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3M Fasara film question

gabagoo

New Member
I was just wondering if this stuff is actually vinyl or is it more like a tint film. Seems very rigid like polyester. For application is a regular solution of soap and water for vinyl OK or do you need a solution that would be used for Tint ( more soap)?
 

Chasez

New Member
The 3M Fasara line is a polyester based film. The water/soap solution is just fine (exactly the same as tint - about 1 tsp per 5 gallon water) to install with. Also just FYI the soap/water solution is okay to install tint as well (same mixture). Just be careful as the Fasara films crink a lot easier and they do not come out with a heat gun like in vinyl. As well make sure that if an edge sticks to the glass when installing, you do not try and push it around, peel it back and re-wet. if you try and push it around you can muck the adhesive and then you will get some spots on the edge that won't stick.

Hope this helps.

Chaz
 

Chasez

New Member
I'm not sure what you mean by special.

It's a pain in the *** to work with.. right now our company has installed about 15k sqft in the last year of one of the products for 1 company (re-doing all floors in their building) and it's a pain. They have some neat patterns to them, designers LOVE them, but the real issue (apart from the price) is the availability. Designers look at the catalog and just pick one of the films without asking any info about it. Some patterns are the width of the roll, and some are the length, and sometimes just don't work. Some of the materials are not even made often, if you pick one of the "less popular" materials you may be waiting upwards of 3 months to get the material as it has to be made and shipped from Japan.

Also a quick note on the install side, make sure squeegees etc. are clean as the fasara materials with a pattern/gradient scratch very easily.

If you have any other questions let me know.

Chaz
 

gabagoo

New Member
Thanks Chaz... this particular skew is just milky white, no pattern.

Typical gov't spec....why use a competitively priced material when we can request the most expensive, after all, it's tax money well spent...
 

Chasez

New Member
I will say the SH2MAMM (milky milky) is a good product for block out but still letting lots of light in. I know at least here designers spec the 3M fasara because it is a 3M product and is great quality. The polyester base is great as it doesn't shrink and I have never seen the products fade.

I'm guessing it's not the gov't spec, but whichever designer that they used that spec'd the material. We have done gov't jobs and have had the fasara spec'd then done other gov't jobs and used a competitors material that was spec'd. I think designers do it because usually they get a % of the overall cost, so if they spec a higher costing material, just means more money in their pockets, and with being the gov't, they usually have a higher budget.

Chaz
 
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