Vinyl Blog - FAQ Q&A

Question_Text:

I'm going to build a pop-up top for a slide-in camper. I need a fabric for the sides that can collapse (as top will be folded up and down), I need a water proof material, a mold proof material, something that will work well for reflecting the sun light/heat, something I can cut to have windows in and sow zippers on to for window. I'm looking at your Heat Shield Aluminized Thermal Reflective Vinyl. I would get the aluminum for the outside and while on the inside. Will this fabric serve my purposes without tearing or wearing out where it is folded up and down? If so can you provide a swatch size sample? Thank you.

Answer:

Our Heat Shield (TM) Aluminized Thermal Reflective Vinyl is not intended to be an outdoor material.

aluminized_mylar

You can layer this material behind another material that is intended for outdoor use, this would be the best solution.

Here are a few choices of outdoor vinyl for the outer layer:

Rubber-Duc™ 18 oz Coated, Reinforced vinyl.php

vinyl_military_tent_with_ir_blocking

The Heat Shield (TM) Aluminized Thermal Reflective Vinyl will reflect some of the radiated heat from the sun, but it will not act as a significant insulator. In order to insulate, you need a volume of trapped air space, this is usually accomplished with thick fiberglass batting, but standard fiberglass insulation will not work for your application because you pop-up camper top needs to fold.

Instead of using bulky fiberglass batting you could get some insulating and heat blocking capabilities from this material:

sonic-sponge-aluminized-sound-absorbing-fabric

This material could be layered between an outer weather resistant layer, and cleanable, protective inner layer, creating a "sandwich" of different fabric / vinyl materials, all with different properties to accomplish a protective barrier system that one fabric alone could not provide.

Sample swatches for all of our vinyls and fabrics are available to buy on our website, on each of the material's individual web page.

Question_Text:

looking for tinted vinyl for window of soft top jeep. I see that you carry 54 inches wide vinyl, but no indication of color or tint available. We want a light/med. tint on the vinyl. Can I get an online view of available stock as well as costs if different from the price/yd listed?

Answer:

We have a quantity of the tinted vinyl in stock, certainly more that it would require to outfit a single Jeep, but less than would fill a 40' shipping container.

clear tinted_vinyl_tent_window_material_20_gauge

As far as color of the tinted vinyl, there is no industry standard for color on this product, and even if there were; it would be impossible to accurately represent it on our website to all the possible internet connected devices, each with different screen and color settings / color reproduction capabilities.
If color is very important to you, please order samples online so there are no surprises when you order the material.

The price listed on the website is for the material that is in stock.

Question_Text_2:

I was wondering  what color the tints were (ie. blue or grey).  Is all the tinted vinyl 54 inches wide? And is the cost the same for all?  I am trying to quote costs to a potential customer.  Also, do you have a minimum order?  We don't typically do this all the time, but now that I've stated that, somebody might make me a liar (haha)

Answer:

The tint on our tinted vinyl is more of a grey color, it only comes 54 inches wide, and we currently only have the 1 color in stock.

There is no minimum order on stock items. You can order a 2x2x inch sample, 12x12 inch sample or as little as 1 yard.

We can special order other colors, and even run a custom lot to you color specification / Percentage of light transmission, but that would require a minimum order of at least 1,000 yards. We could get you a significant discount on the 1,000 yards, but payment would need to be made in full prior to production.

PolyVinyl materials are sometimes called vinyl canvas, whatever you call it, these materials are good for uses where you want to prevent water and other liquids from going through because it is a water resistant material. some of these vinyl materials, sometimes called bilaminate or bi-laminated fabric contain a polyester center that is surrounded by vinyl on both sides these are also waterproof material. The polyester helps make the material stronger like reinforcing rods in concrete make the concrete stronger. The polyester core does not stretch like the vinyl does, but the vinyl helps protect the polyester from water and other elements that can damage it.

Some of the other Poly vinyl materials have the fabric on one side, with the pvc (Vinyl) on the other side. This offers a compromise between the softness of a fabric and the waterproof capabilities of the vinyl. Some of the materials have other special materials or abilities. The Aluminized Mylar vinyl for example has shiny aluminum layered into it to help with reflecting heat and cold. another vinyl material that has a special coating or formulation is the military tent vinyl that can block infrared light like that used in types of military radar that uses infrared light. Safara Tex™ vinyl is a textured vinyl that has a fire resistance rating and was made for upholstery in cars, trucks and boats.

Clear vinyl also comes in different weights and thicknesses it also comes in tinted and frosted. It is called frosted because it has a rough surface that makes it look like frosted glass. The frosted type of clear vinyl is good for decorative things or windows in tents and boat covers that need to have light come in, but also have privacy. Some of our laminated vinyls are durable enough to be used as pool covers, and some of our vinyl coated mesh is rated for outdoor use and would make excellent sunscreens for pool, patio and picnic areas.

The table cloth vinyl is what restaurants and diners actually use, it is a business grade material that has a felt backing that helps it to not stick to the table, and also makes it feel nicer and softer to the touch, it also has an embossed surface that feels more classy than just smooth vinyl.

Vinyl mesh also is available and comes either dipped or coated before weaving, the coated mesh is a better product because every fiber is coated completely and is less likely to come off the fiber like the dipped mesh.

We also carry Rubber Duc™ brand vinyl coated webbing