by Jonathan Sacks

Created on: November 04, 2008   Last Updated: November 19, 2008

Fighting graffiti on commercial buildings is a big concern for many businesses. Graffiti can negatively impact the image of a business, while also increasing commercial building painting costs due to unanticipated maintenance. Don't let any building fall prey to the menace of graffiti. Not convinced? Here are some of the ways that graffiti can make a building look bad, while also draining bank accounts.

Visual Impact of Graffiti

While some urban areas may tolerate graffiti, or even welcome it in some locations, random tagging & graffiti is vandalism that should not be welcomed on any building. This graffiti can distract people passing by from seeing the messages of businesses in that building. Any business should have its own advertisements & signage as the most visible features of the building - not the work of some random person with spray paint or a marker. Additionally, graffiti can also send a negative message that says that the businesses here just don't care about fighting graffiti on commercial buildings. Businesses should serve as positive stewards of the community, and proper building maintenance is a key to doing this. By removing graffiti, facility managers can have their buildings serve as icons of the community.

Financial Impact of Graffiti

Not only does graffiti look bad, it also can have a negative financial impact. The cost of commercial building painting is much more expensive due to graffiti, as maintenance costs due to graffiti removal or repainting can be steep. However, the cost of ignoring this graffiti can be even steeper. In Malcolm Gladwell's best-seller, The Tipping Point, he discusses how New York saw higher crime rates on its subways during a period in which graffiti covered the cars. The message that the tolerance of the graffiti sent was that other crimes would be tolerated as well. By removing graffiti as soon as it occurs, building owners and managers can send a message that there is zero tolerance for crime, and thus prevent burglaries and other criminal acts from occurring. This will also help raise property values & provide additional safety for those living and working in the property.

By fighting graffiti, a building manager can demonstrate their dedication to the community. If everyone in a community does their part, the scourge of graffiti can be erased, creating a positive visual impact on the area, while also delivering a positive return-on-investment.

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