Removing graffiti from stone and facades with a laser — what the research shows
RC-Laser Team ·
Can a laser remove graffiti from stone without damaging the substrate? Research results, the limits of the method and the case of Sopot.
Graffiti on stone: what removes it and at what risk
Graffiti is removed from stone with, among other things, a water jet with abrasive and chemical agents. The authors of a 2013 article described them as follows: a water jet with abrasive is effective but can seriously damage the appearance of the stone, and chemical agents pose a health hazard [1]. Sandblasting is rarely used on non-metallic materials at all [2].
What the studies showed
An article published in 2013 by a team from the University of Vigo and Michoacana University (Mexico) describes a test of a high-power diode laser on graffiti on stone typical of Morelia. The best result came from two passes: the first charred the paint, the second removed the black deposit. The stone kept its colour and original roughness, and the heat-affected zone was negligibly small, with no cracks [1]. The same text warns that wrong settings may fail to remove the graffiti or may damage the stone, and that too low a power density only chars the paint [1].
In 2023 the journal Heritage Science published a study of a fibre laser (1064 nm) on marble samples with spray paints and markers. The best results were obtained when removing black spray paint and thinning black marker. Residues remained on the best samples, however, so the authors suggest supplementing laser cleaning with a chemical step [3].
What this means for a job
- The result depends on the laser settings and the type of paint, not only on the method itself [1][3].
- On stone, not every stain is a layer that can be removed: discolouration that has penetrated deep into porous stone will remain.
- That is why, on sensitive objects, a test is done on a small area first and only then are the parameters chosen.
Lasers in municipal service: Sopot
In 2025 the municipal company Eco Sopot bought a laser for removing inscriptions and paintings from facades and other surfaces. The city points out that the device produces no dust and needs no consumables [4].
How we work
We remove graffiti from stone, brick and plaster with a pulsed laser. Before work on a large area we always run a test on a sample. We give a first estimate from a photo, and the final price after inspecting the object on site.
Sources
- Laser Focus World, “Keeping historical buildings clean with lasers” (2013)
- Wikipedia, “Abrasive blasting”
- Heritage Science (2023), study on laser removal of graffiti from marble (DOAJ record)
- Spider’s Web, “Sopot: laser w walce z graffiti” (2025, in Polish)
Sources as of 2 November 2026.