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would outgassing paint cause vinyl to bubble?
I just had a call from a customer to tell me the reflective vinyl signs we fitted to his truck last week have "Bubbled".
I knew the vehicle had been re-sprayed, but hadn’t realised it was only just re-sprayed a day or two before we fitted the signs. The paint is metallic.
I’m guessing the problem is caused by the paint "out gassing". I’ve advised him not to panic and to leave it for a week or so longer to see if the problem sorts itself out. Failing that – we can re-do the signs but I’m worried that if the paint wasn’t cured at the time of fitting, removing the vinyl will take some of the paint off as well.
Any advice?
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7 Replies
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Hi Dave
We work in vehicle refinishing shops a lot and it is a problem we have also experienced. I would say it is most likely outgassing (or "offgassing" WHY?) and wait and see is about all you can do at this stage – it might sort itself out. You could make more problems than you solve if you try and get the graphics off right away.
Depending on the paint, acrylic base or solvent or whatever, wherever possible I prefer to give it a week before sticking anything to it. Trouble is in these impatient times, we are often pushed to do things against our better judgement. I’ve had to apply vinyls to rush jobs the moment they are cool enough to work on straight from the heated spray booth, too many times to mention!
Good luck
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The customer just dropped by and it looks bad
We’ve agreed to leave it for a week to see if it starts to settle down – failing that I’ll replace the signs.
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only time i have ever had an issue with outgassing it was when using reflective also… i think the make up of the reflective vinyl traps the gas more than a regular cast/calendar vinyls.
might be an idea if you called rod gray or richard… both specialise in this line of work. (spray painting i mean) lol -
I had that happen on some dibond once. I didn’t clean the panels (100 of them to make in a couple of hours!). Anyway, it bubbled up like mental the next day but within a week had gone away again.
Wait and see. The alternative is to attempt stripping, but I predict a nightmare with that route.
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you’re better leaving it, my guess is that the paint will come off with the film if you try and remove it, the trucks i do are quite often only a day out of the booth, i’ve told them so many times that i don’t worry now, just fit it, the only prob being that if the paint is still soft, or not keyed properly, then if i have to peel a bit of reflective back for any reason, then the paint lifts with it. it’s not often, but it happens, though i don’t mind as it saves the reflective delaminating!!
i end up with all kinds of bubbles on his trucks, usually cos there’s people buzzing around me and i’m in the way, or i’m working outside in a gale, but to look at the trucks a few weeks later, they’re all fine.
HUgh
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This is why I never letter a freshly painted vehicle.
Plexi can also do this if you unmask and apply vinyl right away.
You can try parking it in the sun but I doubt anything short of a re-do will fix it Phill.
😥
Love….Jill -
Given that it’s reflective vinyl with notoriously sticky glue and that it’s already reacting with the paint I think it might peel off the paint anyway when you try to remove it.
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