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Sticky Poly Surface Protection for Carpets, Glass and Floors

Posted by Nana Hinsley on Thu, Jan 09, 2014 @ 03:24

GPS Carpet Plastic, Glass Plastic, Floor Plastic and Countertop Plastic are a few of the products known as surface protection films.  Some people call them the “Sticky Poly” films.Glass Plastic Protection carpet Covering

Today's surface protection films (plastic sheeting/ polyethylene films) are inexpensive insurance against damaging carpets, floors, and windows (glass).  Because these surface protection films are self adhesive- this means they stick to the surface they are placed upon. What people don’t always realize is that the glue or adhesive system used for each product is different.  You don’t want too strong an adhesive on one surface versus another. That is why is is important to use the proper film with the correct surface.

Surface protection films are a growing segment in our business because home owners and contractors alike realize the benefit to preserving what exists, and not taking a chance on damaging it. Consumers now realize that there is a product out there that will adhere to the carpet and protect it vastly better than throwing a drop cloth or draping some visqueen type plastic.  This highly touted and greatly regarded carpet covering is called, GPS Carpet Plastic.  GPS Carpet Plastic is a self adhesive flexible film that can be safely rolled out onto the carpet to keep debris or paint off the carpet while work is being done. This carpet covering is also used for protecting the carpet during parties! Yes sir, GPS Carpet Plastic will keep Aunt Millie's glass of red wine off your carpet, when she starts waving her arms and throws her red wine onto your carpet!

The secret behind GPS Carpet Plastic is the state of the art adhesive.  Not just any old adhesive from outside the U.S. will do.  The adhesive has met certain unique criteria that will insure that when you lay it down on your carpet, that your carpet won't turn colors when you remove it.  Imagine your horror, if you pull up a sub-standard product only to find your fine wool Berber carpet is now orange!  NO Thanks!  It's best to play it safe and use GPS Carpet Plastic, that has safely covered the most expensive carpets to regular old carpet. 

 Clean-up is a small fraction of the time when proper surface protection is used, especially when coupled with containment of the work area to keep the mess and dust to a minimal area. Tacky door mats can also be used just outside of the contained area, so any debris from the work area is not tracked into clean areas. (Further in the article we will cover how to install GPS Carpet Plastic.)

In commercial jobs, the number one reason to use surface protection is the increase in customer satisfaction that takes place when the customers see how much the contractor cares about the customer's property. Have you ever hired someone to do work in your home, and the first thing they do is make sure they don’t track dirt into your home? This goes a long way with the home owner. This is hard to measure in dollars and cents, but the increase in referrals is not so hard to measure.  Additionally, contractors save time and money on the job sites by using these measures. Workers tend to be more careful, realizing that someone has taken these steps to make sure the job site is kept in perfect condition, which also tends to make subs do a better job within these job sites. The quality of the workmanship actually increases in many cases, because the psychology changes within the work area.

Countertop plasticFloor plastic protection

Glass Film keeps windows protected during painting

Glass Plastic is the best thing you can use to keep your windows nice and clean during painting. By covering the glass with a self-adhesive glass film/ Glass Plastic that is made specifically for glass will make the job so much easier.  It is quite a job to get paint off a window pane after it gets covered. The biggest mistake people make is to take a razor blade to the paint in hopes of scrapping it off. What can result is a scratched or etched window glass.  Of course you can have the glass professionally buffed, but that is much more expensive than taking the proper precaution before your windows are spattered with paint.


Glass Plastic from Global Plastic Sheeting is made specifically to go on windows both inside and outside.  Depending on the length of the job will determine if you want the standard Glass Plastic, or the one year version that can be left on for a year.  This glass film is made with a special UV additive that keeps the sun and its rays from destroying the plastic.  While the glass film comes in both blue and clear, you may want to consider the clear so that your interior won't take on a blue hue!  Both the clear and blue window films hold up just as well as each other.  When the job is finished, just pull off the Glass Plastic and dispose of it.  What is left are nice and clear windows.

 Carpet Plastic Installation

1) You want to roll GPS Carpet Plastic out starting at one end of the room. You don’t want to install it in a stretched state.  This happens mostly when people adhere one end, then walk or run to the other end of the hallway or room with the roll in the air, then adhere the film.  It will appear to adhere well, but will be floating by the next day.  This film has a ton of memory, so wants to go back to the original length.  I liken it to trying to adhere a stretched rubber band.

 

2)  Make sure your carpeting is completely dry if it has been recently cleaned.  If it is brand new carpeting, make sure it has a few days to off-gas before you adhere GPS Carpet Plastic to it.

3) Check wool or wool blend carpeting, where the carpet is losing a lot of fibers. GPS Carpet Plastic may not work on Wool carpets that contain a lot of oils. They also tend to have a direction where the carpet feels like it shifts when you step on it.  This causes the film to move on the surface, and often works its way loose.

4)  The adhesive system is pressure sensitive.  Make sure you apply pressure, so you get a good bite to the carpeting.

5) BRRR it’s cold in here…Make sure the temperature is warm. The initial grab strength is important.  Adhesive basically gets less and less sticky as it is colder and colder, up to the point where it is frozen and loses adhesion all together.  This product uses a "soft" adhesive which becomes less soft as the temperature decreases.  It gets its bite by flowing microscopically around the ends of the carpet fibers.  Being able to do so makes a big difference on how well it adheres, both initially, and over the next couple of days..

*****Do NOT put Carpet Plastic on hard wood floors!*******

For Surface Protection Pricing, click here.

 

Click for pricing/ info Search for Greenhouse Plastic, tapes, fire retardant films, plastic sheeting Home page www.globalplasticsheeting.com plastic sheeting, tapes, strapping fire retardant films greenhouse plastic Plastic Sheeting Thickness chart. How thick is best for you?

 

Tags: Surface protection, sticky plastic, countertop plastic, glass plastic, carpet plastic