?'s on installation of several 12' x 4' panels of WallDeco 6730 on painted drywall

[iSign]

I'll have a helper, and some ladders... so I'm sure i can do this... but there are 20 panels, some with seams more critical than others.

I've installed prints this size on a table, but never on a wall... and now i get to learn by installing 20 of them at the mall, on a nightshift.

I've never used (or seen) WallDeco 6730 before, so I thought i'd see what my friends here might have to tell me about this job.

In the past, I would never wet-apply cut letters to drywall, because of marginal adhesion. This wall has semi-gloss paint, and a quick read up on the media mentions an aggressive adhesive.

Typically the imperfect flatness of an interior wall makes concerns for bubbles go down, but I find myself a bit concerned if mounting these dry is the only way to go.

Beyond that, I don't have any more specific questions other than does anyone have any tips, warnings or reassuring comments before i go do this (on Wednesday night)

 

[iSign]

wow, 67 views... no replies...
let's try a simple one question post..

WOULD ANYONE RISK APPLICATION FLUID ON SEMI GLOSS PAINTED DRYWALL??

 

[Billct2]

The only wall coverings I've done are Phototex and they went down nice. We did the overlap/cut technique.

 

[visual800]

I would do it dry with a large felt ended squeegee. We made a 30" squeegee out of 3/4 pvc and stapled an old bath towel strip on the end of it, it lays down graphics perfectly. I made this for 1 job bout 5 years ago and belive it or not still use it today

it is about 8" wide with routed rounded corners so not to rip a decal. Looks like hell but heavy and very good

 

[Bretbyron]

I have never used WallDeco, but wet app. on latex paint doesn't sound like fun. Is this a paneled job or 20 individual?

Either way, I say no to wet and maybe bring another guy and a 4' level or laser level if it's paneled.


The only stuff I've applied to walls is MPI 2100 or 2010, paneled murals and mostly to skip trowel and semi smooth texture. It has to be heat set with a foam roller or it will curl back quickly!!!

 

[Rydaddy]

Dry Only

Apply Dry, from the top down.

 

[iSign]

thanks guys, dry is feeling like the right choice so far.

I also received one email suggesting dry, stating that in their prior experience, no bubbles seemed likely with semigloss painted drywall.

I'm not the one who printed this, so I have no scrap to test, and no ability to quickly replace a panel, so that is why I'm leaning on your guys to help plan this out.

The job is paneled all the way... for an 81 foot wall. I have some of the big squeegee brand flat squeegees with the felt, but not the curved piece, so I'll have them with me.

I will have a helper with me. She has helped wrap a "pod", as well as several large window wraps. Neither of us has done 12' high panels before though, so a few questions about that:

On smaller panels, I've always started at the top & once things were taped up in position, I'd get the first inch or two of release liner peeled & cut, allowing that top section to create my "tape hinge"

From there, helper & I would peel about half the liner, keeping print away from wall, and then carefully hand off the job of holding it to helper, to hold taught, and as close to wall as possible, without touching wall.

I would then do the squeegeeing while she maintained tension, allowing my squeegee to be what brings the print into contact with wall.

SO, MY NEXT QUESTION:

On a print this size, I can't help but wonder if there is any advantage (mostly related to keeping prints straight, and keeping graphics at the seam matching up nice) to taping up, and then adding a horizontal center hinge, to cut off half (or 1/3, or 2/3) of liner to allow installing one portion squeegeeing in an upward direction, and the other portion in the normal downward direction?

 

[GAC05]

Doug you might also want to consider one of the soft brayer rollers (for speedball, I think). I've had good results with unlaminated vinyl that I did not want to scratch or scuff up using a squeegee. Seems like it did not cause the vinyl to stretch as much either.

wayne k
guam usa

 

[iSign]

what might SAV stand for, at the end of the 6730 product identification?

one more curiosity:

My client identified the product as WallDeco 6730 SAV

I left the SAV off this thread title, because I saw no reference to it on my searches...

but I'm still curious if anyone knows?

 

[TXFB.INS]

If you have one a big squeeze will be a life saver. have used it on several wall wraps.
Granted the wraps were all done with PhotoTex and it went great. make sure you set the top edge making sure it is square and correctly aligned

 

[fozzie]

SAV- self adhesive vinyl

 

[Z SIGNS]

Sounds like a dangerous mission

These kind of jobs are a lot of stress.

It's a lot easier when your back in the shop and you have control of how it's going
and if you mess up a print you can redo.

But out in the wilderness with somebody else's material that haven't worked is always a nail biter.

I call these "Do or die missions" Mess up one panel and your dead.

I am not a rapper but I would start with the easy panels first
the ones that are out of sight and registration unimportant just to
see how it's going down and wing from there.

Would definitely want some kind of rolling scaffold on this job.

Wish I could be more help

 

[Jester1167]

I think this will be a lot easier than you think. I have done a lot of these with 3M and Avery, never the vinyl you specified. Walls are low tack with the orange peal texture, but aggressive vinyl may want to pre-tack on the overlap. If the vinyl is stuck to the paint don't try and pull it up or you will pull paint. Typically if it hasn't been squeegeed your fine.

I like to use a laser level so the graphic doesn't walk up or down hill. You can use a level to get the first panel started and make overlap marks 3 or 4 places to make sure your panels stay plumb.

I usually install these by myself and will tape up the graphic and get in in position (several trips up and down the scaffold). Create a tape hinge 2' down for my first stroke. I always use a 4" squeegee with a felt cover for the top 2' so I don't push a wave or screw up that first stroke. Because the material I use isn't overly aggressive, after the top 2 feet are done I will peal 3 to 5 feet so I can make sure the alignment is spot on. One key with this many panels is keep adjustments to a minimum. Otherwise your adjustments compound and get worse as you go. Sometimes there are panels that don't have a lot that have to line up and you can correct it. The key is to keep the tension and how you install the panels the same.

Hopefully the graphic is at least 4" taller than the wall. Split the difference between the top and bottom so you don't have to worry about the graphic running up or down hill.

I usually use a 12" cheap plastic drywall mud tool with 2" Velcro loop on it (I couldn't find and image but its a weird shaped black one). I have and still use the the metal ones occasionally, but if your not careful you can burn through on a corner and damage the vinyl. Also, make sure you re-squeegee the edges because the wider squeegees don't get enough pressure and you don't want the graphic coming up.

 

[Jester1167]

4 of us did 3000 sqft in 6 hours. It was 2 separate walls 14' tall and over 50 panels.

 

[iSign]

"A Dangerous Mission" LOL:Big Laugh

Thanks Z! ...I feel better already that my perception of this "do or die" situation was not just seen as a sign of weakness or inexperience!

Jester, I will keep thinking it is a challenge, just to help make sure that you are correct & it ends up easier than I might think!

As for the concern of "walking" up or down, I am fortunate about on thing... every 12 feet or so, this layout switches from a 3 panel photo, to a bigass logo on a solid black background, so lots of easy opportunities to compensate if things start to shift up or down!

I just got back from inspecting the wall, and for some reason the contractors came up 2-1/2" short of 12' in most of the middle section, but the full 12' on each end. Not sure how to handle that just yet, but I expect I will just start my top out with 5-6" of an untrimmed print becoming my "hinge" instead of 2-3", and then I can trim it after the fact. (or just leave it floating, if it looks good, since it's just a temporary barricade for a shop under construction at the mall.. or stick it to the exposed metal top plate)

I still think it's pretty odd that they used 12' sheetrock, and had the framing correct at 12'.. because they had to trim the rock to F*** it up like this:

..well, I guess the photo uploader is broken here today... I click "browse" and nothing happens.. tried 5 times, but you get the idea, it shows the metal top plate in the center, and the sheetrock is 2-1/2" short of the top, but gradually comes closer & closer to aligning at the far end..

 

[Jester1167]

That's my philosophy isign. Expect the worst, hope for the best, and you're never disappointed.

 

[iSign]

thanks to everyone's suggestions, the job went flawlessly!





[video]https://youtu.be/_QM1BD7idWk[/video]

 

[signage]

Glad to hear it went smoothly, looks good.

 

[visual800]

the jobs we worry about the most end up going smoothe, the ones we are confident about screw up everytime

 

[skyhigh]

Sweat shirts, hoodies and stocking hats.......geez. Thought you lived in Paradise? :Big Laugh


So how careful did you have to be with the WallDeco material?