A garage door dominates about 30% of the front facade of most homes. The appearance of your garage door can say a lot about you. A clean garage door lets the world know that you care about your home’s appearance. On the other hand, a dirty or graffitied door gives off a message of neglect.
Graffiti can sometimes be defacing to the appearance of your property especially if it is on your garage door.
Follow these steps to remove the unwanted paint from your garage door surface
- When graffiti strikes it is best to remove it within in 24-48 hours. Studies show that the best graffiti prevention strategy is immediate removal.
- If your door is made of steel, aluminium or another type of metal, you should use a solvent designed for removing graffiti or paint. Spray the solvent over top of the graffiti or paint you’d like to remove.
- Let the solvent soak into the graffiti or paint. You can leave it to sit for several minutes by following the instruction.
- Use a nylon brush that has stiff bristles to scrape away the graffiti. Be gentle, as you only want to remove the graffiti, not the door’s paint. Whatever you do, don’t use a brush with metal bristles.
- Wipe the area clean with a rag, to remove any tiny bits of lingering graffiti.
- Rinse with clean water and let dry.
- Depending on how large the graffiti is, you might have to work in sections. Only try to remove a small amount at once, so that the solvent doesn’t end up sitting on the door’s surface for too long.
- Another option is to use paint thinner to remove the spray paint. Pour some paint thinner or reducer in a small container, dab a little on a piece of the washcloth and wipe the graffiti area. Rub in small circular motions, watching carefully to ensure that the thinner does not remove the original paint colour. If this method works, do the steps on other parts of the garage door. When finished, wash the door with soapy water, rinse and wipe dry.
- The last option is to repaint your garage door. This is a costly option, but it’s useful for white garage doors that can show up graffiti marks even after it has been cleaned.