Jasco manufacturing offers this set of guidelines as a service to
our architectural customers. It is not meant to be the rules for
fabric selection for our panels, instead it is a list of
suggestions and alerts that should be considered when specifying
fabric covered panels.
Bumps in the face of the finished panel
The 6 pcf fiberglass substrate that is standard for Jasco Quiet
Touch has a smooth face but it has irregularities that can show as
bumps or hollow spots under extreme lighting conditions. Jasco
Classic Tackboards’ standard substrate is Firtex, which is a
wood fiber product that does not warp. Both Firtex and other wood
fiber products have imperfections in the face resulting from the
rolling process during their manufacturing. Direct downlighting
will show flaws in any panel through shadowing.
Specifying considerations
Select a thicker fabric that can cover the irregularities.
Jasco has had great results with textured fabrics in the
16-oz/lineal yd weight range. Anything lighter should be mocked up
for inspection before specification.
Select a thicker fabric without an acrylic backing. The acrylic
backing of a fabric adheres absolutely to the substrate, which is
more likely to telegraph imperfections. An unbacked fabric allows
flexibility of the fibers at the attachment will soften the
imperfections.
Select a denser acoustical substrate.
Our 16-20 pcf substrate used in Jasco Quiet Touch Extra is so
dense that it does not have noticeable facial imperfections. The
smoother 1/8” thick fiberglass face on top of the standard
substrate has the added benefits of being impact resistant.
Select a smoother tackable substrate. Jasco also offers Micore by
USG as a smoother tackable substrate. The density of Micore is
similar to Firtex but the product is made in a slurry process,
which does not create the face imperfections then the face is
finish sanded.
Air bubbles in the face of the finished
panel
Jasco uses adhesives to permanently apply the fabric to the
face of our substrates. It keeps the fabric from moving and
maintains a longer lasting quality appearance. Sometimes air
bubbles will show up in the face of the panel after shipment to
the site or after installation.
Specifying considerations
Select a thicker fabric or add an acrylic backing. Several of
the thinner fabrics need an acrylic backer to create dimensional
stability, this backer gives the adhesive something strong to hold
on to creating a permanent attachment. Thicker fabrics obviously
have more fibers that improve the attachment process when combined
with our adhesive. Jasco has had great results with textured
fabrics in the 16-oz/lineal yd weight range.
Require environmentally stable conditions before panels are
delivered or installed. We manufacture in a stable environment
and if our products are taken to an unstable environment, the
fabrics will respond unfavorably. Changes in temperature will make
the fabrics and substrates expand and contract which breaks the
attachment and creates bubbles. Ironing the fabric can solve this
problem but avoiding it is the best solution.
Glue bleeding through the fabric
The adhesive we use is semi-dry contact cement that gets tacky
as it dries. The adhesive can soak through certain thin fabrics or
it can chemically react to their content to make shiny spots in
the face. These spots can show up looking like mold or dark spots.
Specifying considerations
Select a thicker fabric or add an acrylic backing. The thicker
fabrics are heavy enough to prevent the glue from soaking through.
Jasco has had great results with textured fabrics in the
16-oz/lineal yd weight range. Acrylic backing prevents the glue
from even coming in contact with the fabric, which solves both the
bleeding and chemical reaction problems. Both solutions are proven
very successful.
The yellow of the substrate is showing
through the fabric
The color of fabric can be affected by the color of the substrate
filtering through the fabric.
Specifying considerations
Select a darker color or have the substrate colored to match.
The standard substrate for our acoustical panels is yellow or
brown for tackable panels which can make lighter fabric colors,
especially white, look off white. To prevent this problem, you can
require that the substrate be painted to match the fabric color.
It has a negligible effect on the acoustical performance and no
effect on tackablility.
Misshapen panels or indentations in the
face
Once on the jobsite, our panels are at the mercy of the
contractors. They can be moved several times and re-stacked in
various damaging situations.
Specifying considerations
Require limits on the length of time that fragile panel
products can be on the job site before installation. Jasco
suggests two weeks maximum for our products to be on the jobsite
before installation. The panels leave Jasco with corner
protection, dust protection, and they are stacked face to face to
avoid damage. If they are moved around too much or stacked in an
uneven fashion, face damage or warpage can occur.
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