can anyone offer advice with applying Hexis etch?

[Shane Drew]

Hi Carl, I’d do it wet if you’ve never done it before.

Don’t apply application tape to it though as it will take forever to get it off once its been put it on wet glass.

Atomize the water (with a thimble full of dishwashing liquid per litre) on to the glass, then making sure the surface of the tape is free of dirt and grime, lay the tape on the glass with the backing paper facing you. The wet window will hold the tape to the glass while you peel off the backing paper to expose the glue.

Once the glue is expose, atomize your water on the exposed glue.

Turn the material around and slide it into place.

Working from the centre, with a felt squeegee, expel the water to the sides and top. Job done.

Be conscious of cleaning the window, edges and frame before you start though, and any dist or grime that gets picked up in the process, will stick out like a sore thumb under the film.

better to spend 5 extra minutes making sure there is no dust and grime on the surfaces, than a lifetime wishing you had done a better job of cleaning first. :lol1:

Hope that helps mate.

Cheers
Shane

[Jason Xuereb]

We do it as Shane said. A lot more forgiving especially if you don’t overlap your squeegee strokes if you did it dry.

[Carl Maguire]

Thanks
Ill give that a try

[Cheryl Smith]

ive been fitting vinyl for years and if a large area is to be done in etched…always wet…its a pig when you get a bubble because once popped it will always leave a ghost ring where it once was…

[Shane Drew]

quote Cheryl Smith:

ive been fitting vinyl for years and if a large area is to be done in etched…always wet…its a pig when you get a bubble because once popped it will always leave a ghost ring where it once was…

Thats interesting Cheryl. I use 3M and have never had that problem at all. I prefer the dry method in truth. Because 3M breathes, it will release the bubbles in a few days, so rarely ever need to ‘pop’ them…

[Martin Pearson]

Pretty much what Shane has said, what sort of frame do the windows have? Be very careful with wooden frames as bits have a habit of coming off after you have cleaned it. Fortunately there aren’t to many wooden frames knocking about anymore. If the windows are down to ground level don’t forget to give the floor a clean in front of the window as you would be surprised how high dirt & dust can jump :lol1:

[Shane Drew]

quote martin:

If the windows are down to ground level don’t forget to give the floor a clean in front of the window as you would be surprised how high dirt & dust can jump :lol1:

excellent advice too 😉

if there is carpet or flooring up to the window, mist a fine spray over that area too, as it will negate any static buildup, and keep the dust to a minimum.

[Cheryl Smith]

hexis is what ive used and it does mark, especially the textured etched, you get what you pay for tho, and fitting this stuff wet even if it is a mist, I found is best for this stuff

[Shane Drew]

quote Cheryl Smith:

hexis is what ive used and it does mark, especially the textured etched, you get what you pay for tho, and fitting this stuff wet even if it is a mist, I found is best for this stuff

Hexis is not that popular here, probably why I’ve never used it…. 🙂

[Carl Maguire]

The window frames were absolutely shot to pieces i did toy with making the pieces over size then cutting into the edges of the glazing beads with a knife tried it a big mistake picked up all the crap from the frames and looked a pig so re cut the vinyl down to size on site at approx 5mm less than than the sight size of the window tried an area dry but as the glass was old and scratched and had pits all over it even after a thorough cleaning couldn’t get the bubbles out but with a good misting on the windows with a drop of washing liquid in it and seemed to make life a whole lot simpler guess I learned for next time though. if id have had a choice about doing the job i would have refused to do it due to the state of the window frames but it was a temporary job to try to make it look a bit better till they re do the building up god knows how long it will last though as it was difficult to get the edges to stick after the water misting

[Cheryl Smith]

I know EXACTLY what you mean Carl…went through the same learning curve myself in the same circumstances…looked alot better with the etched than without it in the end, and that is what mattered to the customer.

[Hugh Potter]

i think etch vinyl is still my least favourite to work with, particularly on very hot, or very cold days.

the absolute must have item is a razor scraper, squirt the window, work into all the edges, be sure to go over it a couple of times, it might take a while on big panels, but an hour is alot cheaper than a trip home to get more etch, or coming back in a week cos there’s marks under it!

on wooden frames i always ask that they allow me to go 5mm in all around, this not only makes applying it easier, but also removes the risk of contamination getting under the vinyl, it will also ensure they can’t have a moan cos you chipped the putty!

even now i still mess up the odd bit. if i’m filling a whole window, i always go oversize by a few mm, more recently i’ve moved away from dry app with it, it’s fine for stuff going in the liddle of glass, but on modern window frames with deep recesses etc, it’s easier to do wet.

getting the remaining water from the edges is the hard bit. you can use a regular squeegee around the edges, but don’t press too hard or it marks the etch. i then use a metal ruler as a guid to trimming the excess, push it right to the edge of the seal, then cut with a brand new blade, corners can always be a pig. to finish i always use heat on any stubborn bits which won’t stay flat, not too much though as it’ll stretch easy if too hot,

etch should be banned!