Maintenance Mention: Graffiti, Get Gone! - Written for NAA's UNITS magazine

It happens on even the best of properties.  Graffiti, tagging - whatever you want to call it, these uninvited spray paint masterpieces on your buildings aren't a welcome addition to your asset.  Depending on the surface, a coat of KILZ and some paint might not cut it for the clean up.  Here are some tricks to getting graffiti off of other surfaces your teams might have to deal with:

Aluminum- Signage or siding, the first step to removing the offending tag is to discern if the paint is latex or oil based.  To find that out, it's as simple as testing the paint with a little GOOF OFF in a spot, which should lift up latex paint.  If it fails, you're dealing with an oil based paint, so try using a product like STRIP X on a test spot.  Test spot here and watch for discoloration or other damage to the underlying material.  For other metals, try using a carburetor cleaner first.  If it fails, then try a product like OOPS paint remover.

Brick or Concrete - Break out the extra strength paint remover on this one, and don't be afraid to apply it with a wire brush and a lot of elbow grease.  Allow the spot to dry, and remember that this process might have to be repeated several times before the area will be ready for you to paint it.

Wood - Probably the easiest to clean up, getting paint off of wood can be as simple as using a coat of KILZ and a coat of paint.  If you're working with a varnished or stained surface, it can be a little trickier.  Try using a product like STRIP X. 

Glass and Plexiglas- That carburetor cleaner comes in handy again right here, along with a cloth rag.  Clean in a circular motion, as this spreads the pressure on the pane out a little better and is safer for your personnel.

Stucco-  Option one is to apply an extra strength paint remover and seal off the area with KILZ , then repaint with stucco paint.  Option two might be more fun and is a better bet for larger areas: Rent a sandblaster.




5 Minutes to Read It, 5 Hours to Mull It - Check out Mike Brewer's Post!

A Few Maintenance Mentions for Fall - Written for NAA's UNITS magazine