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whats the shelf life of vinyl?
Hi all,
My question might sound a little stupid…..
I was given a roll of pink vinyl as it was only used for a small job MANY years ago, and since then it has just been taking up space.
The only problem is that the backing paper has gone yellow and I am worried that the adhesive might have deteriorated in the same way.
Can anyone shed some light on how long vinyl might last unsed?Thanks
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5 Replies
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Manufacturers quote a shelf life, but in my experience these are very short, probably just to cover themselves if something goes wrong.
I think that it depends on exactly HOW old as face films and adhesives have improved tremedously in the fifteen years or so that I have been involved in the trade. Some of the first stuff I worked with was truly horrible but how often do we see a dirt line around the edge of letters due to shrinkage these days?
We try not to keep old vinyl (it goes to the local school) purely due to storage and space consideration but nevertheless we do, for various reasons, have some still in stock.
I tend to treat each case on its merits. For instance I would not use ten year old vinyl on a vehicle for an important customer but I would use it for cutting out hearts for a kid to stick on their bedroom wall. (Did that last week 😀 ) There are all sorts of shades of grey between those extremes.
Another thing I would consider is the manufacturer of the vinyl. I would be more inclined to use a material from a reputable source, 3M, MacTac, Avery etc, than I would from some of the less reputable people.
Sorry that doesn’t answer your question directly but hopefully will give you something to think about and help you come to your own decision. After all, you’re the one that will have to live with it. 😀
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Thanks for your reply.
Judging by the state it’s in, I think I’ll choose very carefully what I use it for.
I have just had a look at the backing paper, and it’s called Ultramark 5000 – I’ve not heard of it before. -
Clive,
Do you mean Ultramark 5700 ? If so this is a 5-7 yr mid term vinyl. I don’t like the old stuff much, it was rather “brittle” and not nice to work with when new. So as you say use with care. I would do a test cut and see if it cuts/weeds/applies ok before commiting to using it on a job.
Nigel
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NIGEL
THERE WAS A 5000 REPLACED BY 5700 NOW IMAGE PERFECT 5700 BUT THE MATERIAL HAS IMPROVED EACH TIME SO NO COMMENT ON HOW GOOD THE 5000 WAS BUT AT THE TIME IT WAS BETTER THAN SOME
STILL GOT BITS WOULD ONLY USE THEM IF PUSHED OR FOR A FREEBIE
JOHN
I HAVE OFFERED THE SCHOOLS OFF CUT AND TUBES ETC FOC ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT THEY CAN’T ACCEPT THEM WITH OUT A LOAD OF PAPER WORK HEALTH & SAF STUF SO GOES IN THE BIN SHAME REALLY
CHRIS
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My feelings on the shelf life of vinyl is brittleness.
Vinyl reacts to temperatures like when we apply it onto a van.. Few weeks later it is brittle with the change in temps.. Hot then cold then hot etc. this is accelerated obviously being on the vehicle but same applies to it on a workshop shelf. Winter in the cold then you come in and turn on the heating etc.
We have a rule in our work place to have the heating on low minimum 24/7 to stop any ill effects on our stock.
Old vinyl on a roll for so long can also take that form on in a way.. When you eventually use it you may find it starts to cause ripples in the vinyl were it actually lifts in lines/ripples from the backing paper. Mirror/foil type vinyl is most guilty of this no matter the life.like the others have said though. its not dead stock.. you could use it on cheap short term stuff.. but i would avoid vehicles or shop fronts 😀
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