Installing 3M C180 in sub zero temperature

[Ahmed Samy Nagada]

Hello everyone,

I’m trying to install 3M C180 film on interior walls inside a large freezer operating at -24°C. The challenge is that the freezer cannot be shut down during installation, and the material becomes solid within two minutes of being inside.

Has anyone faced a similar situation or found a practical workaround for applying adhesive vinyl in such low temperatures?

 

[Gino]

Just exactly, what are you trying to do ?? Are labeling walls, shelves or what ??

 

[Ahmed Samy Nagada]

Just exactly, what are you trying to do ?? Are labeling walls, shelves or what ??

Covering several walls about 5 meters wide x 3 meters heigh each.

 

[Gino]

Most vinyls don't work well, below 40°F, but you can force it down to about 10°F. Only thing I can suggest is putting it on a substrate and use physical fasteners to hang them.

 

[MarkSnelling]

If you have access to Drytac films, many of their adhesives can be applied down to -5 degrees Fahrenheit or -20 C. You don't need cast to go on a flat wall. If you can get them to up the temp just a bit you should be able to get your job done with a Drytac product like Polar Premium Air Perm or if it is a difficult to adhere surface use the Polar Grip.

 

[JBurton]

+1 for panels, or even magnetic materials.
I can only imagine how dumb this could be. Is this a safari themed wrap, so the poor workers can feel like they are on an exciting getaway rather than stuck in a freezer? What are you installing on the wall at that size?
Of course you could always cut into manageable pieces and have a helper to blitz into the freezer and squeegee out a 2'x2' section at a time.

 

[Gino]

Well, maybe his vinyl will work but what about the dexterity in your fingers ??

 

[unclebun]

I cannot fathom why someone would want a walkin freezer's walls to be wrapped. But if they wanted it that badly, I'd tell them it has to be shut off to be done. Wall has to be room temperature for the adhesive to work. And if it isn't given time for the adhesive to set, it will fall off when the freezer is turned on.

 

[truckgraphics]

I would test a sticky calendared with a thick calendared overlaminate so your vinyl has some body and is easy and fast to install. Cast wrapping vinyls like 3M will fall off the cold wall...All bets are off it the wall has a mottled (gravel like) finish. But I like the earlier ideas of using small panels or substrate mounted panels.

 

[MikePro]

woof. I had a hell of a time even installing in a walk-in beer fridge, and even wrapped monument signs in 30degree weather....not fun at all and luckily it was a temporary thing.
+1 panels & rivots

 

[JBurton]

Wall has to be room temperature for the adhesive to work.

Cue the customer arguing that -24C is this room's temperature! Therefore hurry up and put the sticker up!

 

[MarkSnelling]

woof. I had a hell of a time even installing in a walk-in beer fridge, and even wrapped monument signs in 30degree weather....not fun at all and luckily it was a temporary thing.
+1 panels & rivots

This winter if you get some jobs hit me up. I've got perm and removable films as well as high tack films which can be applied in crazy cold temps. I've also got window perf for cold application too.

 

[unclebun]

Cue the customer arguing that -24C is this room's temperature! Therefore hurry up and put the sticker up!

I'd tell him to go work in there 4 hours in just slacks and a shirt until lunchtime. I'll hold the door closed.

 

[DL Signs]

Did some window perfs for a chain of cell phone stores years back, full front windows of all locations, they changed them for every sale/ holiday. The worst was through Xmas and New Year when it's usually 20 below zero here. One thing I learned to do from that experience is to "just say no" to laying lots of vinyl in sub zero temps. You couldn't pay me enough to freeze my hands off like that again.