Window perf on truck window

[reQ]

Here is quick story. Customer wanted full window perf on the back of his truck, nothing supernatural, i do lots of this. Installed it (without an edge seal). Next morning he calls me telling its peeling off. I was surprised, to be honest, but said i can't fix that decal, but will redo completely. By the way, he showed up with the truck and i see water under perf. I asked if he was pressure washing it very close to the decal, he said yes.

Anyways, i did it again last night, and trimmed it 1/4 inch inside & run 8518 edge seal around all perf. Guess what, he sends me picture from car wash again showing he blasted it from the corner again.

To be honest, i am really confused, in over 6 years, NONE of my perf jobs came back, with edge seal or not. I see fleets of vehicles i did for few of my customers & after 2-5 years they still look like new.
What should i do? Do it again & trim it even more inside & run edge seal again?

 

[BigfishDM]

Tell the guy NOT TO PRESSURE WASH IT! Lol do your other accounts pressure wash their graphics?

 

[reQ]

Tell the guy NOT TO PRESSURE WASH IT! Lol do your other accounts pressure wash their graphics?

Heh, of course they wash their vehicles, but for some reason i think this guy goes right freaking close to the edges. How else can you blow it after its sealed on edges with cast overlam...

 

[Chasez]

I would do it again but let him know the cost again to re-do it and its COD. You know for a fact that it's not just failing and you redid it the first time without having too out of good faith. This time I would make him pay or he will just keep doing it.

Chaz

 

[crystalcoastgraphics]

What is the surface temp of the window when you install it? I see you are in Canada, I would imagine it is getting fairly cold up there already. We had a bus that came from up there a couple winters ago, was 3M perf and lam, trimmed back with sealed edges. It was wrapped up there, brand new, just out of the factory. Just on the ride down here 3/4 of the windows were rolling and pealing on the edges already, about 48 hours after it was installed. 3M said it was the surface temp of the window and didn't cover it, so the manufacturer paid to get them fixed. Just a thought.

 

[reQ]

Its 70 degrees in my installation bays, as i always have.

 

[crystalcoastgraphics]

I was just thinking though, if you pull it right in side, slap it on, and its only in there for 30 min or whatever might not ever get warm enough.

 

[reQ]

Temperature is not an issue here. We even have +15 +20 outside temperature this week lol.

 

[tylercrum]

This isn't a vinyl issue or a temperature issue, this is a customer issue. You can't pressure wash it that close. We tell folks you can't pressure wash our wraps/graphics at all. Hand wash is what we tell them, and if they use a pressure washer and something fails, they get to pay for a replacement.

 

[strypguy]

The stuff is not bullet proof and the customer needs to understand that. I try to explain in detail how to care for vinyl and hope they listen! John

 

[reQ]

Well, i will be doing it again at no charge, I will make sure i will explain AGAIN that he can not use pressure washer that close to perf graphics specially. I hope it won't come back again :/

 

[Pete Moss]

With any vehicle graphics we give a disclaimer to use a touch free car wash or gently wash the vehicle by hand. To me, using a pressure washer on a vinyl graphic is just not common sense. When it comes to replacing it, I suppose it depends how important the customer is to you. If you do, be sure to let him know not to use anything with so much force anywhere close to his graphics next time.

 

[jfiscus]

I have always told my customers to wait a couple days before washing their vehicles at all (let alone pressure washing) after a graphics install.

 

[akuarela]

Your customer seems to be more than exaggerated with his cleaning needs... But, other than that, I have recently been using a product that removes the silicons, wax, etc. from glass surfaces, after we had issues with vinyl not wanting to stay on some old windows: Rapid Prep.
Question for the rest: to laminate or not the window perf. I have seen it last quite a while without it on storefront windows, but have barely done any vehicles with it.

 

[bannertime]

Well, i will be doing it again at no charge, I will make sure i will explain AGAIN that he can not use pressure washer that close to perf graphics specially. I hope it won't come back again :/

Wow, you're very patient and maybe too kind. Guess that really is a Canadian thing.

 

[ams]

It should never be pressure washed.

 

[reQ]

If perf is not laminated, it will be a disaster when raining/snowing. Yes, it stays on much better on the window but can't see crap when it rains/snows. That's why i seal edges most of the time. But once again - i have plenty of other vehicles in city driving with laminated perf & not sealed edges that are not peeling at all.

P.S. Like i said - i will make sure he understands about pressure washing etc.

 

[2B]

way too nice! you have replaced once for free.
Hopefully you explained NO PRESSURE WASHING once the replacement was installed. the third time is on them and they should pay for this

like others have said, we also have they a waiver stating the use of a pressure washer will void all warranties.

 

[Starter]

We simply tell our customers up front....We do not warranty window perf.

 

[reQ]

Well, another story twist - that guy showed up before i open the doors, calls on my cell (forgot to cancel cal forward from yesterday) asking where i am. Explained that i am not open yet, but sure, i can be there right away. In return he says No, he can't wait & that i already wasted enough of his time & hanged up on me. I don't think that i want to replace his decal for the 3rd time now...