Taking back YOUR Neighborhood...

[keyman512us]

Well I just finished my second blog here at the hearth community. This morning as the little "S^it Heels" slept I erased some of their "handy work".
I took a picture of before...during, and after.

Hopefully, none of you will ever find the need to remove spraypaint from vinyl siding...(or from a car or truck...my method works on those too).

Forget the "Grafiti remover in a can". The stuff I use...is the best stuff in the world. Easy to find at the local True Value store...will EASILY remove spray paint from just about any imaginable surface or object. I've used it to remove spray paint from fiberglass, the sides of vehicles (company trucks that have gotten hit by 'taggers') and now...the vinyl siding of a neighbors building.

What is this "Miracle of the chemical industry" you ask??? Check out the pictures first....

 

[keyman512us]

XYLOL... (Pronounced "ZI-lawl") A watered down derivative of it's more potent brother...Xylene. Which just happens to be the thinner...used in spray paint.

The above grafiti was laid down...over a month ago...still no problem. Put on a pair of rubber gloves...and a protective chemical mask (VOC type cartridge) if solvents and reducers might bother you. Even the watered down xylol is pretty potent. Use in a well ventilated area...and dispose of all rags outdoors. Rinse them first in water to avoid heavy odors.

The ABC's: First apply the xylol to a rag. Wipe liberally into the entire area to be treated. Pay special attention to heavilly apply to the dry spray paint. Wait 20 minutes...repeat as necessary. Wipe off "smear" with a wet rag of ordinary water and Fast Orange hand cleaner from a bucket of water.

To thouroughly clean this siding (woodgrain) I had to modify technique. When appyling the xylol..I added some "grit" (ordinary 'dirt fines' from the side of the road).

Worked like a charm. Something to keep in mind...if the side of your (fiberglass truck body) ever get's tagged!

 

[restorer]

Keyman:

On behalf of your neighbor, and all neighbors, THANKS. My old store for years was the central sign board for a graffitti artist war. It was daily and special on the weekends. My paint supplier and I went one step further. We found that Acrylic Enamel Reducer worked somewhat better. These kids here used better paint, it would soften with Xylene, but the reducer softened the paint and floated the pigments. On my cube van it removed as many at thirty "artworks" without damaging the paint. It needs two sets of rags, one for wipe on, one for wipe off. I kept the truck waxed, it helped too, but it didn't stop the teenagers.

Lately it seems to be gang wanna be's doing the damage. If you get agressive and remove it from your area immediately so it isn't seen, they will move on to a place where it stays longer.

BTW, they finally caught my "taggers" 13 year old sons of a doctor and a dentist. Got slap on the wrist, no restitution.

 

[nshif]

Glad I live far enough out in the country where that is almost unheard of. I used to live in the city where that was common. Good info, Ill keep it in mind when i spray paint something I didnt mean to.

 

[kevinmoelk]

Good tip. Keyman, just out of curiosity, is that discoloration in that last picture? Or is the siding still wet? Perhaps just super clean compared to the rest of the siding?

-Kevin

 

[jjbaer]

Keyman:

On behalf of your neighbor, and all neighbors, THANKS. My old store for years was the central sign board for a graffitti artist war. It was daily and special on the weekends. My paint supplier and I went one step further. We found that Acrylic Enamel Reducer worked somewhat better. These kids here used better paint, it would soften with Xylene, but the reducer softened the paint and floated the pigments. On my cube van it removed as many at thirty "artworks" without damaging the paint. It needs two sets of rags, one for wipe on, one for wipe off. I kept the truck waxed, it helped too, but it didn't stop the teenagers.

Lately it seems to be gang wanna be's doing the damage. If you get agressive and remove it from your area immediately so it isn't seen, they will move on to a place where it stays longer.

BTW, they finally caught my "taggers" 13 year old sons of a doctor and a dentist. Got slap on the wrist, no restitution.

Lie in wait for the little bastards and mace em......CCW also helps........