Vandalism/Graffiti Removal

Do You Need a Professional to Repair Vandalism and Remove Graffiti?

If you have graffiti or vandalism on your property, you might be tempted to try to deal with it yourself. In some cases, it might be reasonable to try to handle the problem on your own. However, there are good reasons why you might want to get professional assistance. You should get professional help when:

• The damaged structure is historic or valuable
• The damaged structure is unstable
• You don’t know what solvents or materials to use
• You don’t have proper safety gear
• Disposal of materials is problematic
• Graffiti and vandalism don’t fit in your schedule

In these situations, working with a professional can not only give better results, it can also save you money and difficulty.

Protecting Historic and Valuable Structures

When vandalism or graffiti damages a historic or valuable structure, you want to work with professional restorers. An inappropriate attempt at cleanup or restoration can reduce the value of the property, and, in the case of historic structures, might be criminal. Let the professionals handle restoration in this situation.

Restoring Unstable Structures

Sometimes the area where the graffiti or vandalism happened might be a little unstable anyway. Porous or soft walls can be hard to clean without causing significant damage.

Typically, vandalism causes just cosmetic damage, but in some cases, the structure was either unstable before or the vandalism resulted in structural instability. In these cases, working on the structure might be dangerous. You want a professional restoration company to look at the structure to determine whether it’s safe and reasonable to repair the damage.

The Right Materials and Techniques

Repairing vandalism and removing graffiti isn’t always as easy as it seems. When it comes to vandalism, you may not know what materials are necessary to properly restore the damage. For a broken window, you might know to call for commercial glass replacement. However, it’s a little harder if people either flooded your store or triggered the fire suppression system. FLEET Response’s local companies know how to deal with any manner of damage, including any biohazards that might have been left behind.

Graffiti cleanup is also not easy. Although people will sell “graffiti removers,” the reality is that it can be hard to determine what solvents are necessary to remove the graffiti, especially while not damaging your wall. If you can’t look at the graffiti on the wall and automatically know the best tools for cleanup, it’s best to talk to a professional.

Be Safe

Another challenge when dealing with vandalism and graffiti is avoiding injury. We’ve already talked about the risk of damaged structures, but sometimes the problem is related to the cleanup itself. Many solvents used in the cleanup of graffiti give off toxic fumes. If you don’t have personal protective equipment (PPE), you could get sick or injured. In addition, many solvents are highly flammable. Solvent-soaked rags can ignite easily at room temperature. Some solvents give off explosive fumes.

If you’re not prepared to handle the dangers associated with these solvents, it’s best to work with a professional.

Proper Waste Disposal

Because solvents are toxic, there are often strict rules for their disposal. You can’t just toss them in the garbage in most places. Doing so could be dangerous, and it could lead to serious fines. The same could be true of restoration debris. If your building has lead paint and asbestos insulation, you might need to handle the material carefully.

At FLEET Response, our local companies always know the rules for proper disposal of toxic solvents and construction debris. We can help your business avoid problems.

Deal with the Problem Immediately

It’s important to deal with vandalism and graffiti immediately. Vandalism like broken windows can expose your property to the elements, additional graffiti, and even theft. Graffiti materials cure over time and the longer you wait to remove them, the harder it gets. In addition, graffiti left up gives exposure to the ideas and the graffitist. Since many graffitists are looking for exposure, removing the graffiti quickly makes your building a less appealing target.

Your Trusted Partner to Deal with Vandalism and Graffiti at Your Business

When your property has been damaged by vandalism or graffiti, FLEET Response’s local companies are an ideal choice to handle the problem. With our local companies, you will enjoy these benefits:

• 24/7 emergency response
• Full restoration of all damage
• Help with insurance claims

Rapid Response

We know how important it is to deal with vandalism and graffiti immediately. Our local companies are available 24/7 to deal with these problems. Just contact them and a team will be out to start work immediately. They can assess the situation and give you an immediate estimate of the total cost to remove the graffiti and/or repair the damage.

Complete and Thorough Restoration

FLEET Response’s local companies are full-service restoration companies. They are experienced in handling all types of cleanup and restoration projects, up to and including full reconstruction after a major disaster. They know how to repair the damage caused by vandals, making it look as if nothing happened. They have considerable experience dealing with all types of paint, so they know how to approach graffiti removal for maximum effectiveness. If it can be removed, they can remove it.

Help with Insurance Claims

Because FLEET Response deals with many situations, including natural disasters like flood and fire, they have considerable experience dealing with insurance companies. They understand how insurance companies operate, so they can help you document the damage and repairs in order to submit it to your insurance company. Proper documentation is essential to getting your claim honored, and our local companies do everything in their power to help you get full and timely compensation according to the terms of your coverage.

Understanding Vandalism and Graffiti

Once your commercial property was targeted by vandalism or graffiti, understanding why your property was chosen can help avoid repeat events. First, it’s important to understand the major types of graffiti:

• Gang graffiti – This type of graffiti helps gangs mark territory or threaten rivals. Copycats often mimic gang graffiti for prestige or attention. Often at highly visible locations marking territorial boundaries.
• Tagger graffiti – Graffiti aimed at promoting the name or art of an individual graffitist. Often chooses high visibility areas. May be persistent as the graffitist is trying to get exposure.
• Spontaneous graffiti – Often simple work by a person or people not committed to graffiti. Incidents are sporadic and not likely to return.
• Vindictive graffiti – May target a particular business for reasons that might be unknown to you. Sometimes this can be an isolated incident, but it may return.
• Ideological graffiti – Expresses particular ideas, often motivated by racial, ethnic, religious, or other prejudice. Target locations are chosen for ideological reasons and utilize clear language and symbols.

When you know the reason why the graffiti was placed, you can understand whether it is likely to be a one-time incident or if it is likely to reappear. Vandalism often occurs with graffiti, making its motives clear. Incidents of vandalism tend to be related to spontaneous, vindictive, or ideological graffiti.

Making Your Site Less Appealing for Graffiti and Vandalism

Understanding what types of locations attract graffiti and vandalism can help you take steps to prevent its return. The places most likely to be graffitied include:

• High visibility locations – Graffitists are often looking for exposure, so they choose areas that can be seen.
• Places with poor oversight – If graffitists perceive that a place is poorly lit and isn’t being watched, they are more likely to tag it.
• Places where gang members and youth congregate – Graffitists are more likely to paint places where they and their friends hang out. Gang members may specifically mark their territory, but it’s also common for people to mark their territory individually or for fun.
• Light-colored walls – Light-colored paint makes a better backdrop for graffiti than dark-colored walls, where graffiti may not be as visible.
• Smooth walls – Smooth walls are easier to paint and write on than textured walls. Any large, smooth surface without windows is particularly inviting.

Based on these characteristics, there are a few things you can do to reduce the risk of graffiti’s return, although there are no guarantees. First, improve lighting and oversight in the area. Install lights and cameras or more conspicuously observe the area. Second, try to discourage people from congregating in areas where graffiti appears. Using dark colors and texturing of walls can also make your building less attractive to graffitists. Note that painting over graffiti can be seen as an invitation to retag, especially when the repaint color contrasts with the original wall color.