Adhering Letters in Cold, Wet Weather

[rdm01]

Hello,
We have recently run into some issues trying to attach letters in cold rainy weather. Is there a way to get the letters up without waiting weeks for good weather? Right now we are attaching 1/4" acrylic lettering to a wall. Stud mounting isn't an option, as we can't drill into the surface, so we were using a combination of VHB and silicone. The silicone was destroyed by water from a subsequent rain/high humidity. Going with just VHB doesn't work either.

 

[J Hill Designs]

I would say they are SOL until at least 1) day of dry weather

 

[rdm01]

Yeah, that is my feeling. Unfortunately, they may be SOL for a while (see image).

 

[TyrantDesigner]

It's waiting for dry times unfortunately. Cold you can get around even if it's the more tempermental jobs ... wet ... not so much. Even some of the less porous surfaces still hold onto moisture between layers and with dimensional lettering and silicone could mean the difference between an adequate bond and a windy day ripping letters off a wall and throwing it at people. Never mind some painted surfaces depending on the quality of paint (cheaper paints usually use clay as a filler/opacifier) ... it could absorb water that you don't feel or see but would have to wait a while to evaporate. Buddy of mine told me that pure silicone does better with humidity than with dry enviroments (i've never seen a difference sadly) ... it just takes a lot longer for silicone to cure in colder weather (evaporation of solvents and such).

 

[Billct2]

I feel your pain, clients don't want to hear about it. We had a job refacing a big box sign, stuck an electric heater inside the sign while we worked, seemed to help a bit. But that won't help on a wall. I have built a temp shelter and used a bullet heater, but the job has to be worth it.

 

[Moze]

What is the install surface?

 

[Biker Scout]

Two methods... Killer Red Tape from Bron and instead of silicone we use Lexel (Waaaay better than silicone) It's clearer and you can paint it, plus it sticks way better and won't tear. Can be applied in wet conditions! I learned about the stuff from seasoned channel letter installers.

 

[MikePro]

stud mount in wet conditions. assisting with silicone will add horizontal adhesion and also aids in sealing the holes.