How to glue a self-adhesive film: features, instructions and recommendations

Self-adhesive film - this is a universal tool with which you can hide scratches and other various defects. It has a very attractive appearance, great color scale, excellent durability and affordable price. However, to get it right, you need to know how to properly glue the self-adhesive film to different types of surfaces.

General information about the material

With the help of the film, you can not only mask the various defects on furniture that appeared during the operation, but also refresh its appearance with minimal financial costs. In the presence of material and ordinary clerical scissors, the gluing process will take no more than one hour.

Many people choose a film due to its following advantages:

• The film is sold in rolls, so it is very easy to work with;
• The material is quite strong, so it perfectly protects the furniture from any mechanical damage;
• Material has a rather low cost;
• To work with the film, no special tools are required;
• The material perfectly protects furniture from dirt, grease and any kind of other stains;
• It is very easy to clean.

Given all the above advantages, we can say with confidence that this material is one of the most universal, with which you can quickly and cheaply update the interior items, as well as make them more fresh and interesting. However, in order for the final result to meet all your expectations, you need to know how to properly glue the self-adhesive film on the furniture.

Material Features

High performance characteristics of the film are due to its features. It consists of three layers, each of which is designed to perform a specific task.

The first layer is the front one. It can be made of polymer materials, foil or paper. This layer performs exclusively protective functions and prevents damage to furniture under mechanical influence.

The second is the decorative layer. It gives the interior a more aesthetic and attractive appearance. The film can imitate various types of surfaces, so each person can choose the ideal solution for their interior, which will perfectly blend with all decorative objects.

The last layer is protective. It is removed before the film is glued to the surface.

So, we already know about the advantages of raw materials and about its features, however, before answering the question of how to glue a self-adhesive film, it is necessary to understand the main varieties of this material.

Varieties of film

There are two main types of self-adhesive film, which differ in composition and production technology:

• Single-layer - is made of polymer materials and special additives, increasing the strength and durability of the material.
• Two-layer - a film consists of two layers, among which the first is the main one, and the second performs decorative functions. It is much cheaper than single-layer, but has the worst performance.

So, how to glue the self-adhesive film with your own hands? For this, no tools and special skills are needed, so anyone can cope with everything. And more details about the process of pasting will be discussed later.

Self-adhesive film application on furniture

Many homes have old furniture, which is quite worn out and needs replacing, but there is simply no money to buy new furniture. Therefore, each person is interested in the question of how to glue the self-adhesive film on the furniture. The first step is to prepare a set of necessary tools, which includes the following:

• Stationery scissors;
• A piece of soft matter;
• Roller;
• acetone;
• primer;
• Grinding paper.

When the inventory is ready, you can begin preparing the surface for film application. For this, the furniture must be primed, which will significantly increase the quality of the material's adhesion to the furniture. Also, it is worthwhile to tighten all the bolts so that the furniture does not crack and stagger.

After the primer mixture has dried completely, it is possible to start applying the film. This is where the answer to the question of how to glue a self-adhesive film begins. The first step is to take measurements from furniture, on the basis of which the film is cut into pieces.

When the material is applied to the furniture from one end, the protective layer is removed approximately 10 centimeters, after which the film is carefully and slowly applied to the furniture. In order to avoid wrinkles and air bubbles after gluing, the material is smoothed with a roller or a soft cloth.

How to glue a self-adhesive film in an easier way? To do this, you need a soap solution, which should wet the working surface. Then the protective layer is completely removed from the film, and it is applied to the furniture, then it is smoothed out with a piece of cloth.

Film application on walls and doors

No less common question that interests many people is: "How to glue the self-adhesive film on the wall?" The application process for these types of surfaces has much in common with the similar one described above, but there are some differences.

First, you will need to prepare the following tools:

• Ruler;
• stationery knife;
• A simple pencil;
• Spatula with felt;
• Thermofan.

If everything you need is at hand, you can start applying the material. The first step is to prepare a wall for pasting. To do this, it removes the old coating and glue. Next, the wall or door is treated with gasoline or alcohol and left for a day to dry completely. This is necessary to degrease the surface. To achieve better adhesion, the wall can be covered with a primer.

When the surface is fully prepared, you can begin to film the film. It is applied in separate parts, so first the material is cut into specific pieces. In this case, you should leave a small margin. When applying the material to the wall or door, care must be taken to ensure that it fits perfectly flat on the surface. To avoid air bubbles under the film, the material is thoroughly smoothed by the roller.

Stick the film on the glass

How to glue the self-adhesive film on the glass? Very simple. First of all, the glass should be thoroughly washed from the mud and wiped dry, so that it does not leave any stains. After that, the surface must be degreased with isopropyl alcohol. Then, from the glass, the dimensions are taken, along which the necessary piece is cut from the film. In this case, you should take a small margin, which is necessary to eliminate possible errors.

Before applying the material to the glass surface, the latter is pre-wetted with a soap solution. The protective layer is completely removed from the film, and the material is applied to the glass, during which the film is smoothed by the squeegee. Smoothing should start from the center, gradually heading to the edges of the glass. Surplus of the film is cut off.

Common Errors

So, you already know how to glue the self-adhesive film on the door. However, in order to fully satisfy the result, the following errors should be avoided:

• Apply the film on a perfectly clean surface;
• When cutting material, it is always necessary to take a small margin, so that the film is sufficient for pasting the shield;
• So that the pattern coincides, the film should be cut only at the seams;
• So that no defects can be seen on any surface after application of the film, it must be prepared in advance.

Follow these recommendations, and you will certainly succeed.

Conclusion

From this article you learned about all the nuances of applying a self-adhesive film to different types of surfaces. However, in order not to spoil the material, it is necessary to strictly adhere to the technology of its application, which is indicated by the manufacturer on the package.