GB2171712A - PVC materials and use thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

Plasticised PVC is utilised in the form of a strip or a stencil. A platicised PVC strip 1 may be applied as masking to a glass pane 2 when applying a paint coating 5 to a frame 3. Alternatively, a plasticised PVC strip may be used for fixing notices to glass. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION PVC material The present invention relates to a PVC material useful particularly but not exclusively, for protecting glass when painting adjacent surfaces and also for attaching notices to glass or other surfaces.

When painting window and other frames or areas surrounding or adjacent to glass surfaces it is not uncommon for paint to be deposited upon the adjacent glass in an unwanted manner.

In the case of windows the removal of such unwanted deposits is usually accomplished by wiping the unrequired surplus off the glass whilst the paint is still wet; alternatively the surplus paint can be removed when it has dried.

Where the unwanted desposits are to be wiped off the glass whilst the paint is still wet, it is necessary to exercise care so as to avoid contact with the surface of the paint deposited as required which may result in surface blemishes on, or actual removal of, some of the coating which it is intended to keep.

The risk of defacing the surface coating to be preserved is increased by the need to achieve a neat line to the edge of the finished paintwork with either a minimum or no encroachment of paint onto the glass. Wiping wet paint off glass often leaves a 'smear' or trace of paint behind even when a proprietary aid is used on the wiping implement. Successive attempts at removal increase the risk of spoiling the retained surface, especially since the contaminated glass surface is in close proximity to the newly painted surface.

Sometimes it is preferred to allow the paint to dry before removing the unwanted surplus deposited unintentionally on the glass.

Removal of dried paint can be achieved by use of a proprietary solution; as with removal of wet paint, this carried with it the problems of possible defacement of the newly painted surface and the difficulty of removing residual smears. An alternative is to scrape the surplus dried paint off using a sharp edged tool or specially designed instrument; with this method the task can be tedious and still presents the risk of accidental damage to the newly painted surface or even to the surface of the glass.

Whatever the method adopted for removing surplus paint by hand from a glass surface, the problem of achieving a neat edge to the coating of retained paint still remains and calls for both patience and care.

Because of the problems associated with the removal of unwanted paint from the surface of glass it is often felt preferable to avoid such deposits from occuring in the first place provided this can be achieved with less effort and/or cost than that required for its removal.

Obtaining a straight hand painted edge to a painted surface directly adjacent to a surface which has to be kept free of paint is beyond the skill and patience of many people, particularly if they do not possess the practised skill of a professional painter. Even painters possessing such skill have to slow down the rate of application of the paint to achieve acceptable results in such circumstances. Hand painting to such standards is thus either time consuming or, for many people, impractical.

Artificial aids are sometimes used to assist in obtaining a straight line of paint without depositing any unwanted surplus on the surface to be kept free of paint. Those aids that have been tried in the past include such devices as various types of templates and adhesive coverings or masking tapes.

Many template devices have to be laid in place with one hand whilst the paint brush is held in the other. The device then has to be moved onwards into position for the next section to be painted as soon as the last section is completed. Not only is it possible to smudge the edges when moving the template but it is also possible for paint to work its way under the edge of the template so that it requires regular wiping otherwaise paint from the underside of the device will contaminate the surface to be protected. It is also possible for surplus paint to drip off the template as excess accumulates on the top side.These problems are not wholely overcome even when the template is so contrived as to be self adhering to the surface to be protected since the template still has to be moved onwards as each section is completed; inadvertant smudging of the wet paint is an abvious possibility and the accumulation of excess paint on the upper surface is still likely to drip if not wiped clean regularly.

The use of protective coverings, or tapes used as masking, which can be left in place until the paint is dry also embodies certain drawbacks. Frequently the adhesive used to secure the tape makes it difficult to handle and position the tape accurately when it is being first applied. Some tapes may degenerate when in contact with paint with which they are not compatible; sometimes paint will 'creep' under the edge of the tape due to the nature of its design or be prone to the effects of capillary action. Some maskings will absorb certain types of paint which will then penetrate through to the interface with the surface to be protected. Most masking materials leave traces of adhesive behind when they are removed and these in turn have to be cleaned off the surface being protected.In some instances it is difficult to remove the protecting tape without the need for resort to a scraping device. On occasions the contaminated masking material 'tears' on removal instead of providing a clean break between the edge of the tape and the painted surface. Tapes and other adhesive masking materials can seldom be used more than once.

When painting window frames it is sometimes considered good practice to allow the paint to encroach onto the glass for a distance of one or two millimeters. This enables the layer of paint to form a seal between the window frame and the glass and covers the putty or other fixing material.

Moisture or condensation is thus prevented from seeping into the interface between the frame, putty and glass. Where such seepage is allowed to occur there is a risk of damage to the seal provided by the putty (especially in freezing temperature conditions) and also damage to the window frame from the effects of dampness. The presence of moisture in these circumstances can also have the effect of loosening painted surfaces by virtue of the damp working its way behind the paint once it has gained ingress at the point of interface between the frame, putty and glass. The loosened paint surface can then flake off and the process of deterioration is accelerated as the access opportunity for moisture is increased.By bringing the paint onto the glass a little way it is possible to form a seal across the interfaces of the putty, glass and framework; this then provides effective maintenance against deterioration from moisture ingress.

For cosmetic consideration however, it is desirable that the overlapping of the paint onto the glass is achieved to a minimum effective degree and that the edge of the painted surface is neat and straight.

For ease of use hand held templates are often aligned by placing them up against the framework although this prevents the paint overlapping onto the glass to provide a maintenance seal against moisture ingress. When dried surplus paint is scraped off by hand there often results a jagged line and paint may flake off in excess of that desired thus prejudicing the intended degree of overlap onto the glass; in fact it is often felt to be easier to scrape the paint away right up to the framework edge and sacrifice the overlap onto the glass in the interests of a neat appearance and ease of operation. For reasons such as these many people thus favour the use of a masking material that can left in place until the paint is dry and which can be positioned so as to provide a clean edge and neat overlap.

However, as has been discussed hereinbefore, the materials available for masking purposes and other materials adopted for such use, often have themselves some inherent drawbacks in terms of their application, or effectiveness in use, or in their later removal.

After research into available materials a substance has been found which is suitable for the application intended, which can be produced in the form required and which offers advantages over other products used for masking that are currently available in the form required ready for use.

According to the present invention there is provided a plasticised PVC in the form of a strip or a stencil.

The plasticised PVC is a material which will adhere to glass (and other surfaces) without the need for an adhesive. The PVC strip material may of course be supplied on a roll.

The plasticised PVC (sometimes referred to as supple PVC) from which the masking material of the invention is produced may be of typical masking tape width or thickness or of typical stencil format. The plasticised PVC masking material of the invention has a number of advantages, in particular it: 1. is capable of being used on glass and other suitable surfaces; 2. will protect such surfaces when paint or other compatable products are being applied on or adjacent to such surfaces; 3. it is dry to touch or handle; 4. is not sticky or adhesive when in contact with a users skin; 5. can be easily positioned and re-positioned; 6. will (because of its inherent properties) adhere to glass; 7. it is resistant to common household paints; 8. is self-supportive once correctly positioned onto glass or other suitable surfaces;; 9. has sufficiently close surface to surface contact or natural adhesion to prevent paintlike products from creeping between its undersurfaces and a glass or other suitable surface when properly applied; 10. can be easily removed from such surfaces to which it is applied; 11. leaves no sticky or adhesive traces on the surfaces from which it is removed; 1 2. can be used more than once and without the need to remove from it any previous paint contamination to which it may have been subjected; 13. can be easily cut with common domestic scissors or other suitable tools; 14. can be overlapped on itself and then easily parted again and re-used at such points of overlapping; 15. is flexible and supple in use; 16. is capable of being positioned in the form of an arc of (or of describing the whole of), a circle; ; 17. is suitable for use on either inside or outside windows or other glass surfaces; 18. is resistant to the effects of rain or other water presence; 19. can be stored loose after use without formal re-packing; 20. allows paint to be overlapped onto the glass in a neat and controlled manner; 21. presents a neat and straight edge to a painted area when removed; 22. is capable of being used in the form of a stencil to facilitate painting or spraying of letters, numbers or other designs; and 23. enables paint to be applied more quickly than would be the case if the paint were to be applied without an aid and a same result, if possible achieved.

Exploiting the inherent characteristics of the material and its presentation in the form of a strip as previously described, the material is also able to be used for attaching notices against windows and other glass surfaces with certain benefits not associated with the use of conventional tapes or adhesives or fixing methods.

Traditional means of fixing notices to glass surfaces usually involve an adhesive or adhesive carrying tape. On removal the substances do often leave behind traces of adhesive or other matter which has to be cleaned off the surface; in addition they usually adhere to the article being held in place and removal from this (especially if the substance is a paper or board type of substance) can cause damage to the item that was being so held in place.

Such means of fixing are often sticky to the touch. The strip material of the invention does not have these disadvantages and is easier to handle.

Additionally, the material will not leave adhesive traces on the glass and will not damage the notice or like when being removed.

The invention will be further described by way of example only with reference to the single figure of the accompanying drawing which illustrates the use of a plasticised PVC strip as a masking material in a painting operation.

As illustrated in the drawing, the PVC strip 1 is positioned around the edges of a glass pane 2 mounted in a wooden frame 3 by means of putty 4. Paint 5 may now be applied in the conventional manner and the strip 1 protects the glass 2 against unwanted paint application. As shown, it is possible to position the tape 1 such that the paint 5 may overlap slightly onto the glass 2 so as to provide a seal.

Claims (4)

1. Plasticised PVC in the form of a strip or a stencil.

2. A method of preventing paint being deposited on glass when painting surfaces, the method comprising providing on the area of the glass to be protected a masking of a material as claimed in claim 1.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the masking material is in the form of a strip positioned adjacent the edge of a frame in which the glass is located.

4. A method of attaching a notice of paper or other material to a surface wherein the attachment is effected by means of a strip as claimed in claim 1.