posted
Hi Everyone! Seems like a lot of my energy has been spent trying to get our signs to last as long as possible. I appears that I must now learn to remove an occasional sign, also. Yuck! This wasn't part of my plan. Specifically, remove vinyl from vinyl awnings.
So my question to you is: Is their a quick, simple, effective way to do this so it can be relettered?
Thanks in advance for your responses.
Chris
------------------ Chris Bryant Puyallup, WA (253) 841-3838 bryantsigns@earthlink.net
Posts: 49 | From: Puyallup, Washington 98374 | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
Chris..I've never been asked to remove vinyl lettering off an awning but I have changed a few dates and times on banners that are used year after year. Not my favourite passtime!. To make things go a bit easier, use a Lil Chizler. It won't cut the awning material and is easier than fingernails. Then after removing the vinyl use something like "rapid remover" to clean off the adhesive. Good luck and be aware that there will probably be a "ghost" of the original lettering remaining afterwards.
------------------ Dave Grundy shop#340 AKA "applicator" on mIRC "stickin' sticky stuff to valuable vessels and vehicles!" in Granton, Ontario, Canada 1-519-225-2634 dave.grundy@odyssey.on.ca www.odyssey.on.ca/~dave.grundy "A PROUD $ supporter of the website"
posted
Chris, I agree with what Dave said, and that is what we normally do. (Insert plug for Roger's Rapid Remover) And like he said, I think relettering an entire awning would be a rarity, probably because by the time that would be necessary, a total recover would be in order. If I were you, I would try to sell the customer on a recover job! I have heard of people using a high-pressure sprayer to remove the vinyl more quickly, but haven't tried this myself.
posted
Thanks Guys! Recovering the awning is not possible. this is a strip mall that's a couple of hundred feet long and the tenant is in the middle. I don't think they care about ghosts(on the sign). Lettering is on the white part and is backlit. I'll call my suppier about the remover.
Thanks again.
------------------ Chris Bryant Puyallup, WA (253) 841-3838 bryantsigns@earthlink.net
Posts: 49 | From: Puyallup, Washington 98374 | Registered: Nov 1998
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R.W. Bailey
unregistered
posted
Too bad replacement is out of the question,cause I would have been a party to it. Even though I'm a little biased in my opinions ,you certainly have a lot of work cut out for ya. have you added up the labor costs and compared em to new material and better visual effects ? I'm sure you must have, sorry...... roger
------------------ Roger Bailey - Vice President of Rapid Tac Inc. and active supporter of the letterhead movement.
posted
Not always easy, but the ones that went best for us were on the sunny side on the building. We opened a black plastic bag, and covered the vinyl with this heat absorber. After 15 minutes we'd peel back the black enough to expose a letter and we'd peel it off. Heat guns will damage the awning.
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"The codfish lays ten thousand eggs, the homely hen lays one the codfish never cackles to tell you what she's done And so we shun the codfish while the lowly hen we prize Which only goes to show you that it pays to advertise!" *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ Ogden Nash
The Sign Shop Mendocino, CA.
Posts: 6712 | From: Mendocino, CA. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
I have a strip mall here with a huge continuous backlit awning. The tenants change regularly. Getting the vinyl off has never been the hardest part. And Rick's suggestion about covering with black plastic is excellent.
If you don't get all the adhesive off, though, dirt will cling to it and you'll be able to read the old sign in dirt letters later, right along with the new vinyl copy, a sickening double-exposure effect. I have experimented with numerous removers on the awning here. Rapid Remover works great. So does a product called SS-1 Remover. 3M's General Adhesive Remover works well, though they could change the name to General Adhesive and Skin Remover. Additonally, after you're done removing glue, do one more step. Scrub the surface with a strong general purpose cleaner, like Simple Green. Use a big bristle scrub brush. Then flood rinse with water. You can get a white awning snowy white, with no trace of previous copy. The last time I did this, I ran out of Simple Green, so I went into the Wal Mart to get more and saw a bottle of RV awning cleaner. I can't remember the name, but it was even more effective. The section I cleaned with this stuff made even the cleanest sections next to it look gray. Store owners complained it was too clean, and shortly after the landlord had the entire awning cleaned.
Incidentally, a walk board on top of my ladder rack has been the perfect working height for me on this job. If you have a long painter's pick you can do a long span at a time. Just remember, if you plan on working out on the ends of it, be sure that it is securely fastened to the rack (use C-clamps), and that the rack is actually fastened to the truck, not just sitting in the pockets. If not, when you walk to the end that goes out over the cab, you will be dumped.
posted
I don't have any ideas to help you with the cleaning off of awnings, just a comment on them...
The town I live in is in the middle of Nevada - a very challenging climate here. And, these awnings do not last very long. I have noticed them start to disintegrate within a year. I have also noticed that the people who have them do not take good care of them - like washing the tops of them regularly. They start to look soooo scuzzy!
I suppose the folks who sell them to the businesses here in Northern Nevada smile all the way to the bank, because they know that they won't last long and will have to sell them a new one in a few years...
Just an observation...
Evelyn Prest Signs & Designs Winnemucca, NV
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Posts: 32 | From: Winnemucca, NV USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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