Graffiti removal for Ikea

Ikea, the world's largest furniture retailer, opened its first store in the UK in 1987, and now has stores in most major cities across the country. According to a YouGov survey 60% of Brits own an item from Ikea.

The company offers well-designed, affordable home furnishings to help people improve the way their home interiors look. Presentation is therefore important so, as part of their Spring clean, the managers of Ikea Bristol wanted to ensure everything was left looking its best - including the exterior areas of the store.

Graffiti blights walkway next to Ikea

Of particular concern was a walkway that runs along one side of the Bristol store. Unfortunately, the concrete support pillars, aggregate walls and metal railings that border the walkway had become a target for graffiti attacks and were covered in tags and slogans. Some sections had been painted, and the old paint was now also covered in graffiti. All in all it looked rather dirty and run down, and needed a thoroughly good clean.

The right approach achieves best results

OneFifty was contracted to remove the graffiti and make sure that all the surfaces were left clean and shadow-free.

The tags, which had built up over time, were made using different types of paints and sprays and in a variety of contrasting colours which made the job quite challenging. Also, when it came to removing the graffiti, each different substrate – concrete, aggregate and metal - required a slightly different approach to achieve the desired outcome.

1. Concrete

The support pillars were made of concrete which is extremely resilient and can withstand a good deal of pressure, which is useful when it comes to cleaning.

2.Aggregate

The wall panels were made of aggregate which is formed using different construction materials loosely compacted together. Aggregate is tough, but its uneven surface allows the paint to sink in, making it harder to clean. Particularly difficult to remove was a new brand of black spray paint now favoured by some of the more determined graffiti vandals, which is extremely challenging to clean off. For this we needed to use a special chemical spray cleaner to help completely remove the paint and any shadows.

3. Powder coated metal

The coated metal railings presented a different issue again. The powder coating tends to react to certain cleaning methods, including chemicals, so these need to be treated with care so as to maintain a uniform appearance.

A GREAT OUTCOME

Our experienced team knew exactly how to deal with these different challenges and achieve the best possible cleaning outcome for our clients.

The work took place over a few days, with our operatives carefully removing the graffiti from each section, checking, and addressing any issues as they arose. Once the graffiti had been removed, we cleaned up the pathways leaving the sidewalk looking clean, well maintained and completely graffiti-free.

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