Limited Warranty
- Return Policy
- Re-stocking Fee
- Protective Film Storage & Usage Considerations
- Practical Considerations
Surface Armor LLC warrants to its Customer that its products are free of defects in materials and workmanship. In the event of a defective product, Surface Armor’s sole responsibility shall be to replace the defective product, or, at its option, refund the purchase price of the product. IN NO EVENT SHALL SURFACE ARMOR, LLC BE LIABLE FOR LOSS OR DAMAGES, WHETHER DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL. Customer is solely responsible for determining the suitability of products for Customer’s desired use. There are no other warranties of any kind whatsoever, neither expressed nor implied. Warranty claims must be submitted within 6 months from the date of product shipment.
Return Policy
If a Surface Armor LLC product is determined by Surface Armor to be defective, a Return Authorization number will be issued, along with instructions for returning the product. Surface Armor LLC reserves the right to inspect the product or require a sample of the product proposed to be returned, prior to authorizing the return of the product. All product considered for return must have been stored and handled in accordance with the terms hereof, including the return of product(s) within six (6) months from the date of shipment to the customer.
Re-stocking Fee
Occasionally, customers may ask to return a product due to an over-stock issue or they find that a product requirement has changed making their film inventory obsolete. At its sole option, Surface Armor may agree to purchase back un-used inventory that is within 90 days of the shipment date. A restocking fee, ranging from 20% to 50%, may be assessed, depending upon the age of the inventory and whether it is a custom or standard product. Customer is responsible for return shipping costs.
Protective Film Storage & Usage Considerations
As with most raw materials, protective film inventories should be rotated: first-in – first-out, within a six month period from their date of purchase. Adhesives and plastics do age, especially if they are exposed to environmental extremes. Aged films can perform poorly.
Storage
- Store film inventory in original packaging/shipping cartons until needed.
- Store within a temperature range of 40-90 degrees F.
- Store within a relative humidity range of 30% – 80%.
- Keep away from exposure to temperature extremes, direct sunlight, water, solvents and other contaminants.
Protected surface storage
- For best results, do not store film-protected surfaces for longer than six months. Removal issues can occur after extended periods of time.
- Maintain storage temperature range of 40-90 degrees F.
- Maintain in relative humidity range of 30% – 80%.
- Keep away from direct sunlight, water, solvents and contaminants.
Practical Considerations
The acrylic adhesives employed in Surface Armor films and tapes have “pressure-sensitive adhesives,” abbreviated as PSA. The tack, or stickiness, of each product is formulated to adhere to certain surface types for a practical period of time, typically 6 months, unless otherwise stated. In “normal use” protective films are easily removed and don’t leave behind any stains or adhesive residue.
“Pressure-sensitive” implies that some amount of pressure must be applied to the film in order for it to stick to the intended surface. In most cases, simply wiping one’s hand, a squeegee, or a laminating roller across the surface of the film is all that it takes. In general, it’s advisable to apply a consistent degree of pressure across the entire surface area of the film, as opposed to just pressing on the corners or along the edges. To be effective, it doesn’t have to be a work of art that is totally free of air bubbles and wrinkles. It just has to stick to the surface to be protected until you are ready to take it off. However, if the protective film is to be removed by the consumer (that is, the person paying for the underlying product) it is important to have a neat, clean, professional appearance.
“Pressure-sensitive” also implies that some care is required in storing rolls of protective film. Larger, heavier rolls are shipped with plastic padplugs tucked into the ends of the roll’s core. These suspension plugs keep the roll from resting on its side which could cause pressure hot-spots. Adhesive hot-spots could make it difficult to remove the product from the roll at time of application. So, do keep those padplugs and continue to use them to store rolls in their cartons. This will help keep your products fresh and well-behaved.
The “sensitivity” of adhesives can be negatively affected by variables, such as:
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UV Radiation – Sunlight can have a dramatic effect on interior-rated pressure sensitive adhesives. If an interior rated film is used on an exterior surface, there is considerable risk of having the film baked onto the surface. Also, note that exterior grade films will be rated for a specific time frame, such as: 90 days, 180 days, 365 days. Films left on for longer than the rated time frame may become difficult to remove and/or leave and adhesive residue behind.
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Wet Surfaces – Adhesives don’t typically stick to water, much less to surfaces which may be coated with detergents, solvents, oil, grease, etc. If necessary clean and dry the intended surface before applying a protective film.
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Dirty Surfaces – Adhesives stick to dirt really well. But if there is a lot of dirt or dust on your target surface, the adhesive may never come in contact with the surface to be protected. Films applied to dusty surfaces will typically fall off or be blown off by a slight breeze. If applying film at a construction job site, it’s best to apply films before the sheet rocker gets started with the sander.
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Low Temperatures – Below 45 degrees Fahrenheit, adhesives probably won’t adhere well, if at all, to the intended surface. For best results, apply protective films when the temperature of the workplace, as well as the target surface, are both well above 45 degrees. Once applied, temperature extremes are less of an issue, at least, until it’s time to remove the film. Getting frozen films to let go of a surface may be difficult and hazardous to the protected surface. So, for ease of removal, the film and the surface should be above 45 degrees when the film is removed.
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High Temperatures – If applied above 95 degrees Fahrenheit, adhesives can become more fluid in nature and attach themselves more readily, perhaps too readily, to surfaces. This is particularly noticeable on carpeting. (To ensure ease of removal, replace carpet protection film sooner than the suggested 45 days, if it is frequently exposed to high temperatures, direct sunlight, heavy foot traffic, and high pressure, such as: spike heels, feet of furniture, wheels of carts/moving dollies, scissor lifts, etc.) When adhesives are hot and more fluid there is a greater risk of the adhesive separating from the carrier film and leaving residue deposits on the surface. Additionally, thinner films might stretch too much during the removal effort and tear into strips as opposed to coming off in one, efficient, piece.
When removing an overly stuck, or any high-tack film, peel it back over itself vs. pulling it straight away from the surface … that helps prevent pulling up the surface or pulling paint or coatings off).
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Chemical Interactions – coatings, inks or other surfaces which require curing may negatively interact with a PSA adhesive. Additionally, solvents or ethers that are out-gassing from a surface can pool up under the protective film and cause the finish to soften or discolor. Similar risks occur with surfaces containing migratory components, such as: silicone based compounds, plasticizers, oil/fat based cleansers or polishing compounds.
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