Banner Installation & Care Guide

Thanks for choosing Revv Social! Take 10 minutes to read this guide before installing your banner. A good install is what makes it last for years instead of a few days.

This guide covers all our banners: windshield sun strips, rear window banners, side windows and body decals.

In your package: your vinyl banner, already covered with clear transfer tape.

Before you start

Check your local laws

Rules on windshield strips and window decals vary by province, state and country, especially how far down a windshield strip can go. Check the rules where you live before installing. Never block the driver's view or the third brake light. Revv Social isn't responsible for tickets.

What you need

  • Isopropyl alcohol (70% or higher) and two clean microfiber cloths
  • A squeegee, ideally covered with felt or a microfiber cloth
  • Masking tape
  • A tape measure
  • A knife with a fresh blade (for sun strips)
  • A hair dryer (optional, but recommended)

The right temperature

  • The glass and the vinyl should be between 15 °C and 30 °C (60 °F to 85 °F).
  • Install in a heated garage, not outside in the cold, in direct sun or in the rain.
  • Ideally, keep the vehicle inside overnight after installing.

Prep the surface

This is the most important step. Vinyl sticks to whatever it touches: if there's a film of cleaner or wax, it sticks to the film, not the glass.

  1. Wash the area with soapy water and rinse well.
  2. Dry completely.
  3. Always finish with isopropyl alcohol on a clean cloth. No glass cleaner (Windex and similar): it leaves an invisible residue that keeps the vinyl from sticking.
  4. If your glass has a water-repellent treatment (Rain-X, ceramic coating) or car wash wax, remove it first with glass polish or a clay bar. Otherwise the banner won't hold.
  5. Let it dry 2 to 3 minutes. Don't touch the surface with your fingers again.

Installation (hinge method, dry)

Always install dry, with no water or soap. That gives the best grip from the start.

  1. Position it. Place the banner with its backing paper still on. For a sun strip, center it and place it as high as possible, against the seal. Make sure it stays within your local height limit.
  2. Make the hinge. Put a strip of masking tape vertically across the middle of the banner, over the vinyl and onto the glass.
  3. First half. Lift one side of the banner. Peel the backing paper back to the center tape and cut it off with scissors.
  4. Squeegee. Hold the vinyl slightly away from the glass. Squeegee from the center outward in overlapping strokes with firm pressure.
  5. Second half. Remove the center tape, peel off the rest of the backing and do the same on the other side.
  6. Go over everything. Make another firm pass over the whole banner, especially the edges and corners.
  7. Remove the transfer tape. Start at a corner. Pull it slowly, folded back almost flat on itself (about 180°), close to the glass. Never pull straight up. If the vinyl lifts with the tape, lay it back down, squeegee again and go slower.
  8. Warm the edges. Run a hair dryer over the edges and corners, keeping it moving. It should feel warm to the touch, not hot. Squeegee again while it's still warm.
  9. Trim the excess (sun strips only). If your banner goes past the edge of the glass, cut along the edge with a fresh blade in one steady stroke. Be careful not to cut the rubber seals.

Bubbles and mistakes to avoid

Got a bubble? Push it toward the nearest edge with the squeegee. If it won't go, poke it once with the finest needle you have, on the side of the bubble. Push the air out and press it flat.

Never poke several holes or big holes. Water and cold get in through holes and lift the vinyl. At highway speed, a tear can start at a hole and run across the whole banner.

Also avoid:

  • Installing in the cold (below 15 °C / 60 °F) or on wet glass
  • Cleaning with glass cleaner instead of alcohol
  • Stretching the vinyl to position it
  • Using a bare squeegee on matte vinyl (it leaves shiny marks)
  • Driving on the highway the same day

The first 48 hours

The adhesive takes 24 to 48 hours to reach full strength. Until then, the banner is fragile.

  • Keep the vehicle inside the first night if you can
  • No highway driving for 24 hours
  • No car wash, pressure washing or heavy rain for 48 hours
  • No ice scraper or wipers on the banner
  • If it's cold, wait longer: the adhesive sets more slowly

Care and winter

Washing

  • Hand wash with water and mild soap, using a soft cloth or mitt
  • No wax, polish or shine products on matte vinyl: they make it shiny and blotchy
  • Car washes: brushless if possible. When pressure washing, keep the wand at least 30 cm (12 in) away and never aim at the edges

Winter

  • Never scrape the banner. Scrapers catch the edges and lift or tear the vinyl
  • Brush off snow with a soft brush, then let the defroster melt the ice on the banner
  • Only scrape the rest of the glass, stopping before the banner
  • Rear window: vinyl can go over the defroster lines, but don't scrape over them

If an edge or corner lifts

Clean under the edge with a cotton swab and a little alcohol, let it dry, warm it with a hair dryer and press firmly with the squeegee. If it keeps lifting or it's torn, contact us.

Removing the banner

  1. Warm the vinyl with a hair dryer to soften the adhesive.
  2. Lift a corner with your fingernail or a plastic blade. No metal blades on paint or on the rear defroster lines.
  3. Pull slowly, low and at a sharp angle, warming as you go.
  4. Remove leftover adhesive with isopropyl alcohol or an automotive-safe adhesive remover.

Questions or a problem with your banner? Message us on Revv Social.