Ron Gizzo, Chief Operating Officer with Visual Marking Systems (VMS), a nationwide installation company shared a recent challenging project that he had to work through. VMS was working with one of their big clients on a new store opening. This was new construction and VMS was contracted to install 4500 square feet of wall graphics – 10 feet off the ground, 19 feet high and approximately 240 feet wide. Needless to say, a large number of graphic panels would need to be installed on this freshly painted wall for the grand opening of this new location. Ron worked through all the details, from vinyl selection (talking with the vinyl manufacturer to make sure that he had the correct adhesive for the installation), to paint options (he worked with the painter to select the type of paint to be used), to ensuring there would be enough time for the paint to completely dry and cure (typically 30 days for most paint manufacturers). Ron has worked through projects such as this in the past, so he made sure to cross all the t’s and dot all the i’s.
On the scheduled day for the installation, lifts were in place for the installers, small test patches of vinyl had been tested in a few locations to make sure the paint was dry, and it was time to hang the panels. Ron also uses 3M’s adhesion test kit as another check on adhesion capabilities when preparing for an installation. Imagine Ron’s surprise as they were about 7 panels into the install, when some of the vinyl began to exhibit signs of outgassing from the painted surface. When the installers went to check it, the vinyl pulled away large sections of paint from the drywall.
Upon further investigation, Ron discovered that the paint had been up for the manufacturer recommended 30 days, however the temperature in the building had not been regulated – there had been days where the windows weren’t even in place and the temps had been in the teens, which would not allow the paint to fully dry and cure. And he also discovered that the painter had been “upsold” on a different paint (without notifying Ron) that needed additional time to cure.
We're grateful to Ron for sharing this information so that you, the installer community, can benefit from this painful experience. After re-sanding and repainting the wall with the proper paint – which was allowed to fully cure (at the appropriate temperature) the installation is now complete and everyone is pleased!