Has your property been subjected to a graffiti attack? If so, you're not alone; graffiti vandalism in the UK has increased dramatically in the past decade, especially in urban areas, with more than £1 billion spent every year on graffiti removal services.
As a professional graffiti removal service, Uniwash Team understands better than anyone that this form of vandalism is unwelcome, unsightly, and unpleasant. It ruins the appearance of your property and makes the local area seem run down.
Research and experience have proved that this often attracts other forms of anti-social behaviour, vandalism, and crime.
This lowers property values in residential areas and can put off potential customers in commercial settings. So, what can be done about it?
Uniwash Team graffiti removal experts can remove all traces of this blight, leaving your walls looking spotless.
We deal with all kinds of projects, materials, and surfaces as a specialist cleaning company, giving us the perfect tools and equipment to handle graffiti removal on any scale. Our skilled team is trained to use a range of methods and machines to tackle the job efficiently and restore your walls to their original state.
Here are a few of the methods that we have found to be successful:
Suitable for most surfaces, the DOFF steam cleaning machine pumps superheated steam through a nozzle at low pressure, breaking down dirt, organic matter, and graffiti spray paint.
The water is so hot that it evaporates within minutes, leaving the surface amazingly clean, without causing any damage.
This method is very popular as it is environmentally friendly: it doesn't use as much water or energy as pressure washing, and neither does it need harsh chemicals in order to work.
Although it was specifically designed for cleaning stone on heritage buildings, it is perfect for a wide range of cleaning projects and ideal for graffiti removal.
Developed by the same company that brought us the DOFF machine, TORC cleaning is similar, although it uses mildly abrasive granulate (usually fine calcium carbonate) mixed with water and a mild, non-toxic cleaning solution.
This is pushed through a variety of specially-designed nozzles (depending on the material in question) to create a swirling vortex that scours the surface gently but effectively. Again, this method doesn't harm the substrate in any way.
It's another environmentally friendly option - even more so that DOFF steam cleaning - as it uses even less water and energy.
High-pressure washers are a great tool for paint removal and will usually shift the offending graffiti without too much trouble. Even so, they have to be used correctly.
In the wrong hands, a pressure washer can cause immense damage to certain exterior surfaces. You might remove graffiti, but you could also end up breaking the wall. It's vital that the nozzle is kept at a safe distance from the surface, the pressure is adjusted to suit the substrate, and the nozzle is set to spray rather than a narrow jet.
All Uniwash Team staff are trained to use pressure washers to their best effect and without damaging the surfaces being treated.
Occasionally, all that's needed is a powerful cleaning agent. This can be helpful when dealing with smaller areas of graffiti paint.
Graffiti removers are usually gel-based chemicals that can be painted over the offending graffiti and left to break it down. They are then wiped away, hopefully leaving sparkling clean surfaces.
The tools and methods we use are effective at cleaning graffiti from most porous and non-porous surfaces, including:
So, there's no need to fear for your walls! Whatever the extent of your graffiti problem, the Uniwash Team graffiti removal service can handle it.
If vandals regularly target your area, leaving unsightly graffiti tags on walls, fences, and other surfaces, you might want to consider ways of preventing it.
Anti-graffiti coatings prevent spray paint and ink from marker pens from bonding with porous surfaces. Anti-graffiti paint is also available, which is ideal for previously painted walls.
On the whole, yes, they are effective as they make it easier to remove spray paint. Also, they give the 'artwork' a poor finish, making the spray paint run, which isn't the effect that the vandals were looking for.
If you choose to buy an anti-graffiti coating, always check the reviews first and select a good-quality brand.
Typically, you should allow about 1.5 hours per metre squared for graffiti removal - it depends on how bad the problem is, what type of surface material we are dealing with, and the graffiti-cleaning method we choose.
Removing graffiti takes patience and precision if it's to be performed accurately. A slap-dash or half-hearted approach could leave your building looking in a worse state. This is not an acceptable outcome for the Uniwash Team and we will always endeavour to provide perfect results.
Even so, we recognise the need to remove graffiti as quickly as possible for three reasons:
It's unlikely that the local authorities will be interested in your problem unless the graffiti is in a public space that they own or control. Your best course of action is to contact the Uniwash Team and we'll schedule an appointment at the earliest opportunity.
Here are a few things to avoid when dealing with graffiti:
When you're affected by a graffiti attack, contact the Uniwash Team and we'll handle your graffiti removal requirements promptly and without any fuss.
Our cost-effective service includes a free quote and a free survey. We'll also arrange to carry out the work at a time convenient to you and your schedule.
Although public opinion has changed in recent years, with a small majority of people claiming that graffiti has a positive effect on the local area, few people want to see this vandalism on their own homes or business premises.
And there's a vast difference between true urban art and scruffy, badly painted tagging with spray cans or marker pens.
That's why there's still an urgent need for professional graffiti removal services like Uniwash Team. We are here to keep your buildings free from this unsightly vandalism and to prevent graffiti from being a problem any longer.
Call or get in touch via our website to arrange your graffiti removal session and to discuss any other matters or concerns you may have regarding our services.
Local authorities generally only remove graffiti from public buildings, bus stops, bins, benches, and monuments. They can also issue a defacement removal notice to owners of private property affected by graffiti ordering them to remove graffiti within 28 days.
Graffiti removal mostly involves covering the affected area by painting over it, applying graffiti removal chemicals, or using a cleaning machine (as described above). We use a range of methods, often combining them to achieve the desired outcome.
Countless websites suggest various remedies including petrol, turpentine (white spirits), baking powder, vinegar, acetone, etc. However, some of these risk damaging certain surfaces, particularly if they are painted. Some branded graffiti removal products can deal with small areas (like the odd scribble, or 'tag') but the quickest and most effective way is to hire graffiti removal experts, like Uniwash Team.
It all depends on the type of paint (or marker pen) used, the surface affected, and the length of time it has been left in place. However, scrubbing it with soapy water is rarely effective, so most people turn to companies like Uniwash Team to shift it.
