Letters on metal siding...no access behind

[The Giraffe]

I searched and found several older threads but nothing recent.

I've been asked to quote a job to attach dimensional letters (.75" HDU) to metal siding. I'd love to use studs but builder has finished interior and access to inside for through bolt isn't an option.

Is a rail my only option? I've considered VHB given the light weight but don't know if it's feasible.

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

 

[visual800]

I would use short studs and silicone, by short I mean like 1" sticking out from the back of the hdu hitting the high spots, the stud will hold it while the silicone sets up. You do not need to secure from inside

if the letter is an "I" you would use 1 stud, if its an "N" you you use 2.....for an example

if you dont want studs than vhb to hold it and silicone to seal it

 

[Stanton]

A little vhb to hold it and silicone to permanently seal it

Yep

 

[The Giraffe]

Some of the letters will span the "valleys". The vhb will hold on smaller pieces?

I'm really liking small studs, silicone, AND vhb.

 

[Stanton]

VHB and Silicone will work on ¾" acrylic.

(you get ONE chance to align the copy properly with VHB.)

I am sure it will work on lighter material.

Studs are highly over rated.

 

[The Giraffe]

VHB and Silicone will work

How do I use the silicone? Am I sealing edges or using as additional adhesive?

And the studs would be primarily for the one shot at getting right with the vhb and secondary for support.

Thanks for the help. I'm typing up a submittal as we speak.

 

[Stanton]

How do I use the silicone? Am I sealing edges or using as additional adhesive?

And the studs would be primarily for the one shot at getting right with the vhb and secondary for support.

Thanks for the help. I'm typing up a submittal as we speak.

A few patches of VHB. Dabs of clear silicone adhesive between.
Each is insurance against the other.

Actually, the tape holds it in place until the silicone sets.

It's not coming off without a pry bar.

 

[The Giraffe]

A few patches of VHB. Dabs of clear silicone adhesive between.
Each is insurance against the other.

Actually, the tape holds it in place until the silicone sets.

It's not coming off without a pry bar.

Just got off of phone with site super. He's partial to Loctite grabber.

I'm picking up a scrap panel tomorrow morning and put together a test panel for them.

Thanks again for the help. Hope I can return the favor.

 

[Stanton]

Just got off of phone with site super. He's partial to Loctite grabber.

I'm picking up a scrap panel tomorrow morning and put together a test panel for them.

Thanks again for the help. Hope I can return the favor.

I have been doing signs since I was 16. I am now 52.
I have never heard of Loctite grabber.

Sometimes I feel like a dinosaur.

I am going to go Google it.


ALWAYS test internet advice for your application.

 

[Z SIGNS]

I would do studs.
They always seem to hold the letters pretty good on their own.
Ever notice how even with a perfect drill pattern you have use a little force to get the letters in.
Getting a drill pattern on corrugated is a challenge.I would want at least 1/2" rigid something to help prevent drift.
Personally I never liked foam for this kind of job.Seen it fail.
Black letters on a white wall that faced dead west.
The foam expanded and contracted and eventually worked the studs out the foam.
Maybe just studs and very little glue in the sloppy holes so the foam can move.
I wonder what an engineer would say.

 

[visual800]

I wonder what an engineer would say.

Who on this forum would actually ask an engineer what his thoughts were? An Engineer would probably put 10 studs per letter and tack weld that to 1/2" steel plating welded to I beams into the ground. Thats why we dont care what engineers think. Studs are WAAAY too much for this job, I only suggested using 1 or 2 just for holding.

Even if I am doing a job with metal letters and it has 4 studs in it I only put 2. There is too much thinking in this world and too much wasted time

 

[phototec]

How To Install Letters on Corrugated Metal

VHB on high parts of metal siding and dabs of clear silicone on the studs.

[video=youtube;N8Pq1y-t4Rg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8Pq1y-t4Rg[/video]

 

[mesheau]

The "A" in that video is crook'der then Brittany Spears.

 

[BK Vinyl]

The "A" in that video is crook'der then Brittany Spears.

The whole ABC runs downhill. The guy looks like he is gonna put the level on it, and then changes his mind. He holds it close and nods.
I think he realized how off it was and didn't want the bubble to show up on camera.

 

[CES020]

The level was a dumb idea with that letter combination. You know the C is taller than the A and the B is taller than the A as well. I guess he didn't know that until he held the level up and nothing lined up.

 

[J Hill Designs]

The level was a dumb idea with that letter combination. You know the C is taller than the A and the B is taller than the A as well. I guess he didn't know that until he held the level up and nothing lined up.

The A and B have same baseline - C is the only one that descends below it

 

[Gino]

If you're having second thoughts about all the problems..... how 'bout mounting the letters to a backer board which is designed to work with the entire job aesthetically and just lag or butterfly bolt the backer board onto the wall or use a French cleat system ??

 

[Billct2]

I don't like to mount letters flush to any exterior surface. Always end up with dirt steaks running down the wall.
I would use studs and silicone and a nut as the stand off where the letters hit the high spots. If you do a good job on the pattern and drilling
the letters will actually have o be pushed in a bit and the the silicone seals and holds them in place. With this technique you also don't have
to worry about expansion/contraction because the studs will have some give.

 

[Moze]

Everyone has their own method obviously, but I use studs (with nuts for plumbing the letters on the low spots in the siding), VHB tape, and silicone.

It's also a good idea to either drill the holes slightly over-sized or wallow them out a little with your drill bit. The threaded studs can hang up on the metal and make it impossible to push the stud all the way in without pounding on the letter - at which point you risk damaging the letter, dimpling the face if the stud is close to it, etc. This is especially true of the siding has any flex to it, which it often does. If using 10-24 studs and installing in metal, I use a 7/32" bit.

 

[MikePro]

VHB on high parts of metal siding and dabs of clear silicone on the studs.

+1 will never fail.
an extra step that I've always done, is to slightly bend the studs (just enough to flex them) so that they snug-fit into the holes.

stud holds the letter up, vhb holds it against the wall, and the silicone seals the holes you drilled for the studs.