6 March 2019
We’re painters — we’ll never consider all graffiti an eyesore. In some cases, it’s an art form and can transform even a humble public staircase into a neighbourhood feature. But when your walls are hit by an absolute beginner or someone with a taste for pure vandalism, there’s value in setting a boundary and resetting your walls to their professional, clean finish. We share four ways you can manage the moment you’re faced with unwanted graffiti on your building’s exterior.
It’s illegal to mark property without the owner’s consent. Report the act to your local police station, or if you’re based in Victoria (Australia) you can call 000 to report graffiti in progress. Councils have a standard practice to remove graffiti from public spaces as soon as is practical — give them a call to let them know, if the graffiti faces council-owned property.
If the work is small, or you have a large team of helpers, you could remove it yourself. Make sure even the stubbornest graffiti won’t be visible through new coats of paint, by first removing what you can with a scourer and soapy water. If you need something a little stronger, try rubbing it off with turpentine or methylated spirits. When you’re in the middle of a busy day, however, you may want to leave things like the repainting to a commercial painting company.
The one thing artists love is a smooth, blank canvas. If you’d prefer your walls to stay the way you’ve painted them, give aspiring taggers some resistance by adding your own mark with professionally applied texture coatings. You could also hamper direct access by planting shrubs and thorny plants that make getting close to your walls a nightmare, and keep the area well-lit at night.
In 2013 a Turkish man painted his local stairway in rainbow colours, to make people smile. Technically this was graffiti, and the local council painted it grey near-immediately. But by then this small act of joy had crept into the hearts of locals and they protested so vocally the council had to repaint the rainbow! It goes to show that intention, set and setting is what can turn some graffiti into a positive. If what’s been painted can become a local attraction, it could serve as a great opportunity to build your brand as innovative, active and arts-minded if you allow it to stay.
Chances are, though, that what’s been applied won’t even withstand the loving eye of a caring mother. If the graffiti on your walls just doesn’t hit the mark, you’ll need to give your walls a rapid reset. Give Barker-Whittle a call. With over 40 years of experience in commercial painting, we’ll ensure a quick, professional turnaround and get your facades back to normal.
