I took down a single side wall mounted sign to redo part of it. The sign has only been up 1 or 1 1/2 years and the thin metal backer is coming loose from the plastic core. This is name brand material and not a knockoff. Then the other day I noticed a competitors site sign mounted on posts (same material) and both sides were all bubbled up like it was coming completely apart. Has anyone else had this happen? I wonder how many more I have out there that are coming apart? I guess I'm going to have to switch exclusively to aluminum and Dibond on everything! Posted by mike meyer (Member # 542) on :
Hey Mark, I've had it happen a coupla times as well. I return it to the supplier and they replaced it. Can't figure out why, I have 5 other ones cut from the same 4X8, they are fine. Oh well?
Posted by David Harding (Member # 108) on :
Do the flutes run vertically so that water can get in there? I have heard of delamination caused by freeze/thaw cycles when the flutes have not been sealed or run horizontally. A year and a half in Northern Oklahoma would have exposed it to the weather extremes that could cause it.
The last few jobs I used Alumalite on, I sealed the flutes with black silicone sealant. My suppliers now carry Dibond and I use it instead.
Posted by Stephen Deveau (Member # 1305) on :
Mark Where they siliconed and end capped?
Suppliers recommend this to extend the life of product. Posted by Amy Brown (Member # 1963) on :
Mark,
Same thing happened to me with Econolite and it was only up 5 months. It was edgecapped with the silicone like it is supposed to be.
All they do is replace the material. Won't do anything for the other materials involved or your time. You have to call them and talk to a rep then they will fax you paper work to fill out. You have to provide a copy of the purchase invoice/receipt. They will then tell the supplier to reimburse you or give you new material. Basically wasting more of your time and money to take care of something that cost them nothing.
Isn't this fun! Posted by Mark Yearwood (Member # 2723) on :
Well, I think it will be heavy aluminum or Dibond for me exclusively in the future on any job that needs to last.
Posted by Kissymatina (Member # 2028) on :
I'm confused. Was it alumalite or econolite? From my understanding, Econolite isn't as good for long term as Alumalite, thus the cheaper price. I would still think it should last more than 1 1/2 years.
Posted by Mark Yearwood (Member # 2723) on :
Chris, it's econolite.
Posted by TransLab (Member # 470) on :
Econolite is an economical alternative to Alumalite, but with only one painted aluminum side. The other side is a light gauge, aluminum backer. When properly supported on 24" center, Econolite can be used for post and panel and/or billboard applications. See our Applications section for more information.
What is it made of?
The core is a high density, corrugated polyallomer (CPA), that will not swell, wick water, corrode, rot, or delaminate due to prolonged water exposure, making it perfect for all outdoor applications. The finished surface is .016-inch high-gloss white aluminum, with a light gauge aluminum backer. Econolite features a highly reflective, factory baked, acrylic paint surface that is warranted not to crack, chip, flake or peel. Colorfast 10 year limited warranty.
Posted by Laura Butler (Member # 1830) on :
Was this sign done about 3 years ago? When I bought my shop (Aug 2000) another sign person had been using Econolite and I got a few jobs because the panels he had been using then, were de-laminating. I called the manufacturing and they said that they had had a bad batch and would replace all those that were becoming defective.
Posted by Waylon (Member # 3991) on :
Hi everyone, this is my first post but I've been reading for a few weeks. I just got a Roland CX-24 and getting set up.
I'm looking for a product to put vinyl on for signs. I've seen some stuff that I like but don't know what it is or where to get it. It was used to make a sign about 4 x 6'. It was some type of plastic, white, about 1/2" thick and shattered like glass when subjected to hurricane Floyd a couple years ago. If this sounds familiar to anyone can you tell me where I can purchase some of it?
Posted by Ray Rheaume (Member # 3794) on :
Hi Waylon and welcome.
The sign board you mentioned might not be what you need if it shattered. I know the conditions were extreme, and I doubt most signs would survive a hurricane, but my guess is that it was Sintra, a lightweight composite board used mostly for less harse environments and indoor signage. ( Just went out to my shop and whacked a small sample piece of 10 mm Sintra with a hammer...shattered all over the floor nicely...how's that for testing a theory?)
There are quite a few durable signboards out there made of wood, plastic and aluminum. Most can come prepainted white and take vinyl well.
Check out some of the merchant links at Letterhead.com to get more info.
Happy lettering! Rapid Ray in chat
Posted by Waylon Lowe (Member # 3991) on :
Thank you Ray, especially for the testing . This was used outdoors and held up very well in my opinion. I will definately check out the merchants.
Posted by Waylon Lowe (Member # 3991) on :
I looked through the supplier database and found information on Sintra. From the lightweight closed cell description, it isn't what I was looking for. This stuff I'm talking about weighs more that an equal size piece of plywood. It wasn't painted and the cut edges were solid, no foam in the middle. Any ideas?
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like glass when subjected to hurricane Floyd a couple years ago. If this sounds familiar to anyone can you tell me where I can purchase some of it?