Off the wall, without the ghost.

The problem with removing graffiti

Taking a tag off a wall is easy. Taking it off without leaving a clean rectangle that advertises where it was, a pale ghost of the letters, or a blasted patch of raw brick is the skill. On London stock brick, which drinks in solvent-based paint, and on porous stone, the wrong method moves the paint deeper rather than lifting it.

How it is done

Superheated water

Hot water at around 150°C softens most oil- and plastic-based paints and lifts them from the surface. Works well on recent paint and on robust masonry, and leaves no chemical residue.

Gel strippers and poultices

A paint-softening gel is applied, left to work, then lifted and rinsed. The standard route for aged paint and for porous stock brick where the paint has soaked in. Needs test patches and proper rinsing.

Low-pressure abrasive

For stubborn paint on hard surfaces. On soft brick or stone it is a last resort and only after a trial patch.

Feathering and tinting

Once the paint is off, the cleaned area is feathered into the surrounding soiling, or the whole elevation is given a light clean, so there is no clean patch. Where the brick face has been stained permanently, mineral tinting can even out the colour.

Who pays

London boroughs generally remove graffiti from their own property and from street furniture, and some will remove offensive graffiti from private property free of charge. Ordinary tags on a private wall are the owner's to deal with. Check your borough's website for its current policy; it varies and changes.

Paint removal more generally

The same methods strip decades of masonry paint from a brick front, which is a common job in London where painted Victorian fronts are being returned to bare stock brick. It is slow, it uncovers every past repair, and it is worth it. In a conservation area, check with the council first: some area appraisals protect painted fronts as part of the street's character.