From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Graffiti removal
Graffiti removal
Graffiti has long been a part of the social fabric in urban Methods
society. Despite the occasional pieces which may be
deemed as street art, most instances of graffiti are often Paint Out
simplistic tags which offer no form of aesthetic benefit. This method involves painting over the graffiti, so that
Therefore most governments have seen graffiti as detri- it can no longer be seen. This is considered a low costs
mental, and have outlawed the practice. However, due to method and has historically been used widely by govern-
most instances of graffiti occurring in public spaces, local ments.[3] However, over time the negative effects of this
governments are responsible for graffiti removal in order removal method begin to surface. Although effective for
to maintain the beautification of their local shire, council already painted walls, this removal option often leads to
or city. poor results on other surfaces, as it appears out of place
and develops a "patchwork effect" on the surface.[4] Fur-
Graffiti as a Negative Externali- thermore if this method is used regularly on the same
wall or surface, the paint begins to peel, leading to the
ty method being an ineffective long term strategy for graf-
Governments see graffiti as a negative externality be- fiti removal.
cause it largely inhibits or detracts from the beautifica-
Chemical Removal
tion of a local community.[1] This can often stigmatise a
This method actually removes the graffiti in earnest. Th-
neighbourhood or community through being labelled as
ese are cleaning products with active chemicals which
a low socio-economic area. Indeed, this converts to sup-
remove the graffiti from the surface. These methods are
pressed housing prices and has strong correlations with
largely effective, however, with poor application of the
local crime and gang activities.[2] Considering the great
chemical, this approach has been found to damage the
cost graffiti incurs on local communities, Governments
surface, especially painted surfaces.[5] In these cases the
take the burden of the negative externality, through re-
paint along with the graffiti is stripped, leading to a poor
moval. Due to the nature of graffiti, it is near impossible
result. In addition, the increasing prevalence of environ-
to eliminate, despite changes to legislation to increase
mental sustainability makes this method an increasingly
the fine for committing such offences.
outdated method of removal.
Mechanics of Graffiti Removal
There are four controllable factors that should be under-
stood when removing graffiti.[6] Time – The longer the
contact time the deeper the graffiti remover will pen-
etrate. The more sensitive the surface the shorter the
time the graffiti product is on the surface. Temperature
– Warmer weather speeds up the rate in which the graf-
fiti remover products operate. Agitation – When graffiti
removal products are applied by means of hard bristled
brushes or scourers, it assists in breaking the bond be-
tween the graffiti and the surface. NOTE: be careful on
sensitive surfaces, otherwise the underlying surface
Graffiti on a wall in London. maybe damaged. Chemical – Use the right chemical for
the task at hand. To compensate for any reduction in one
of these for variables increase one of the other variables
Approaches to Graffiti Removal ie. Should the temperature be cold, increase the contact
time between the graffiti and the graffiti remover, alter-
Governments take different approaches to graffiti re-
natively you could increase the temperature, by using a
moval, often depending on their resources. These ap-
hot water pressure washing system.
proaches have been developed and shifted due to larger
movements within the cleaning industry, costs of sup-
plies and the end results of removals.
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Graffiti removal
Environmentally Sustainable Removal great enough economies of scale to make this kind of op-
This method involves using organic products which re- eration viable.[10]
move the graffiti from the surface. These are a new gen- In addition to inspections, Proactive Removal Man-
eration of product and are beginning to be adopted by agement uses sealants to protect graffiti prone locations.
graffiti removal provider in larger cities, such as Syd- Sealants protect the surface and significantly reduce the
ney.[7] This approach is a comparable in cost to a chem- cost of removing the graffiti from the surface.Initially
ical or paint out removal, and often have the benefit of these were only available for painted surfaces, but prod-
lower or no safety and health risk. ucts have been designed to protect a range of surfaces,
such as brick and concrete.[11]
Graffiti on Historic Surfaces
Predictive Removal Management
Many graffiti removal methods involve abrasive process-
es (wire-brushing, grit blasting, etc) or the use of pow- A new and emerging approach to graffiti removal man-
erful and potentially hazardous chemical solvents, which agement is Predictive Removal Management. This in-
may damage historic fabric such as the stone facade of volves the use of a database of information regarding
a historic building. Laser cleaning (using lasers of the graffiti incidents within a city. This is often developed by
Nd:YAG wavelength), although more expensive, is likely the government or the graffiti removal service provider.
to be more appropriate for historic stonework. Some This database is then data mined to determine patterns
chemical cleaning agents can also be used with an inert in graffiti offences. This can then be used to tailor more
poultice material, in which case the chemical is usually accurate inspections, as well as allow authorities to al-
applied first to dissolve the pigment, followed by the locate resources more efficiently. This reduces the time
poultice to draw the pigment in solution out of the sub- taken to find and remove graffiti.[12]
strate. Removal of graffiti from historic surfaces and ob-
jects should only be undertaken by appropriately trained References
and skilled personnel.[8]
[1] Mushin. (2008). An Illustration of the Impotance of
Graffiti Removal Management Elasticities in Microeconomic Policy. Australasian
Journal of Economics Education , 5, 1-5.
Governments have found that the faster a piece of graffiti [2] Aneshernsel, C. S., & Sucoff, C. A. (1996). The
is removed, the less future graffiti occurs in that loca- neighbourhood context of adolscent mental health.
tion.[9] As a result several different graffiti removal man- Journal of Health and Social Behaviour , 4 (37),
agement methods have been developed to locate and re- 293-310.
move graffiti efficiently. [3] http://www.graffitihurts.org/getfacts/faq.jsp
[4] http://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/
Reactive Removal Management
t_standard2.aspx?pid=6654
Governments cannot organise the removal of graffiti un-
[5] http://www.graffitihurts.org/rapidremoval/
til they are aware the graffiti exists. The Reactive Re-
removal.jsp
moval Method relies on the government waiting for calls
[6] http://www.sosafeusa.com/news/removal-of-
from concerned citizens. There are various community
graffiti
programs which assist in raisign awareness of graffiti to
[7] http://www.techniclean.com.au/about-us/
prompt removal. This method is effective in non-regular
environment.html
cases, and in neighbourhoods with concerned and persis-
[8] Stephen Gordon, ’Graffiti on Historic Surfaces’, The
tent citizens, however for locations with chronic levels of
Building Conservation Directory, 2007
graffiti are rarely reported. This is due to the assumed fu-
[9] http://www.graffitihurts.org/getfacts/faq.jsp
tility of reporting the graffiti.
[10] http://www.techniclean.com.au/graffiti-
Proactive Removal Management removal.html
[11] http://www.techniclean.com.au/graffiti-
Governments with more foresight and resources include
protection.html
an inspection regimen with their graffiti removal man-
[12] http://www.techniclean.com.au/iam.html
agement. These inspections highlight graffiti offences
faster than Reactive Removal Management. This method
has been adopted in most major cities, where there is
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Categories:
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Graffiti removal
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