posted
I installed some digital (on 3m) prints (customer supplied) on an awning today. The previous digitals were peeling badly. I was wondering as to the life expectancy of these prints on awnings. The thickness of these prints makes me suspect that there will be tension between the awning and the print, and either banner vinyl or paint would have been a better option. Any experience in this area? Kerry Wright Gladstone Australia
-------------------- Kerry Wright Gladstone Australia Posts: 119 | From: Gladstone, Queensland, Australia | Registered: May 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
Hi Glenn The awning is vinyl. I peeled off some vinyl stickers (thin vinyl) which had stuck well. The digitals, ovals about 18' round, were well advanced in the peeling off stage Kerry
-------------------- Kerry Wright Gladstone Australia Posts: 119 | From: Gladstone, Queensland, Australia | Registered: May 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
Ok, good. I do work for the local awning shops around here and one of them couldn't figure out why vinyl letters wouldn't stick to Sunbrella (canvas).
Even with the best vinyl in the market, if the vinyl is applied to the vinyl awning material, the vinyl graphics will NOT last as long as they would on a vehicle.
For one thing, most graphics are applied to a surface that is on a less than 90 degree angle. This means they get more exposure to the sun and the elements. Secondly, the vinyl material tends to expand and contract due to temperature conditions, which in turn puts more stress on the adhesive. Thirdly, vinyl awnings have a lot of plastitizers in them to keep them flexible as they grow older. This plastitizer tends to leach to the surface and create a barrier between the awning and the adhesive of the vinyl graphic.
While vinyl distributors advertise 7 and 8 year vinyl, the truth of the matter is that cast vinyl is really a 5 year material. This is what a technician at a manufacturing plant told me a couple years ago. If you pay attention to the fine print in the warranties, the longer life is based on "vertical" surfaces. What isn't said is how long (or short) the vinyl last on less than vertical surfaces.
Depending on how close you are to the equator, most vinyl graphics have an average life of "about" three years, maybe four.
Some of the things you can do to help extend the life of the graphic is to clean the surface with Rapid Prep. This will help to remove any plastitizers already on the surface. Then I would use Rapid Tac when you applied the vinyl graphic. This is more for enhancing the adhesive strength more than anything else. Then I would overlay a Tedlar clear vinyl on top. Make sure the Tedlar extends out beyond the edges of the graphic by about a centimeter. This effectively seals the vinyl graphic in and extends the life of the job. Doing so should nearly double the life of the graphic to about five or six years.
posted
I think Glens a "know it all" He he he he he he Just kiddin Glen, you have managed to learn and retain a great deal of info. about a good many subjects !!
Roger(Glens buddy)
-------------------- Roger Bailey Rapid Tac Incorporated 186 Combs Dr. Merlin Oregon 97532 Posts: 3020 | From: Merlin Oregon | Registered: Dec 1998
| IP: Logged |
posted
Thanks Glenn The awning is vertical. Hadn't considered the clear overlay. Anything that seals the edges would be helpful. We do get good results using banner vinyl which is extra thin, but its life expectancy isn't as good as cast, and as we are about 70 miles south of the tropics there is a lot of sunlight to work on the vinyls (and paints) Due perhaps to continental drift eons ago, there is a large oceanic gap between ourselves and the Americas, which could explain why rapidtac has not yet made it to our fair shores. As I did the installation on an hourly rate that may have been to my benefit in this case. I gather from your reply that the digitals normally stay adhered. The previous shop owner may well have installed the digitals himself and not have used appropiate preparation. Thanks Kerry
-------------------- Kerry Wright Gladstone Australia Posts: 119 | From: Gladstone, Queensland, Australia | Registered: May 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
Hehehe....I'm still a student in the School of Hard Knocks (continuing adult education program). They say mistakes make good teachers. Well, believe me, I've had a lot of great teachers!
Something I should add is that there is a "budget" vinyl awning material out there (it's name escapes me at the moment) that has a cotton/poly liner on the underside. I have yet to find anything that will stick to it other than vinyl ink. I've tried creating a barrier coating with Frog Juice (using a vinyl mask) and I've tried TyKote. Vinyl graphics will pop off after a few days. (learned that one the hard way, too) If you aren't familiar with the fabric being used, be sure to contact the fabric manufacturer to see if it is "vinyl receptive." It will save an awful lot of aggrevation.
![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this topic