to remove graffiti?

A sudden appearance of graffiti on your property carried out by some vandals can be a real concern. Since you know it’s your responsibility to have it cleaned, the question becomes would you rather call in a professional or have it cleaned yourself. While calling in a professional may be costly, removing graffiti by yourself won’t be easy either especially if it’s done on brick. Bricks are known to be porous which enables paint to sink with ease inside all of the surface’s grooves. Unlike wood, they can’t be scraped and if it happens to be an internal wall, it can’t be sand- or water-blasted. So, what is the best way to remove graffiti?

Well, your best bet would be to incorporate chemical and gel masonry stripper. And while stripping of the surface is not a complex task, it does involve a number of applications of stripper and multiple scrubbing which makes it very time consuming.

 

Basically, a fresh and wet paint should be soaked up with am absorbent material without wiping the paint in order to spread the stain. Once done, you can then proceed to apply a suitable solvent like white spirit. After this, wash the area using a degreasing agent taking care in the disposal of the run-off material.

With dried paint, simply scrape off the paint as far as possible and apply a paint removal using the following steps:

 

  • Put on your safety gear like a face mask, safety googles and gloves.
  • Apply the paint stripper over the brick wall with a brush starting from a corner at the top of the wall and then working outward and downward.
  • Leave for the specified amount of time by the manufacturer. Then start to scrub off the masonry paint stripper beginning at the top of the wall again. Remove as many paints as possible.
  • Use rags and warm water to wash the wall and allow it to air dry.
  • Repeat the process over again to remove every form of stubborn paint that’s left.
  • Use a white vinegar to spray the stripped wall and wipe off any residue of paint with a brush and rinse with water.

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