Tips for a pattern on a windy day

[Texas_Signmaker]

Several times a month I have to lay a 25' wide by 60" pattern on a wall for flush mount channel letters. The surface is usually EIFS or painted bricks. I've tried using really good duct tape but it's hard in windy weather on those surfaces. We constantly have 20-30 mph winds and that's challenging with a pattern this size. The only way I get them to stay is screwing large fender washers to hold the pattern and hope I hit where the letters will cover up the holes. We have two buckets and two guys working the pattern and can't move fast enough to get the whole thing flat before wind catches. Anyone have any tips for dealing with this?

 

[Notarealsignguy]

Only thing I can suggest is to roll it out and secure it as you go with gorilla tape. Working in the wind sucks

 

[Zendavor Signs]

Several times a month I have to lay a 25' wide by 60" pattern on a wall for flush mount channel letters. The surface is usually EIFS or painted bricks. I've tried using really good duct tape but it's hard in windy weather on those surfaces. We constantly have 20-30 mph winds and that's challenging with a pattern this size. The only way I get them to stay is screwing large fender washers to hold the pattern and hope I hit where the letters will cover up the holes. We have two buckets and two guys working the pattern and can't move fast enough to get the whole thing flat before wind catches. Anyone have any tips for dealing with this?

We've spray glued to coro before.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

We've spray glued to coro before.

Hummmmmmmm... now thats an idea!

 

[Jester1167]

That sucks. Try banging the duct tape into the crevices of the brick or block with a rivet brush. If you have to move it, fold the old one around back and use a new piece of tape. It only works well once. I would have a weather clause, wind and/or rain.

Just had a thought, what about attaching both ends of the template to an aluminum rod or bar for more control? Just don't let it get away from you, and always volunteer to be on the upwind bucket...

 

[Moze]

Try Gorilla tape and Tyvek-type material for your patterns. Roll up from both ends to the middle like a scroll. Tape in place with the center of the pattern at the correct location on the wall. Plumb the pattern using the vertical center line on the pattern. Tape one side of the rolled 'scroll' part down and leave it and just work on the other side to start with. Roll that side out, level as you go and tape in place with Gorilla tape. Once finished with that half, do the same with the other half that you previously taped down.

As an alternative, roll up in one direction only, start with one end at the correct distance in/up/down, unroll and level/tape as you go.

....and you probably already do this, but one of the most helpful things is to rip off a ton of pieces of the Gorilla tape ahead of time and stick it to the bucket/cage, your sleeves, whatever. You don't want to be trying to rip tape off the roll when you're trying to stick the pattern.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

Try Gorilla tape and Tyvek-type material for your patterns. Roll up from both ends to the middle like a scroll. Tape in place with the center of the pattern at the correct location on the wall. Plumb the pattern using the vertical center line on the pattern. Tape one side of the rolled 'scroll' part down and leave it and just work on the other side to start with. Roll that side out, level as you go and tape in place with Gorilla tape. Once finished with that half, do the same with the other half that you previously taped down.

As an alternative, roll up in one direction only, start with one end at the correct distance in/up/down, unroll and level/tape as you go.

....and you probably already do this, but one of the most helpful things is to rip off a ton of pieces of the Gorilla tape ahead of time and stick it to the bucket/cage, your sleeves, whatever. You don't want to be trying to rip tape off the roll when you're trying to stick the pattern.

Good tips and I do all of them. I pre pull the tape and put it on the rails of the bucket... more then half end up folding over on themselves before they make it to the wall. I use the tyvek stuff too...that way when it flys off it doesn't rip.

My last install was a PITA, the wind was parallel with the wall we were working on so it kept lifting the pattern. Tomorrow we'll be in OKC and I've never been up there with the wind be less than 30 mph. Heres to hoping the wall is on the good side.

 

[GAC05]

Good tips and I do all of them. I pre pull the tape and put it on the rails of the bucket... more then half end up folding over on themselves before they make it to the wall. I use the tyvek stuff too...that way when it flys off it doesn't rip.

My last install was a PITA, the wind was parallel with the wall we were working on so it kept lifting the pattern. Tomorrow we'll be in OKC and I've never been up there with the wind be less than 30 mph. Heres to hoping the wall is on the good side.

Wear a helmet with a go-pro attached so we can see you with the pattern in one hand and gorilla tape in the other, 30ft up fighting off the winds sweeping in from the Great Plains!

 

[Pewter0000]

+1 to the corro. We've used old 4x8s to stick the templates to; even handier if there's more than one set of identical channel letters.

 

[BobM]

I put down 3 strips of clear packing tape left to right full length on the work bench. I secure the ends to a strip of furring.
screw the furring strip at one end, tape spots with the tape builders use to seal the joints on exterior sheeting to keep it from blowing. Drill the mounting holes and roll up the patterns. I give the rolled up patterns for the customer to save.
The new Gemini patterns don't require the 3 strips of tape.

 

[John Miller]

The tape we use that is better than Gorilla is the silver tape used to put air conditioning ducts together, sticks very aggressively.

 

[Rocco G]

For larger patterns on drivit try this. And i have to give credit where it's due to Ken Cowgill, a good friend of mine who gave me this tip.

Before leaving the shop (or onsite if there is room) layout the pattern and lay down a strip of duct tape around the perimeter of the pattern- plus maybe a few extra strips if the pattern is large enough. When you get onsite start the pattern but instead of using duct tape, use staples in a std. staple gun to staple the pattern to the wall, but only through the duct tape. It's faster than tape and holds better than just duct tape. Use SS staples (the longer the better) because you will of course miss some staples and don't want them to rust in short order. And it makes taking the pattern down easier since the paper doesn't rip every few feet.

Another tip is to spray glue the pattern to that corrugated cardboard that comes in a roll. You probably already recycle it from packing. I know of one larger Philly shop that does this with all their patterns so their crews can hang patterns in the worst rain and wind. Then attach the pattern with the appropriate anchors - inside the letters of course.

Most of the time I just use the extra wide gorilla tape and tape the pattern in place. I've hung 60" x 30' patterns on concrete walls by myself - though it wasn't very windy that day. Another tip (if you aren't stapling to the wall) is to take a rubber mallet and bang the duct tape into the drivit so it holds better. it gets into the crevices better.

 

[visual800]

One thing we do with patterns is tape all the edges, this gives the patterns some strength with not tearing. Gorilla tape works great, I like the white as the heat will not affect it and let go like the black. We deal with intense heat in alabama. If you can BEAT that tape onto the surface you have it whooped

 

[Notarealsignguy]

For larger patterns on drivit try this. And i have to give credit where it's due to Ken Cowgill, a good friend of mine who gave me this tip.

Before leaving the shop (or onsite if there is room) layout the pattern and lay down a strip of duct tape around the perimeter of the pattern- plus maybe a few extra strips if the pattern is large enough. When you get onsite start the pattern but instead of using duct tape, use staples in a std. staple gun to staple the pattern to the wall, but only through the duct tape. It's faster than tape and holds better than just duct tape. Use SS staples (the longer the better) because you will of course miss some staples and don't want them to rust in short order. And it makes taking the pattern down easier since the paper doesn't rip every few feet.

Another tip is to spray glue the pattern to that corrugated cardboard that comes in a roll. You probably already recycle it from packing. I know of one larger Philly shop that does this with all their patterns so their crews can hang patterns in the worst rain and wind. Then attach the pattern with the appropriate anchors - inside the letters of course.

Most of the time I just use the extra wide gorilla tape and tape the pattern in place. I've hung 60" x 30' patterns on concrete walls by myself - though it wasn't very windy that day. Another tip (if you aren't stapling to the wall) is to take a rubber mallet and bang the duct tape into the drivit so it holds better. it gets into the crevices better.

I wouldn't personally start putting a bunch of unsealed holes in EIFS with a staple gun. That stuff already has water infiltration problems as it is.

 

[d fleming]

I use red EIFS tape. Expensive but works. Can be a red flag on lumber hanging off the back of truck in a hurry too. I also have done the coro trick in tough situations. Works great but you still need to tape it down.

 

[eahicks]

Print the pattern on vinyl, lay that on the wall. Peel off after drilling all the holes.

 

[2B]

For that size, we would either print the pattern to banner or glue the pattern to banner.
then try and use bungee cords to hold in place so there is not a random "hole"

as others mentioned, Cor-Plast is a great option.
glue the pattern to the Cor-Plast and then use the mounting holes to secure in place

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

25-30 mph winds today in OKC. I used black gorilla tape and it held long enough for us to screw the tyvek pattern down. By the time we were done drilling all the holes the tape was giving up but screws held. I appreciate all the tips, I like the white tape and coro suggestions. If over 35mph I think I'd try the coro.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

My channel letter people send me paper patterns and I thought about lining it with tape but I just make a new one with a roll of tyvek. That stuff is indestructible. People need to stop using the brown paper crap. You can even put tyvek up in rain and it's fine.

 

[Joseph44708]

The tape we use that is better than Gorilla is the silver tape used to put air conditioning ducts together, sticks very aggressively.

I was using that silver foil tape For a project and took a 3" strip of it and peeled the backing off, then not thinking put that strip of tape between my lips then went to use it and pulled the skin off my bottom lip. That tape sticks to EVERYTHING.