One common problem that many business owners must face is the defacing of their property. The nature of commercial buildings leave them vulnerable to this crime -- large, open walls with few windows combined with being deserted overnight. Fortunately, there are ways to fight back. You may not be able to stop the graffiti for good, but you will be able to minimize it and clean up after it much more easily.
Install a Barrier
One reason businesses are targeted more than homes is that many homes have garden beds that create a barrier to accessing the walls. You can do the same thing along blank walls of your business by having shrubbery planted in a strip along the base of any tempting location. Many vandals won't go through the effort of fighting through a shrub simply to leave their mark with paint.
Improve the Lighting
Dark areas are more likely to attract vandals with spray paint. If part of your business is out of direct light but still has some light scatter from nearby lights for a vandal to view their handiwork, you have a recipe for repeated graffiti attacks. One reason business owners balk at extra lighting is the expense of the electricity. Fortunately, you don't have to light the area all the time. Invest in a simple motion light and place it and the sensor well out of reach of a vandal so they can't easily break it or force it off.
Decorate Your Own Surface
Many graffiti vandals find a large blank surface too tempting to ignore. If it fits with your business culture, decorating the blank wall yourself may help prevent graffiti issues in the future. Using the blank wall to showcase the name of your business or a mural that complements your business or the neighborhood is one option. Another option is to hire a commercial painter that is adept at techniques like color blocking to creating a much more generic but visually pleasing arrangement to discourage the blank wall effect.
Choose the Right Paint
Whether you're painting over graffiti or simply refreshing the exterior paint, plan for the future. Ask your painter to use a treated paint that has a built-in barrier to prevent graffiti from adhering to the surface. Spray paint just beads up on these paints, allowing you to rinse it off quickly with a pressure washer. Another key thing is to completely blend in any paint that is used to patch over graffiti if you opt not to paint the whole wall. A patchy wall looks nearly as bad as graffiti and it may entice other "artists" to vandalize your business.
For more help, talk to a commercial painter like Decorators Service Co., Inc. near you.
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