Material & Installation Project Estimates

This page is meant to function as a sort of broad-strokes list of the basic requirements, estimated costs, timelines, and additional details of our typical installation projects and will hopefully provide answers to the most frequently asked questions we receive. Please feel free to reach out to us via email, phone call, text message, or video call for any questions you have, or if you’d like to start working with us on bidding an installation project for you.

208-696-1180 | info@rmwraps.com

Material-Quantity Estimates (contact us via Phone or Email)

Estimates of material coverage really should be calculated by someone who can get eyes-on and accurately measure the subject(s) in person; preferably someone with vinyl application experience who understands material yields and bleed/padding. Barring that, RM wraps can help you with basic yield estimates, for example bulk hotel room doors, walls, etc.

To provide an estimated quantity of material, we will need exact measurements and quantities of the subject(s) - we’ll add bleed #’s, account for overlaps, etc. to the measurements you provide based on standard practices, as well as a percentage of padding to the overall total (it’s just like ordering flooring). For more complex subjects, we will need photos as well. We will also need to know what pattern(s) you are considering (we have useful information in the “Pattern Choice Based On Your Subject” section later in this document), as some patterns are directional, and/or have pattern-repeat intervals that need to be taken into account. In general, the more photos, measurements, and other information you can provide, the better.

Hiring RM wraps for Wrap Installations

If you would like to hire us to install 3M Di-Noc, we will need as much information/materials as possible (as described in the Material-Quantity Estimates section above), as well as the location and timeline of the project. You can reach us first by phone to discuss your project (208-696-1180). Supporting materials can be sent to us via email at info@rmwraps.com. We will review and follow up with any questions or additional information we may need before providing a project estimate.

Estimates are made in good-faith, but we can only be so accurate without seeing the scope of the project in person. Because of this, there is a (small) chance of not ordering enough material to finish a project in one go, and/or a project taking longer to finish than initially estimated. For larger projects, we may suggest a separate initial trip for us to fly to the location of the job to take accurate measurements, photos, etc. to facilitate an accurate estimate.

If you will be hiring us for an installation project, please review the rest of his page in full (the contents of this page are also available as a downloadable PDF below if you’d like to print it out) and then download, sign, and email our End-User Agreement to info@rmwraps.com.

The following sections act as a sort of “primer” to bring those unfamiliar with architectural films quickly up to speed with the performance and limitations of the materials - as well as pattern-choice recommendations, and what you as the end-user can do to make sure the project space is prepared prior to installation.

Complex Subjects and Limitations of Wrap Vinyl

Some times subjects aren’t able to be properly/fully wrapped - this can be due to complex shaping, inability to be disassembled, access restriction, or other factors. Other times they can be wrapped, but the subject/area is so complex and/or in a “high-traffic” area that we expect a material to fail/peel up prematurely (more on high-traffic considerations in the Pattern Choice Based On Your Subject section of this document). We run into these challenges most-often in aviation applications; we’ve included some examples below.

Every subject is unique, and it takes a trained eye to determine if a subject is going to be difficult or impossible to wrap - that is part of the reason we ask for photos even if we are just giving an estimate on the amount of material needed and we aren’t actually doing the installation. If we are working with you on a quote for material and/or installation, we will bring these things to your attention as soon as possible throughout the process. Often times we will make note of these things just from pictures you send us very early on in the process, but sometimes they aren’t discovered until part-way through installation.

Below we’ve included some examples of complex shapes that we encountered in the past, and some explanatory information.

These finger tabs were molded into small doors on a private plane and were irremovable. They required 3 separate pieces of vinyl with very small overlapping seams to wrap. Because of the nature of pull tabs and direct interaction/frictional-contact with fingers/skin oils, we warned the customer the vinyl may fail prematurely in these areas.

This sliding accordion door was built into the armrest of a private plane; it was not removable so it could not be wrapped.

An often-overlooked area because of its relative-simplicity, is the gap between hinged doors/sliding drawers, and cabinet bodies. Where a door/drawer meets a cabinet body will have 3 layers of vinyl - or in the case of the middle of double-doors, 4 layers of vinyl. If the hinges/rails haven’t been adjusted properly, or if the piece of furniture was simply built with really tight tolerances, there may not be a big enough gap to allow the vinyl to fit. If that’s the case, vinyl will rub and potentially peel up every time the door/drawer is opened and closed.

A general rule of thumb if you want to test this yourself - If you can fit 3 vinyl samples (with the paper backer still on the vinyl) in the gap, it’s big enough to not cause issues for the applied wrap.

Project-Size Limitations on Pattern Choice

Much of the 3M Di-Noc catalog is now only available in full 656 sq ft rolls. For smaller projects, and/or projects on short time tables, you can limit your pattern choices to any pattern in the 2024 Quick Ship Catalog.

As of December 2nd, 2024, 3M Di-Noc sold in the US has been split into 2 categories - “Quick-Ship” and “Japan-Import.” This was done to alleviate storage space being used for patterns that rarely sold, and to increase available stock of the most popular patterns. Along with that categorizing of patterns, the decision was made to offer the Japan-Import patterns in full, 656 sq ft rolls only. Importing from Japan takes ~3 weeks on average. The Quick-Ship patterns being stocked in the US are still available in 65, 131, and 328 sq ft “cut-roll” sizes along with the full roll size. These ship within 48 hours on average from the distribution warehouse in Indiana, via Fedex Ground.

Pattern Choice Based On Your Subject

It’s important to take into consideration aspects of the subject you’re looking to wrap, as not all Di-Noc patterns are created equal. Aside from visual considerations, such as what direction you might want a wood-grain texture to run, the most important aspect to keep in mind when making your pattern choice is how much “traffic,” or wear-and-tear, your subject is expected to receive. For example:

• The walls of a private office are much less likely to receive damage compared to the walls of a busy hotel lobby.

• Cabinets or office doors may see little wear but be fine for the most part, vs. bathroom doors in a busy supermarket.

• An office desk may not see much wear other than from a computer mouse, vs. the teller’s counter at your local bank.

The heavier the “traffic” a surface is subjected to day-to-day, the more important it is to take into consideration choosing patterns that are better at hiding sub-surface imperfections, better at hiding scuffs/scratches/dents/cuts, and/or are patchable. Generally, the more complex a pattern is (i.e. wood-grain patterns) the better it is at hiding damage that will occur over time and the better it hides a patch.

PW-2310MT

Complex wood grain pattern helps hide sub-surface imperfections, matte coating cleans well and heals decently with heat. Heavier damage can be repaired with a football-cut patch, hiding the patch amongst the grain texture.

*Note on Flat-Surface-Only Patterns

Certain select patterns in the both the Quick-Ship Catalog and the full 2024 Di-Noc Catalog are for flat surfaces only. This includes 5 VM-Series metallics in the Quick-Ship Catalog, among others in the full catalog. These patterns are intended for completely-flat surfaces such as elevator/room doors, walls, etc. They will NOT work on any surface with compound curves.

Expected Performance Life, Warranty & After-The-Fact Repairs

Expected service life of a material is based on average use cases. 3M provides a Limited Warranty that the material will have, “no significant discoloration, cracking, or other similar visual defects for the applicable time period.” Use on “high-traffic” surfaces should expect shortened service life, and is case-dependant.

The acrylic-based adhesive used on the back of 3M™ Di-Noc™ solidifies most of its bond within 24 hours of application; because installations take several days to complete, a vast majority of issues that arise from imperfections in the installation process are caught and remedied prior to leaving the job site. Because of this, and the fact that surface damage can potentially start immediately after entering service due to lack of care, we only warranty the installation of an architectural film up until it is put into service.

On the rare occasion that an installation issue is caught after we leave the site, RM wraps will work with you in good faith to remedy the issue at minimum cost to both parties. In a vast majority of cases, the issue is small (a bubble here or there, or a small edge lifting). In those cases you can usually press down the vinyl or give it a quick poke with a trimming knife and that will solve the problem. On larger lifting edges (typically experienced on cabinet door edges), we can work with you to ship just the offending piece to our shop in Idaho for a quick repair and turn around.

For a more thorough breakdown of vinyl performance characteristics, stain-resistance test results, cleaning test results and recommendations, LEEDSv4 Credits information & more, visit the Film Certifications section of rmwrapsstore.com.

Marine & Aviation Certifications

As of the writing of this document, 3M™ Di-Noc™ does not hold any safety or compliance certifications other than those listed above. Additional safety or compliance certifications required by law for application in aviation and/or marine settings are the responsibility of the end-user. This includes the purchase of material, shipping, proper application, certified testing, and filing of test results with the appropriate governing body. RM wraps can apply the vinyl to your test materials while on-location for the installation project, but RM wraps does not offer and is not responsible for certification testing and/or filing the proper legal documentation.

Aviation Material Testing: one of our customers successfully tested their material with this company (www.aeroblazelab.com), so we are providing a link to their website for convenience. We are in no way affiliated with this company. Similar services from other companies may be available.

Installation Environment

The subject and surrounding working area need to be climate controlled. Air and surface temperature need to be between 65*F and 85*F (18*C to 29*C). Installation cannot occur in areas with active production/construction (no sources of liquid or solid particulates in the air - more on that below).

Installation End-User Agreement

Additional Links

Below we’ve added some links to videos and project blogs showing further discussion and demonstrations relavent to pattern selection, project estimation, and projects we’ve worked on in the past.