When I lived in Los Angeles, I saw plenty of it!  It wasn’t common place in Oregon here until probably 3-4 years ago, but now I’m seeing more and more of it in places it never appeared before including here in Lake Oswego and in my own neighborhood.  What is it?  Graffiti. Not only do I not like it, I find it offensive.  I don’t understand why someone has a need to deface another person’s property.  I don’t find it artistic and to me it is dirty and an eyesore. Graffiti marks gang territory and can encourage turf wars.

Clackamas County (most of Lake Oswego is in Clackamas County) has new rules and procedures to outlaw graffiti and will help property owners pay for removal.  The new rules are to take effect in January 2009 and would give property owners 15 days to get rid of graffiti and provide subsidies for paint, painters or other costs.

On a recent website, I found the following should you find your fence, property or other areas of your home marked (or tagged) by what I feel as violating someone’s space:

“Most graffiti that is visible on fences, walls, utility boxes, mailboxes, etc. is applied using spray paints and permanent type marking pens. These products are typically solvent or petroleum based and are often difficult to remove completely. Even after removing surface graffiti applied with these products, porous surfaces like wood fencing materials may still show residual, shadow evidence.

Vertical surfaces that have been previously painted with acrylic coatings (water based house paints and other exterior water based finishes) are frequently damaged by the solvent based paint products which leave staining even after surface removal of the graffiti. Similarly, acrylic paints and coatings that are applied to conceal graffiti will over time show “bleeding” of the graffiti message for the same reason.”

While there is no absolute, simple and quick method to remove graffiti, there are some tips, techniques and strategies that seem to be more effective:

1. Try to remove graffiti as soon as possible after it is first applied.  Prompt removal reduces the damage to the underlying acrylic finish and the solvent based paints and markings are easier to dissolve when there are residual solvents still present that have not fully evaporated.
2. Use citrus based graffiti removal agents that contain ingredients such as “natural orange extract”.  Citrus based degreasers are essentially the same as graffiti removal agents and are more readily available at local retailers.  Citrus based products are mostly biodegradable, they contain very few if any hazardous substances and they rinse clean with water.  They do very little harm to shrubs and trees.  Any removal agent should be tested to determine if it is safe to use on a particular surface but citrus based products are usually safe to apply to almost any natural or painted surface (some plastics may be clouded or discolored).  Always read the precautionary statements listed on a product label before using that product.
3. After applying a citrus based removal agent, it is usually best to allow the remover to penetrate the graffiti message for a variable amount of time depending mostly on the length of time the graffiti has remained on a surface.  For example, newly applied graffiti can be sprayed with a removal agent and rinsed with satisfactory results in 20 minutes.  Graffiti that has been applied for several weeks or months will require the removal agent to sit on the surface for 1-2 hours.  Best results are usually achieved by at least two applications of the removal agent before rinsing.
4. Use a hose with a high pressure nozzle or better, use a pressure washer to rinse and to remove graffiti that has been treated with a removal agent.  Be sure to use the pressure washer carefully on soft woods like cedar to avoid any damage to the wood itself.  Likewise, old acrylic house paint may be easily removed by a pressure washer.  If the graffiti has been applied to a concrete surface be sure to use the pressure washer aggressively to remove residues in porous areas.
5. When using a high pressure hose nozzle instead of a pressure washer, it may be helpful to agitate the treated graffiti with a brush to improve removal efforts.
6. At locations such as at the rear of some commercial buildings graffiti may be a regular and persistent problem.  For such locations, a solvent based polyurethane graffiti coating may be a more suitable alternative to regular paint finishes.  These graffiti coatings are available from specialty paint and finish suppliers.  Since they are resistant to penetration by solvent based paints and markers, graffiti removal is far simpler and easier.

A few years ago I went to Philadelphia, PA.  For years that city had been battling a graffiti problem and instead got all the graffiti artists together and formed a group whereby they were given a designated spot to paint murals throughout the City.  Today the murals are on the city bus tour and are beautiful including one of singer Patti LaBelle.  I also read recently that a town in Germany has what they refer to as a graffiti park where the artists are permitted to do the same thing.

(For more local and national real estate news, click on my monthly newsletter – JUNG’S JOURNAL – on my website www.bettyjung.com).