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Vinyl "Wallpapering" – Advice Please…
Hi all,
We’re getting asked more and more to apply vinyl "wallpaper" to various things (walls, trucks, windows etc), and having tried out various fitting methods I still don’t think we’re doing it right, or the best way.
Does anyone have any experience of such jobs and if so, how would you tackle it?
For example, we’ve been asked to "wallpaper" the side of a 40ft trailer next week with a large photographic image. It will consist of 13 tiles, each one approx 3m high. Do we wet or dry apply? Do we overlap or butt up the joins? How much overlap? What’s the best vinyl to use? What’s the best laminate to use? Do we start at the front or the back of the trailer?
As always, any advice greatly appreciated!
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18 Replies
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Depends really…
trailer – if indoors and cool – do it wet or dry with a 1/2 inch overlap. Outdoors – do it wet or you’ll go nuts in this heat.
Start back to front to get the overlaps in the right direction.
Best vinyl and laminate are personal preference – but comes down to lifespan and cost. If going wet – don’t think about the air-escape / bubble free vinyls.
If it were me – indoors – wet – in a 5yr polymeric as it’s not a wrap – just wallpapering.
Dave
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Mostley as David says…
Wouldn’t do it wet, absolutely no need. It will just cause problems for you.
Always start at the rear of the trailer as the overlaps face away from thr driving wind and will prevent dirt getting under the joins. Overlap is a personal preference 20-30mm is good.
Before applying make sure all the drops are pinned up to make sure the overall length is correct and most importantly the first drop MUST be 100% straight. Take measurements from several points, not just the beading at the corner!
Good luck!
Matt
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I will go with matty on this, on most points especially doing it dry,
But it doest really matter if you start from the back or front of the trailer, if you think about it, if you were applying just a single decal it will have an edge facing forward, and willl not have a problem.
Also some trailers are not a proper oblong and can taper towards the front, so you need to square up with the bed rather than the roof
Peter -
Just fitting rule number 1 Peter. 13 drops at 50+ mph day after day. If the over lap isn’t facing the elements there’s not a problem! 370 Argos lorries, 800 Sainsbury’s, 650 Homebase,…..I can’t be that wrong!!!
Matt
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not saying you are wrong matty, just saying it doesnt matter, if you fit dry, why would dirt get under the edge?
it doesnt on any other fitting, dooes it?Peter
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Agreed Peter,
It’s just a rule I always abide too, whether wrapping or straight fitting, always fit from the back, forward.
Maybe I’m wrong….. 🙁 🙁
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Matty as I said you are not wrong,
its one of those things that logically is correct, and I would for the case of security do fitting from back to front, but still think it doesnt matter though.
Ladies will always do front to back though, less chance of problemsPeter
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😀 😀 😀
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My personal view on this has been covered many times over the years. but here it is again… 😀
It does not matter which way you apply, from front to rear or vice versa.
my belief is that the whole back to front, so that the overlap is facing the rear of the truck came about because of many fitters applying WET back in the day befoire easy apply and the like came into play.
This being the case, like matty says, the wind catches the edge of the panel and after a bit, it dog ears and becomes a mess due to rolling back, getting dirty and so on… this as i said, is because of the moisture still under the fresh applied panels "overlap", so the vinyl hasnt cured on the overlap just yet. well not 100% anyway…if this is wrong, then fair enough… but consider this…
Cut vinyl graphics on the side of a lorry/van whatever. does the vinyl on the surface catch the wind drag and dirty and cause failure? nop, but i have seen wet or the wrong grade of vinyl do it!
have you every applied vinyl onto vinyl and tried to remove it right after? it has a far better bond than vinyl onto a GRP or painted vehicle body. so why should it come away any easier?
Train Wraps… the train travels just as fast, if not faster than a truck, but in "BOTH" directions… what happens there?
there is a few other scenarios but i cannot think of them at the moment. maybe ill add to this thread later… but i am sure you get the general line of thought from me?
as for other questions…
I would apply DRY… always dry…
overlaps of 3/4 of an inch.as always, just my opinion guys…
😀
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first you have to divvy up each drop, so as to have equal width drops.
you have to factor into that some bleed at the first and last drop
bleed it the same amount top and bottomthere is no way on earth you are going to line up a 10 foot drop if its a photograph applying it dry
-you have to float the complete panel on wet.the tip is to have 3 people fitting – 2 high each side, one on the bottom pulling the backing off.
spray up the side, but squeege of the to 5 inches with your rubber edged squeegee – this will prevent the thing sliding down, but still let you get it off.
there is some credence in the seam against the drive, but thats here nor there
-the reason why you go from right to left, is because if you are right handed
your naturally going to be more comfortable lining up the image looking to the right
i.e. when you kneel down, your right knee will want to touch the floor ratehr than the left – its a built in second nature deal .
plus of course when you rub your squeezer – if you are right handed you naturally go from right to left!!!
-simple -you don’t want to be putting the the blasted water back under the last drop silly.also worth noting, when a trailer is laden and on its jockey wheel rather than the tractor. you may notice the whole thing bows quite a lot.
thanks -
quote Robert Lambie:My personal view on this has been covered many times over the years. but here it is again… 😀It does not matter which way you apply, from front to rear or vice versa.
my belief is that the whole back to front, so that the overlap is facing the rear of the truck came about because of many fitters applying WET back in the day befoire easy apply and the like came into play.
This being the case, like matty says, the wind catches the edge of the panel and after a bit, it dog ears and becomes a mess due to rolling back, getting dirty and so on… this as i said, is because of the moisture still under the fresh applied panels “overlap”, so the vinyl hasnt cured on the overlap just yet. well not 100% anyway…if this is wrong, then fair enough… but consider this…
Cut vinyl graphics on the side of a lorry/van whatever. does the vinyl on the surface catch the wind drag and dirty and cause failure? n
op, but i have seen wet or the wrong grade of vinyl do it!
have you every applied vinyl onto vinyl and tried to remove it right after? it has a far better bond than vinyl onto a GRP or painted vehicle body. so why should it come away any easier?
Train Wraps… the train travels just as fast, if not faster than a truck, but in “BOTH” directions… what happens there?
there is a few other scenarios but i cannot think of them at the moment. maybe ill add to this thread later… but i am sure you get the general line of thought from me?
as for other questions…
I would apply DRY… always dry…
overlaps of 3/4 of an inch.as always, just my opinion guys…
😀
The reason for starting at the rear isn’t the wind argument. I debated the same thing and had the same reasons as you rob.
The thing I got told most mechanical truck washes and bus washes use brushes that rotate towards the end of the bus. It stops the mechanical action of the brushes risking lifting the image.
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This is how we fit.
We make sure our panels are all trimmed to the same height and have overlap lines on both panels. Also have a bleed top and bottom and left and right.
We install the first panel. Then to install the second panel I hold the panel so its at the same height. I move the second panel so it aligns with the overlap mark on the first panel (when you apply the first panel don’t trim it, trim later). I put a piece of tape on the panel overlapping the first panel. I then tilt the panel so the bottom of the panel meets the overlap mark at the bottom. Once in place I then put another piece of tape. I check it then put a permanent hinge in place and apply.
Never done it wet. Could never find a bikini that suits my body shape.
This job I think was 8 panels about 2.7 metres high. They were around 110cm wide as well.
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Trailers hit more trees/branches than things like trains, another reason to fit from back to front. It’s what I was taught at the wrapping course so how I always fit – it makes so little difference when applying the job, why go the other way and risk it being wrong?
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quote Gavin MacMillan:Trailers hit more trees/branches than things like trains, another reason to fit from back to front. It’s what I was taught at the wrapping course so how I always fit – it makes so little difference when applying the job, why go the other way and risk it being wrong?
I don’t think its a matter of fitting the other way. But imagine being able to start in the middle and going outwards. You could have 4 teams doing one trailer at the same time.
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and when doing an internal emulsion/latex wall
especially if it a temporary affair, and the flats are all pissed.
don’t forget to have a crown and skirting – header/footer piece of timber
as not only does it stop the stick coming away from the damp edges top and bottom, it crispens up the lines -
quote Jason Xuereb:quote Robert Lambie:My personal view on this has been covered many times over the years. but here it is again… 😀
It does not matter which way you apply, from front to rear or vice versa.
my belief is that the whole back to front, so that the overlap is facing the rear of the truck came about because of many fitters applying WET back in the day befoire easy apply and the like came into play.
This being the case, like matty says, the wind catches the edge of the panel and after a bit, it dog ears and becomes a mess due to rolling back, getting dirty and so on… this as i said, is because of the moisture still under the fresh applied panels “overlap”, so the vinyl hasnt cured on the overlap just yet. well not 100% anyway…if this is wrong, then fair enough… but consider this…
Cut vinyl graphics on the side of a lorry/van whatever. does the vinyl on the surface catch the wind drag and dirty and cause failure? n
op, but i have seen wet or the wrong grade of vinyl do it!
have you every applied vinyl onto vinyl and tried to remove it right after? it has a far better bond than vinyl onto a GRP or painted vehicle body. so why should it come away any easier?
Train Wraps… the train travels just as fast, if not faster than a truck, but in “BOTH” directions… what happens there?
there is a few other scenarios but i cannot think of them at the moment. maybe ill add to this thread later… but i am sure you get the general line of thought from me?
as for other questions…
I would apply DRY… always dry…
overlaps of 3/4 of an inch.as always, just my opinion guys…
😀
The reason for starting at the rear isn’t the wind argument. I debated the same thing and had the same reasons as you rob.
The thing I got told most mechanical truck washes and bus washes use brushes that rotate towards the end of the bus. It stops the mechanical action of the brushes risking lifting the image.
Hi Jason
I appreciate what you are saying mate, but any mechanical car wash i have been in the rotating brushes travel to the rear of the vehicle, stop, then travel back towards the front. so the brushes will come up against the overlap whatever way they are applied?
also, lets say a mechanical car wash only travels one way, from front to the back, the exact same would apply for multi-layerer vinyl graphics and we don’t hear of failings of this around the world or the vinyl manufacturers would have to go back to the drawing board.
Please dont get me wrong, i understand its safer etc to start from rear forwards, just that i personally think most failings come about as a result of either the vinyl used or how it has been applied. -
Most car/truck wash brushes rotate in the direction the vehicle travels, so in effect the leading egde of the brushes would strike the edge off the the vinyl that is facing the rear,
Which actually argues against starting at the rear if this is the reason why you should start at the back?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYGK6RyyMpI&list=QLPeter
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Missed these replies. I don’t agree with the starting from the back of the vehicle. Was just saying the point a lot of people use as the reason for starting at the back.
Justin Pate starts with the second panel from the rear with vans etc. Lets him align the panel to the door to ensure its straight and also lets you look at the panel to make sure its horizontal to the van visually.
That’s the way I do it also.
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