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Can anyone tell me what to use to remove 10 year old vinyl from a trailer. The vinyl is cracked and very brittle. You cannot hold a piece to peel because it immediately breaks off.
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I've had good luck using a steamer for removal, but if it's really bad, you may have to remove with a vinyl eraser wheel, and repaint. I've had the eraser wheel discolor aluminum based panels.
-------------------- Mark Kottwitz Kottwitz Graphics Ridgely, MD www.SeeMySignWork.com -------------------------- Imagination is more important than knowledge. -- Albert Einstein Posts: 746 | From: Ridgely, MD | Registered: Oct 2000
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I......WOULD let the owner REMOVE THE VINYL!!!! depending on what a person he is.......YOU GONA PUT SCRATCHES on the paint......or peel the paint.....THEN ITS YOU.....he will blame...and expect new paint))))) tell him to take it someone with a 3000 p.s.i pressure washer.........it will take it off.......and 10 year old paint.......BUT YOU WONT HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE IT PAINTED)))
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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You're not going to get that vinyl off, without doing some damage to the finish. I'd imagine it has a good deal of oxidation on it already.
Just be sure and make the owner aware that whatever you use to get it off, be prepared to repaint that area. Or possibly, if you can get it off without having to use the grinding wheel, and there is only a shadow of the old lettering left, you could cut a rectangle out of "whatever" color vinyl and apply that over the old lettered area.
In the past, I've had folks want me to change the lettering/logo on a trailer, and that's how I've done it.You can configure the new lettering to go over where the old stuff was. Cover the patch area with vinyl, put a contrasting color border around it, and the lettering inside. No one will ever notice that it's a patch job....'cept me.
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Like Mark, I think the steamer is the way to go. I use a Wagner wallpaper steamer with a "Lil Chisler".
On a side note, I never give a flat fee for removal. I always charge by the hour. I find that sometimes it encourages the owner to do it themselves. Then when they realize how difficult it is, they don't complain about my bill.
quote:Originally posted by Glenn Taylor: On a side note, I never give a flat fee for removal. I always charge by the hour. I find that sometimes it encourages the owner to do it themselves. Then when they realize how difficult it is, they don't complain about my bill.
Glenn is right on with this comment. You can paint yourself in the corner quickly with unforeseen issues with removal.
As far as the steamer, I got that tip right here on the bullboard. I read it, and was a little skeptical. I lettered a tanker with a 30" x 25' piece of red vinyl (background color), gold leaf lettering, and black outline. I finished it up, and got a call about a week later saying there was an issue. I went right over, and putting the 25 foot piece of material on (in one piece, on a curved tanker truck), it was 3" low on one end. You couldn't see it from the ground, but from the upstairs office, you could see it. While talking to him I picked the corner, and pulled about a foot of vinyl off without a thought. I told them no problem, let me order the material. I got the replacement material in, and got everything ready and went back out. I started peeling, but it just wouldn't peel as easy as it did a few days prior. We realized that when I looked a few days earlier, it was empty, but they had filled it with water, and the water inside was not helping. The fire chief said they could empty it, but I didn't want to be responsible for wasting thousands of gallons of water. My helper and I worked for hours and only got a few feet done, using heat guns and propane torches. I went and got a Wagner steamer from lowes. Went back, and within an hour and a half we had the rest of the vinyl off and ready to install. Now, I just use it because it makes it so easy to peel the old vinyl.
-------------------- Mark Kottwitz Kottwitz Graphics Ridgely, MD www.SeeMySignWork.com -------------------------- Imagination is more important than knowledge. -- Albert Einstein Posts: 746 | From: Ridgely, MD | Registered: Oct 2000
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A steam "ginny" is the best thing I have found for cracked vinyl. It heats the vinyl same as the wallpaper steamer, and will provide enough pressure to remove the vinyl.
-------------------- Don Hulsey Strokes by DON signs Utica, KY 270-275-9552 sbdsigns@aol.com
I've always been crazy... but it's kept me from going insane. Posts: 2274 | From: Utica, KY U.S.A. | Registered: Jan 1999
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-------------------- Mark Kottwitz Kottwitz Graphics Ridgely, MD www.SeeMySignWork.com -------------------------- Imagination is more important than knowledge. -- Albert Einstein Posts: 746 | From: Ridgely, MD | Registered: Oct 2000
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Thanks to all of you for these solutions. This is a neighbor of mine and he is not particular about the visual effect. He is trying to peel the vinyl with me and has even said to cover it with a plain piece of vinyl and letter over it. This is probably what we will do. This is a freebie for him because he does soo much for me. He actually only uses this trailer for storing tools and equipment.
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