Exterior Building murals?

[soundhound]

I am told that i can use the 3M 480C to do a building exterior (wood & concrete) and that it will last.

Anybody have any experience with this?

Also, is there a cheaper approach to getting photos onto exterior wall and making them last a long time.

I am working with a photographer who we do wallpaper for, but outdoors? In a cold climate?

Any help will be much appreciated.

Thanks

 

[BigfishDM]

How long are they going up for?

 

[soundhound]

As long as possible-

they want 5-10 years!

 

[BigfishDM]

they want 5-10 years!

You might want to paint it, how complicated is the graphic?

 

[fresh]

I don't guarantee any printed graphic for more than a year or two, and I don't think any vinyl/ink/printer will, either. I mean, unprinted vinyl may have a longer lifespan, but once ink touches it, all bets are off.

of course there are many instances where printed graphics still look good after a number of years, but we can't predict sun exposure and general maintenance of the print.

 

[jfiscus]

Surface prep is KEY in a case like this. See if you can paint the surface first, or at least pressure wash/clean the surface really well. This will get you a much longer lifespan out of the graphics adhesion. I would also recommend 3M IJ480C, but I wouldn't guarantee this type of install on an uneven surface. I would use a surface test kit to explain to the customer the issues you might be dealing with and go from there. If you do this project, I would also recommend a 3M MCS matched ink and 3M certified installer to get the full 3M guarantee/warranty out of the vinyl.

 

[grafixemporium]

I am told that i can use the 3M 480C to do a building exterior (wood & concrete) and that it will last.

Anybody have any experience with this?

Also, is there a cheaper approach to getting photos onto exterior wall and making them last a long time.

I am working with a photographer who we do wallpaper for, but outdoors? In a cold climate?

Any help will be much appreciated.

Thanks

A good starting point is to thoroughly read the 3M product bulletin for the media you intend to use.

Life expectancy of any media is going to vary greatly based primarily on 4 factors:

1 - Surface integrity
2 - Installation quality
3 - Daily direct sun exposure / Climate
4 - Regular cleaning

I would never suggest any product would last 5-10 years outdoors under any conditions. It's best to be honest and set realistic expectations. That will lead to a happy customer and more work for you down the line when it's time to update that mural.

Personally, I would look at ways to use a substrate mounted to the exterior wall rather that apply graphics directly to the wall.

 

[CanuckSigns]

they want 5-10 years!

Price it out using your standard materials than double it, that way you can replace it when it fails in 5 years. There is absolutely no way to get a 10 year lifespan on printed vinyl outdoors.

 

[Pauly]

I dont know how long the adhesion will last on concrete. But what about using aluminium composite sheets, because you cannot print directly to them, you can still stick your vinyl onto it. you'll get better adhesion life from it.

 

[soundhound]

Thanks for all your help!

This is pretty much how I saw it as well... just hoping there might be a new breakout material or process.

Thanks