What floor vinyl & overlaminate will last longest in elementary school tiled hallway?

[aluminumwelder]

I'm volunteering to print out approx 170 sq feet of floor graphics for a sensory path my kids elementary school
I can either use my old epson 9600 printer or pay a photolab to print out all the images. I was considering 40C-20R by 3m but it's only available in 54" rolls ( 2x more than what we need) Here are my questions:
how long can one reasonably expect these to last with kids stepping on them every day?
What is best overlaminate and should the overlaminate be a little bigger around the image to "seal the edges" to the smooth tile floor?
My research says 3m 8509 luster will last longest, is there a better material?
What pressure sensitive adhesive should be used on back of prints? or is there a spray or roll on solution that works well?
Will I regret not using 40C-20R by 3m. My logic is the overlaminate protects the image so the actual material the printed image is on is not that important. Suggestions for less expensive alternative for 40C-20R by 3m that will work with epson pigment inks also appreciated. Only one I could find is https://www.lexjet.com/lexjet-extreme-aquavinyl-w-psa
but I'm worried about the lexjet material because it says adhesive is permant after one year. I dont' want the school cussign me out 3 years latter when they try to remove the graphics!

 

[brentjosker]

I'm volunteering to print out approx 170 sq feet of floor graphics for a sensory path my kids elementary school
I can either use my old epson 9600 printer or pay a photolab to print out all the images. I was considering 40C-20R by 3m but it's only available in 54" rolls ( 2x more than what we need) Here are my questions:
how long can one reasonably expect these to last with kids stepping on them every day?
What is best overlaminate and should the overlaminate be a little bigger around the image to "seal the edges" to the smooth tile floor?
My research says 3m 8509 luster will last longest, is there a better material?
What pressure sensitive adhesive should be used on back of prints? or is there a spray or roll on solution that works well?
Will I regret not using 40C-20R by 3m. My logic is the overlaminate protects the image so the actual material the printed image is on is not that important. Suggestions for less expensive alternative for 40C-20R by 3m that will work with epson pigment inks also appreciated. Only one I could find is https://www.lexjet.com/lexjet-extreme-aquavinyl-w-psa
but I'm worried about the lexjet material because it says adhesive is permant after one year. I dont' want the school cussign me out 3 years latter when they try to remove the graphics!

View attachment 156082

I used the 3M 180 with the standard 3M overlaminate, but i double laminated it, worked like a charm and lasted over 4 years

 

[aluminumwelder]

I used the 3M 180 with the standard 3M overlaminate, but i double laminated it, worked like a charm and lasted over 4 years

what is the standard 3m overlaminate??? model # please? they make so many different ones.

 

[Precision]

180 is cast vinyl. 3M 8519 is luster overlap, 8520 is matte lam, both are compatible with the 3M IJ180

 

[Grafix]

Pretty sure you'd need to use non-slip laminate in public spaces like a school.
Avery Dennison, MacTac and 3M 3645 all have these types of laminates

 

[aluminumwelder]

thanks, in your experience which one is most durable?

 

[vondegroot]

I'd try to get a lam approved under UL 410 regulation for slip-resistance for Floor Graphic Materials... but they all might be these days. Best to check the spec sheets.
I know the Arlon 3420 calendared lam is slip rated

 

[aluminumwelder]

sooo my main concern is longevity not how grippy the surface is. does anyone have real life experience with differtent brands? 3m recommends a liquid sealer be put around the perimeter of the floor graphics. seems time consuming but makes sense anyone do that???

 

[bigben]

we do ton of floor decals. You have to use a non-slip laminate. The best we tried so far is Drytac polar grip for the vinyl and Drytac floortex 200 laminate.

 

[aluminumwelder]

we do ton of floor decals. You have to use a non-slip laminate. The best we tried so far is Drytac polar grip for the vinyl and Drytac floortex 200 laminate.

thank you ! so how long do you tell customers it should approximately last? 4 years?

 

[McDonald Signs]

I have had really good luck with Signs365 FootPrints Floor Decals.

 

[aluminumwelder]

I have had really good luck with Signs365 FootPrints Floor Decals.

thanks I have not dealt with signs365 before. when I applied I got this message:
The trade only grand format printer. Your registration request has been submitted. We are verifying your trade information. Please check your email for further instructions.

how do they work? do they charge per square footage? And I"d have to cut out the items? do they have minimum order size? thanks? their website lacks any info at all.

 

[Stacey K]

thanks I have not dealt with signs365 before. when I applied I got this message:
The trade only grand format printer. Your registration request has been submitted. We are verifying your trade information. Please check your email for further instructions.

how do they work? do they charge per square footage? And I"d have to cut out the items? do they have minimum order size? thanks? their website lacks any info at all.

There is no minimum. You upload your artwork and you can add contour cutting for 10% more. Yes, it's per the square foot. Shipping is quick, if I order a banner in the morning it's likely I will have it next day or the following day. Shipping minimum is $10 and for some larger boxed orders it's $20.
I typically upload the artwork as a jpeg and upload the contour cut as a PDF.
Menu > How to Videos

FireSprint has this product also and he's on here so if you have specific questions about their product he can answer them. They are a trade printer as well and same concept, square foot pricing, upload your art, they can contour cut and laminate as well. He can probably tell you specifically which laminate he uses whereas Signs365 lacks some of that information on their site.

 

[jtiii]

sooo my main concern is longevity not how grippy the surface is.

Your main concern will change rapidly after a kindergartner with wet snow boots slips and hits his head. You gotta use a floor lam for this. We installed 1100 paw prints in an elementary school in the fall of 2017 and have yet to get a call to replace any. We used

Mactac PermaFlex PF6315 5 Mil Luster​

laminate on

Avery Dennison MPI 2902 3.2 Mil 4yr​

 

[aluminumwelder]

Your main concern will change rapidly after a kindergartner with wet snow boots slips and hits his head. You gotta use a floor lam for this. We installed 1100 paw prints in an elementary school in the fall of 2017 and have yet to get a call to replace any. We used

Mactac PermaFlex PF6315 5 Mil Luster​

laminate on

Avery Dennison MPI 2902 3.2 Mil 4yr​

so have you actually looked at the wear and tear? just cause no one has called you doesn't mean it is still looking great? I mean look at any public bathroom most are not so great and I bet the tile setters aren't getting calls about it.

MacTac's website says 3 years indoor durability

Durability
In vertical applications (90±5°), the outdoor durability is 3 years in vertical applications and indoor
durability is 5 years. On Floors; use indoor only, durability is 1 – 3 years depending on traffic.

most overlaminates say something similar. Trying to determine if they actually fail in 1-3 years or if this is very conservative number.

 

[AGCharlotte]

I've used the GF201HTAP for floor graphics with either the GF211 or GF213 (forget which I used) or Drytac Polar Grip for longer term installations. There's also TexWalk which can be put down without overlam but I don't know the longevity.

 

[aluminumwelder]

I've used the GF201HTAP for floor graphics with either the GF211 or GF213 (forget which I used) or Drytac Polar Grip for longer term installations. There's also TexWalk which can be put down without overlam but I don't know the longevity.

how long does it last?

 

[AGCharlotte]

how long does it last?

hmmm the example I gave was done as a permanent decal for a warehouse. As far as I know, it's still there and I did it 3 or 4 years ago. We have some samples down on the floor within our building that get foot traffic that have been there at least 2 years (though as we wanted them to come up at a later point, they're on 3M 40C, not the GF201. you listed 40C-20R above which is matte... I know the 40C-10R gloss will come in a 30 or 36" roll because I've used it a few times in the past, you're overlaminating anyway so the gloss/matte of the material isn't important)

 

[Michael-Nola]

Someone, somewhere, sounds like they need to pay a professional to provide this product.

Ij40 is a common removable floor vinyl. Not great with most floor coatings though so floor needs to be stripped first in most school applications.

Isn't IJ40 NOT compatible with your printer anyway??

8509 is a great ECO PRICED floor lam. Short life only, it's only 3 mil! Price out 6/9/21+ mil lams for long term durability. If you're asking about long life and high traffic, a professional will guide you to the right product AWAY from 8509.

For more permanent installs, IJ40 wouldn't be my recommendation at all anyway.

Pay a professional to do the job, it will save you thousands I promise. We have used every combination of product in the hundreds of thousands of square feet for years.

Also PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: For the people posting they use 180 on floors. 180 is a cast wrap material designed for compound curves. Stop using it for garbage like floors and walls. If it ain't a wrap, it ain't 180! I see the "new member" tag by those folks for a reason.

 

[AGCharlotte]

re-reading your first message... I'd retract my GF201 for the vinyl. You want it to be removeable in 3 years. 40C is probably your best option, though you definitely need to use laminate made for floor graphics (GF211, GF213, Drytac EmeryTex or FloorTex, OraGuard 250/255, Avery 3000 series, etc.). PolarGrip I mentioned above is not an overlam, it'd be comparable to the GF201. I got my products mixed up.

Grimco carries the 40C in 30" rolls in both matte and gloss btw.