CHTMAG.COM VANDALISM FEATURE SPECIALIST CȤEșNȡNȟ APRIL 2016 19 CLEANING HYGIENE TODAY Gone are the days when graffiti was invariably seen as a scourge to be eradicated. Works by artists such as Banksy can sell for hundreds of thousands of pounds and councils like Bristol’s allow members of the public to vote on whether some works are even removed at all. Communities up and down the country can become well known for their “artwork”. Still it’s hard to imagine a private business being pleased to become someone else’s blank canvas and graffiti removal is a big part of the cleaning industry. It is of course illegal to graffiti on any building without the owner’s permission but that doesn’t stop anyone from doing so. For every person who appreciated the pictures or political statements made with graffiti there is another who will insist that it damages the appearance and reputation of a neighbourhood. Some even say it can lead to alarm and harassment, leading to further anti social behaviour like flyposting and littering. Certainly removing graffiti is a drain on the resources of local authorities and can cause damage to the surfaces of buildings. In short graffiti is one of those areas where prevention is far better than cure, but how would a company go about this? PREVENTION It is common practise now for many businesses to paint their buildings with specially produced anti graffiti paint. These minimise the amount of damage caused by graffiti and make removing it far easier. Limiting access to roofs can be helpful and can be done with simple steps like covering drainpipes and moving wheelie bins to places where they can’t be used as platforms to climb up. Fencing is obviously essential and can be augmented with plants and bushes to stop vandals getting access to the property. Utilising uneven wall surfaces like pebble dashing can also be effective. Of course CCTV and other monitoring systems can act as deterrents or, if all other steps have failed, help identify the culprits. CURE Of course even if a business takes all those steps and more there is no guarantee that they won’t end up with something scrawled across their walls. That is when you have to clean up. Some graffiti can just be painted over immediately, so keeping spare paint to hand can help solve a lot of problems immediately. This is a low cost method and has historically been used widely by governments. However there are long term issues that arise as a result of this approach. Although effective for already painted walls, this removal option often leads to poor results on other surfaces, as it appears out of place and develops a “patchwork effect” on the surface. The paint is also likely to peel over time. In short graffi ti is one of those areas where prevention is far better than cure, but how would a company go about this? ” CHT investigates the costs and affects of graffiti and gum and explains why you need to act quickly to deal with the problem
Cleaning Hygiene Today April 2016
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