Applying vinyl lettering to latex painted walls

[soundhound]

Hi everybody-
Just looking for some tips as we are looking at a bunch of 6' circumference columns that need to be painted and lettered... or wrapped.

It would be way easier and cost-effective to apply vinyl to the painted surface (just a 1' x 7' vertical word on a solid color)... but how do I create a good vinyl-receptive surface? Is there a latex wall paint out there that holds ps vinyl lettering (and it will be applied on a curve as well!)? It seems that the newer paints actually REPEL vinyl.

Or maybe there is a vinyl that grabs better than most?

...or a clear coating that will increase the bonding of the lettering to the paint?

CONVERSELY. I am told that no one uses wallpaper & paste to wrap a column. Is this true. If so, what material would be best to wrap a 6' circumference column that is 10 feet tall?

Looking forward to any help that y'all can offer... I am unsure how to move forward on this.

Thanks

 

[JaySea20]

I prefer to put a coat of Zissner Bulls Eye Primer. But, its not latex.

 

[Marlene]

Why not paint the background color and then paint the word on that?

 

[Chasez]

We follow 3M's instruction bulletin 5.37 (A Guide to Understanding Walls and Applying Graphics to Walls). This should tell you what you need to know. We have had luck with Kilz brand primers but you have to make sure to give it MIN. 2 weeks to cure before applying vinyl (follow recommendations on paint cans is best). Then you should be good to apply your vinyl.

Chaz

 

[Billct2]

There are latex paints that work with vinyl, just have to be sure the painting contractor (or you)choose correctly. Or you can use oil based.
And of course you can also wrap the whole column and skip paint altogether. If you go that way maybe you can upsell the design.

 

[Mosh]

I have used oracal 651 on latex painted wall a bunch of times. Be sure the paint has been on the wall at least two to three weeks before applying.
I use a felt squeegie to, and go super slow when removing the tape, then re-squeegie.

 

[soundhound]

Thanks Mosh--- my experience also. But WHAT LATEX PAINTS are vinyl letter friendly????

There are latex paints that work with vinyl, just have to be sure the painting contractor (or you)choose correctly. Or you can use oil based.
And of course you can also wrap the whole column and skip paint altogether. If you go that way maybe you can upsell the design.

WHAT LATEX PAINTS WORK????

 

[Billct2]

I don't paint walls. I tell the client or their painter that I need something that vinyl can stick to and leave it up to them. If I had to paint a wall myself I'd use oil. If I absolutely had to use latex I'd ask my paint store what to use.

 

[Mosh]

Thanks Mosh--- my experience also. But WHAT LATEX PAINTS are vinyl letter friendly????

WHAT LATEX PAINTS WORK????

As far as I know they were mostly from our local Sherwinn Williams paint store, don't think they were anything special. I didn't paint the walls, but never have had a problem with any of them.

 

[CanuckSigns]

usually the cheap paints are the best for walls, builders grade paints don't have any of the easy clean additives in it that cause vinyl to fail.

 

[signmania]

We tell clients to use as glossy a paint as possible. But we prefer that clients put Gardz from Zinsser. Every big-box home supply carries it. It dries clear, and does leave a matte surface (client should be made aware that the sheen might be different from any untreated area), but we've had excellent luck with vinyl sticking. We only use cast vinyl, either Gerber (mostly 3M) or 3M.

 

[ikarasu]

Out of the hundreds of places I put wall decals on, there was only 1 that had a problem with vinyl. Not sure what the paint used was... but it didn't stick for nothing. Couldn't even get the lettering off of the application tape.

I've always heard anything that's really low voc has issues with vinyl sticking to it. There isn't really a guide for which paints will, or will not work - Generally most will. Buy a gallon of it, paint something around the warehouse and test to see if it works.. Thats about your only option if you want to guarantee it works.

You can use a high tac vinyl... 3M makes a high tac 180. The best high tac we've found, stuff that will stick to anything is from Oracal. I can't think of the model # offhand, but I'll take a look. It's so strong it stick to plywood that hasn't been primed with no issues at all.

 

[Rusty Sign]

We do it often with great results. Like mentioned above, use a glossy paint. Actually it's sometimes hard to find glossy latex house paint so we use semi gloss. We've used Behr, Columbia, Sherwin Williams and Rodda. I tend to go with Behr Ultra semi gloss the most. And yes, let it dry several days or weeks if possible and it'll stick better.

 

[depps74]

Just wondering if anyone has had any new results with vinyl not sticking? I've had many experiences (in museum settings mostly) where my lettering barely sticks to the walls. 10 minute pulls take 2 hours and the clients are getting cranky. Any ideas on what brands work better. than others? Sometimes it has to do with drying, sometimes it has to do with a clean additive, dark pigments, off gassing? No matter at this point I can almost tell when its not gonna stick. I have heard the Avery 900 series works well but it does not come in a matte finish.

 

[FactorDesign]

Made graphics for a Buffalo Wild Wings. Something about the paint they used made it impossible for anything to adhere. They had this issue with Fatheads also, so I knew it wasn't just us. No idea on what kind of paint it was, but I guess it was designed so that BBQ sauce would wipe right off after little Jimmy Jr. throws hot wings at the wall.

 

[eahicks]

Made graphics for a Buffalo Wild Wings. Something about the paint they used made it impossible for anything to adhere. They had this issue with Fatheads also, so I knew it wasn't just us. No idea on what kind of paint it was, but I guess it was designed so that BBQ sauce would wipe right off after little Jimmy Jr. throws hot wings at the wall.

Yep, restaurants, doctors offices, hospitals, all seem to use the ez clean/mark free paints that nothing will stick to. I've had ongoing issues with wall wraps sticking to walls of a vet chain we do work for, and we have finally had them NOT paint the walls we will be wrapping in all future construction. Makes life much easier, but you don't always get that choice. You nearly have to go with something like DPF8000 for high tack.

 

[depps74]

Yep, restaurants, doctors offices, hospitals, all seem to use the ez clean/mark free paints that nothing will stick to. I've had ongoing issues with wall wraps sticking to walls of a vet chain we do work for, and we have finally had them NOT paint the walls we will be wrapping in all future construction. Makes life much easier, but you don't always get that choice. You nearly have to go with something like DPF8000 for high tack.

Thanks what is DPF8000?

 

[depps74]

Out of the hundreds of places I put wall decals on, there was only 1 that had a problem with vinyl. Not sure what the paint used was... but it didn't stick for nothing. Couldn't even get the lettering off of the application tape.

I've always heard anything that's really low voc has issues with vinyl sticking to it. There isn't really a guide for which paints will, or will not work - Generally most will. Buy a gallon of it, paint something around the warehouse and test to see if it works.. Thats about your only option if you want to guarantee it works.

You can use a high tac vinyl... 3M makes a high tac 180. The best high tac we've found, stuff that will stick to anything is from Oracal. I can't think of the model # offhand, but I'll take a look. It's so strong it stick to plywood that hasn't been primed with no issues at all.

Hey just following up here, what is the model # of the oracal you thought of that would be so strong?

 

[ikarasu]

Hey just following up here, what is the model # of the oracal you thought of that would be so strong?

3105GHT is what we use for plywood. It seems to stick to everything we've thrown at it. For cast we use 180 LSE, but the orajet is way, way stronger adhesion

 

[depps74]

3105GHT is what we use for plywood. It seems to stick to everything we've thrown at it. For cast we use 180 LSE, but the otajet is way, way stronger adhesion

ok so to clarify the 3105GHT is Oracal and the 180 LSA is OTAJET? The Otajet is a cast vinyl so its possible to cut lettering out of it?