Vinyl Lettering What to Expect Over the Years

Caring for your vinyl lettering properly will determine the outdoor life expectancy. Over time your lettering will degrade, however there are ways to make vinyl lettering last a bit longer. Here are some easy ways to keep it looking good for as long as possible?

According to 3M, the post-install factors that most affect longevity are the angle and direction of sun exposure, the sun will destroy all vinyl graphics eventually. General environmental conditions, hot, cold, ice, and water will add to the slow decay. Clean surfaces that the vinyl is applied to will make a difference. When vinyl is applied to perfect surfaces, this creates the best chance for a long life. After that weather takes over. The location will have a large part of determining how long the lettering will last. Cleaning the surface is within are control.

The Suns powerful rays are not. The bottom line, the more exposure to the Sun the faster the deterioration of the vinyl. Color will also have an impact. Darker pigment fade slower. Yellows, Oranges, Reds and light Greens and Blues tend to fade faster. And it will not depend on the quality of the vinyl, they will all fade at some point.

Vinyl Lettering What to Expect Over the Years on your vehicle, try to keep the object indoors or under a cover when not in use. There are a couple of photos attached to this blog, showing the slow shrinking and cracking of the vinyl. Try to limit exposure to UV rays and temperature changes that can destroy the vinyl material.

If the vinyl is on a vehicle, hand wash, no power washing and use a mild detergent. When complete rinse the area thoroughly with clean water to remove all detergent. Car washes are fine, however not washing the vehicle for a solid week is advised. Let’s let that glue on the vinyl completely cure, 48 hours min, we suggest waiting a full week.