Most reasonable folks would agree that some of today’s “graffiti artists” are extremely talented young people. Most would also agree that it would be better for everyone if they wouldn’t practice their art on the sides of our businesses, homes, schools and bridges. But until they get the memo and decide to give us all a break we’re stuck with having to deal with the results of their misguided efforts. For decades public officials and private individuals have been searching for a way to effectively remove graffiti. Today, they have a way: power washing.
Power Washing: Your Best Choice for Graffiti Removal
Graffiti has been a problem since the first patent for spray paint was issued to Edward Seymour of Sycamore, Illinois in 1951. The problem really took off in the 1970s when organized gangs of young people each armed with dozens of cans of spray paint began creating huge murals on the sides of subway trains in New York City as well as on the sides of public buildings both occupied and abandoned in cities nationwide. Today, graffiti has become part of the landscape and the response has shifted from trying to stop it to trying to find effective ways of removing it.
Over the years a variety of methods have been tried including:
Painting over the graffiti
The idea of painting over graffiti emerged during the 1970s as cash-strapped cities searched for cheap ways to respond to the growing problem. The truth is that in some cases painting over is a perfectly viable response. If, for instance, the graffiti is on a flat metal surface like a door or security grate, or on a smooth concrete surface simply painting over it can be a cost-effective choice.
But painting over is not a good choice if the graffiti is spray painted on a brick or rough concrete surface. Also, regardless of the surface, if it is not prepared properly the overcoat of paint is likely to adhere poorly to the undercoating of spray paint. As a result, the overpainting will soon begin to peel and chip away creating a really unpleasant scene.
Ye Olde Elbow Grease
There have been plenty of businesses and homeowners whose response to graffiti has been to roll up their sleeves and start scrubbing. They typically use commercially available detergents along with scouring pads or wire brushes and just work the surface until the graffiti is mostly or entirely gone.
This method will work on small pieces of graffiti applied to some surfaces, but again, is unlikely to work very well on a porous surface like brick. Also, this is not a practical way to approach a large piece of graffiti because A) you’re likely to drop from exhaustion and B) the results on large surfaces are bound to be uneven at best.
Dry ice blasting
If you’re Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos you might want to consider dry ice blasting to remove graffiti from your corporate headquarters. This process was originally developed to remove rust and corrosion from metal surfaces but it turns out to be pretty effective at removing graffiti too. The problem? It’s really expensive which is why you’ll need to have deep pockets like Musk or Bezos if you want to use this method.
Chemical Removal
During the early years of the graffiti wars, some building owners tried having their maintenance crews use chemical paint removers to clear graffiti from their walls. The process was labor-intensive, the fumes involved were noxious, the chemicals were often highly flammable, the maintenance workers were often using substandard protective gear, and the resulting sludge was often disposed of in unsafe ways. As a result, this type of graffiti removal is no longer widely practiced.
Enter Power Washing
As luck would have it, the first commercially available pressure washers were being introduced to the US market at around the same time that graffiti was exploding from a minor nuisance to a full-fledged social problem. It took some time, however, for the technology to become widely distributed and accepted, and even longer for people to realize its potential as an anti-graffiti tool. Today, however, power washing services that specialize in graffiti removal have sprung up in virtually every city in the world.
The popularity of the process is driven by 3 factors: its simplicity, its affordability and its effectiveness. If practiced by experienced technicians using state-of-the-art equipment the process is effective on virtually all types of masonry surface, although in some cases the affected area may need to be pretreated in order to ensure complete removal of the paint.
As we just suggested it’s important that you make sure the company you choose to remove graffiti is properly equipped and employs experienced technicians who understand the nuances of the process. Inexperienced operators tend to be impatient and are prone to using the wrong pressure or the wrong removal techniques. As a result, they not only remove the graffiti, they also damage the underlying surface in the process.
Trust Majestic for Graffiti Removal in Massapequa
Majestic Window and External Cleaning offers expert power washing in Massapequa and Oyster Bay. Whether your goal is to restore your driveway to a like-new condition, power wash the house in preparation for a big get-together or remove graffiti from your storefront, we’re the ones to trust. Find us by searching for “power washing near me” or give us a call at (631) 421-2295.