Adhesive wont hold

[JFoerg]

Installed cutout acrylic letters December 2016 in High School Cafeteria, on freshly painted soffits above service counters. White foam tape mounted. The tape didn't adhere well to the paint. Anyone know of a kind of paint that adhesive doesn't stick to? Any suggestions on what type of adhesive to use on this type of paint?
Thanks in advance.

 

[Johnny Best]

Use a 3M VHB tape, 4941, on back of letters, what kind of paint should be used has been discussed on here hundreds of times. Check the Search section.

 

[Gino]

Double-sided tape is basically meant to bond a surface of metal, wood, plastic, fabric to another substrate of the same qualities or one which will adhere to a variety of bonds. However, not many tapes are meant to stick to paint. Most paints have their own bonding and repellents built right into them. Then, when one repels bird guano, finger prints or kitchen environments, they'll probably repel tape. You'll either need physical fasteners or real adhesive, just not tape.

 

[Johnny Best]

Some of the 3M VHB tapes have plasticisers in them to help stick better than others to certain paints.
But you will have to try them out to see what will work. Gemini uses a good VHB on the back of their letters when you ask for tape on back of letters instead of stud mounts. But that was for small copy where studs would not work.

 

[visual800]

scuff backs of letters and place small drops of silicone along with vhb to hold them up there while silicone sets up you should be good to go

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

Johnny is right, 3m VHB is the way to go. It is ten thousand times stronger then foam. Heck I've used VHB on brick to help get a wrinkle out of a banner and that sucker stuck well!

 

[Sandman]

Yes 3M VHB tape is the best. There could be another problem though where even VHB might not work. I ran across a paint where the manufacturer had added silicone to it to make it more self cleaning. Adhesives don't stick to that stuff worth a darn.

 

[Active Sign]

Can’t go wrong with a little 2-sided tape and silicone. Silicone, stuff sticks to anything.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ams]

Acrylic letters should be pin mounted (stud) with thread alls. However if you cannot do that, go with VHB tape, but make sure you use the correct kind for that application.

 

[JFoerg]

Thanks for all the advice. The paint does seem to be the issue. Manufacturer adding silicone might explain it. Anyone know of manufacturer and brand?

 

[Marlene]

Thanks for all the advice. The paint does seem to be the issue. Manufacturer adding silicone might explain it. Anyone know of manufacturer and brand?

A lot of paints now have additives to repel anything from sticking to the paint. It is so the wall stays clean but it sure doesn't help us when it comes to double sided tape or other adhesives. I never use tape, always stud mount. I don't add adhesive or double sided tape. It works for the customer too as they can remove the letters, repaint a wall and re-install the letters. People I've dealt with love that.

 

[DerbyCitySignGuy]

Thanks for all the advice. The paint does seem to be the issue. Manufacturer adding silicone might explain it. Anyone know of manufacturer and brand?

There are tons of low VOC paints that will repel almost anything, including tape. We use tape and silicone for small letters and studs for larger letters. We almost always use silicone on the studs, especially if they're at a height where people can mess with them, since it prevents them from being stolen.

 

[GaSouthpaw]

I won't say never use tape, because 3M's VHB is pretty impressive (as long as you get the right one)- but, with it seeming like more and more paint lines putting in additives designed to withstand things sticking to it, you're safer using at least one stud. If you don't, you take your chances. As others mentioned, a dab of silicone along with the tape can sometimes overcome the resistant paint.

 

[signbrad]

The industry practice for mounting acrylic letters has historically been stud-mounting.
Mounting with concealed studs completely bypasses the adhesion problem. There is no waiting for glue to dry this way, and any incompatibility between the adhesive and the wall finish becomes a moot point. Stud-mounting is also a superior method when there are dissimilar materials. When, say, an acrylic letter is being mounted to an exterior metal surface
In addition, it's easier to remove a stud-mounted letter for wall repainting later.
Studs can be easily coated with silicone for installing, but I have often installed studded letters with no adhesive at all, making the installation quick and clean. For the occasional loose hole, wrap a little tape around the stud. On soft drywall, I have even installed letters by making the holes with a hammer and awl, except where there is a wood or metal stud. This keeps drilling and dust to a minimum.

There has been great advancement in the formulations for adhesives in the last 20 years. There has been great advancement in paint formulas, too, and that sometimes creates problems.

 

[TimToad]

On letters too small to use studs, we use a combination of VHB and LEXEL adhesive. I find its heavier body, superior bonding and quicker set time to be helpful when doing a bunch of letters on painted surfaces.

The paint manufacturers are in a real tough spot. Folks want scrubbability, one coat coverage, low VOCs and more sheen choices, so they do the best they can and still put out a product that does all of those things well.