Question from client: I have a client that wants to know if the Gold Flash Mylar can be applied into the inside of an elevator cab. The wallcovering needs to be applied to either a stainless steel or a smooth laminate panel. Can the Mylar be applied to stainless steel or smooth laminate?
Answer from Dreamscape:
Dreamscape wallcoverings can be applied over just about any type of surface. The technique for how to best apply the wallcovering is dependant on the type of surface and also which specific wallcovering product is going to be installed. In this particular scenario, our Flash wallcovering product is being installed onto a solid steel or laminate surface. Dreamscape Flash products, like most other commercial wallcoverings, have a solid film face side which is non permeable and non porous. So the challenge here is that the water from the adhesive can not evaporate and go through the wallcovering, nor can it go into the wall side. For comparison consider a typical install on a porous surface like Drywall - here the water can absorb into the wall and allow the adhesive to dry. Coming back to the elevator example however, since the water can not escape through the wallcovering or the non porous surface of the steel elevator walls, a special installation work around is recommended.
Work Around for installing NON Porous Wallcovering onto a NON Porous surface:
The key here is managing the water content of the adhesive used to bond the wallcovering to the surface. If you were to try and install a non porous wallcovering onto a non porous surface ( such as steel, glass, laminate), you could have failure due to the fact that the adhesive would not be able to dry. The water content in the glue would not be able to escape and therefore it could prevent evaporation of the water necessary to fully cure the adhesive. This could result in a wallcovering that isn't properly adhered to the base surface because the adhesive doesn't dry, and also result in bubbles or bumps under the surface of the wallcovering from the trapped wet adhesive.
In order to control this condition we recommend the following:
1. Use Roman R35 primer to cover the non porous surface of the wall. R35 is a sticky primer that will help bond the material suggested in the next step. ( do not confuse R35 for R35X)
2. Install a nonwoven "bridge liner" over the surface which has been primed in step 1 above. A bridge liner is a porous nonwoven fabric material that will allow the water content in the adhesive to absorb. Once the liner has dried, you may proceed to step 3. We recommend at least 48 hours before proceeding with step 3 to assure the nonwoven bridge liner has dried and is secured to the base wall. For your convenience, here is a link to one such nonwoven bridge liner that you may source for this purpose.
3. Apply your non porous wallcovering over the top of the bridge liner from step 2. Because the bridge liner has already been secured to the base wall surface you have now created a more suitable surface from which to apply your final wallcovering. The liner will absorb excess water from paste so you should be able to follow your standard installation instructions for whichever wallcovering product you are using.