If graffiti has been cleaned off your stone but a shadow of it is still there, we can remove it. Our graffiti shadow and ghosting removal service lifts the faded outlines, pale patches and discoloration that a first clean leaves behind on limestone, sandstone, Portland stone, granite and brick across London. A crew can be with you within three hours of your go-ahead, and the price is fixed before we start, however many visits the stone needs.

Get an Online Quote or call 020 8050 5997.

Graffiti Shadow Removal From Stone

A graffiti ghost is what remains when the paint film has gone but the colour has not. On porous stone, spray paint and marker soak below the surface, and a solvent or pressure washer that clears the face often leaves the pigment underneath. The result is a tag you can still read from across the street.

Historic England describes it exactly: "Graffiti residues remain on the substrate in faded or outline form, known as 'ghosting'." It also notes that "It is quite usual to be left with sub-surface ghosting, requiring secondary chemical treatment." In other words, this is a known stage of stone cleaning, and it has a known fix.

Who Comes To Us With A Ghost

• Owners whose previous contractor has been and gone, leaving the outline behind.
• Facilities teams whose own attempt with a cleaner has spread the colour wider.
• Managing agents with a council clean on the building that did not finish the job.
• Retailers who cannot open with a readable tag across the front of the unit.
• Heritage owners who need the shadow gone without a single mark on the stone.

Whoever did the first clean, we start from where the stone is now. You do not need to know what was used, although it helps if you can tell us.

Get an Online Quote or call 020 8050 5997.

The Three Problems We Fix

Ghosting	A faded outline of the tag held in the pores. We draw it out with a poultice rather than chasing it with more pressure.
Pale patches	A clean rectangle where the weathered skin was stripped. We soften the edge so the eye stops landing on it.
Spread staining	Colour pushed sideways by solvent or water. We contain it first so it cannot travel further.

Many jobs have more than one of these at once. We look at the whole mark and price the whole fix, not just the part that is easy to reach.

How We Lift A Graffiti Ghost

1. We identify the stone and, where possible, the paint and whatever was used on it last time.
2. We test on a small area so you can see the shadow fade before we commit to the rest.
3. We apply a poultice matched to the stone, which holds the loosened pigment and stops it bleeding outward.
4. Where the paint film has not fully gone, superheated steam from our DOFF system clears it at very low pressure.
5. We return for a second or third application if the stone needs it, and blend the finished area into the wall.

For dye-based marker on porous stone, Historic England notes that surfaces "will usually require the application of poultices to draw out the dye and constrain it over a series of visits." That is why our price covers every visit from the start. You will never get a second invoice because the stone needed more time.

Get an Online Quote or call 020 8050 5997.

Stone Graffiti Removal Without Discoloration

Each stone carries a ghost differently, so the treatment changes with it.

• On Portland stone and other limestones, no acids and no high pressure, so the fix does not create a new pale patch.
• On sandstone, no caustic strippers left to dry in the grain.
• On polished granite, nothing abrasive that would dull the shine around the shadow.
• On listed buildings, a method statement and a trial area first, through our listed building graffiti removal team.

One Price For The Whole Rescue

Ghost removal is often a multi-visit job, and we price it that way. The figure we quote includes the trial, every poultice application, access, and the final blend. There is no survey fee and nothing to pay for the quote itself. If we find something nobody could have known about, such as an old sealer under the paint, we stop and agree the next step with you first.

What Every Shadow Removal Job Includes

• A written quote that names the method for your stone before we arrive.
• A trial area on your own wall, so you approve the result first.
• Every poultice visit the stone needs, booked at times that suit the building.
• Our own water and power, so we draw nothing from you and nobody has to meet us.
• A completion report with the products used and the date of each visit.
• Our £10m public liability certificate, sent with the quote for your records.

Early mornings, evenings and weekends are charged at the same rate as a weekday, so a frontage can be treated while the street is quiet.

Why Owners Trust Us With The Second Clean

The businesses that rely on us include Pret, Chestertons, Iceland, Coca-Cola, StayCity, Ibis, McDonald's, Kwik Fit and WeWork Waterloo. DUA is rated 5.0 from 42 Google reviews and insured with £10m public liability. When we take on a ghost we send a completion report with the method used, so the next contractor, or the next tag, starts from a clear record.

If a fresh tag appears while you wait, our same-day graffiti removal service handles it, and our wider stone graffiti removal team covers every London borough. Shadow work regularly takes us to North Kensington and Kensington.

Get an Online Quote or call 020 8050 5997.

Graffiti Shadow Removal: Frequently Asked Questions

How Much Does Graffiti Shadow Removal Cost?

It depends on the stone, the size of the ghost and how many poultice visits it needs. We quote one fixed figure covering all of them, and quoting is free.

How Soon Can You Start?

Within three hours of your go-ahead, seven days a week. Multi-visit jobs are booked around your building.

Can You Remove A Ghost Another Contractor Left?

Yes. Most of our shadow work comes after someone else's clean.

Why Did The Shadow Appear?

The paint film came off but the pigment stayed in the pores. It needs drawing out, not scrubbing harder.

Will The Stone Look Patchy Afterwards?

We test first and blend the finish into the surrounding wall, so the repaired area does not stand out.

Can You Stop It Happening Next Time?

Yes. On walls that are hit often, a breathable anti-graffiti coating means the next tag comes off before it reaches the pores.