Adhesive for velcro (nylon)?

May 17, 2023 17:14:02

Short story made long
So back when I was working on my thermal winter curtains (https://permies.com/t/169504/good-layered-winter-curtain-system#1331389) I tried to secure them to the inside of my window frames with self-adhesive velcro. It didn't stick for beans and I wound up with a drafty jury-rig involving old microwave magnets. (*Sigh.* Don't ask.)

Fast forward to summer, I found my aluminum window screen frames were all bent up (again) so I asked myself, "Why even have a frame? Why not sew some velcro directly to the screen and stick it onto the window opening itself?" Easier to take down and tighten, less gaps for bugs, nothing to bend and kink, and takes up less room to store for the winter. Win-win all around!

But, having allegedly learned from the previous debacle, I concluded that self-adhesive velcro is terrible, and that I could do better with my own glue, because I am So Smart(TM).

Yeah...

So I've tried spray adhesives (Elmers, Aleens, and even the venerable old 3M Super 77). None of those held the screen for very long - though they did leave a delightful yellow residue all over the window frame. :/ Hot glue didn't work either. Today I tried some rubber cement, but my hopes are not high.

From the looks of the aforementioned residue, I think the velcro side is what isn't adhering.

TL;DR
Does anybody have suggestions for a glue that can successfully stick velcro to a vinyl window frame?

For 50 extra bonus points, does anybody know of a good solvent to remove dried spray glue from a vinyl window frame?

May 17, 2023 18:23:34

Much slower, but... have you considered sewing it on?

May 17, 2023 18:24:09

Vinyl window frames are hard to work with. I have a bunch and I keep trying to attach sun shields for summer. Not great results so far. I'm looking at ways to make a more permanent solution. So, I'm making popcorn and watching this thread.

May 17, 2023 18:44:49

A picture would be helpful. I'm not exactly sure what you're doing.

Obviously my suggestion in your original post either isn't what you're looking for, or didn't make sense.

1. For the part of the velcro that's being attached to your drape, I agree with Carla - sew it on.
2. Are you putting velcro around the entire perimeter, or only in key spots?
3. Are you trying to put this "inside" the window frame right against the window, the way Edward did in his post?
4. Are there existing curtains/rods you're trying to avoid?

Looking for a glue to make velcro stick to vinyl is probably what Hubby would call, "unobtainium". Personally, I've given up gluing velcro to anything, ever. I use velcro, but I either sew it on or screw it/bolt it on.

What is outside the window frame? Plasterboard? Could you make your insulated curtain large enough to go outside the window and frame, and screw velcro to the plasterboard? Are you prepared to screw into the vinyl window (I have to admit, this would be way down in the negative choice range for me - plasterboard isn't that hard to patch a screw hole in, but with the window it would be permanent damage.)

May 17, 2023 19:33:31

Maybe you can attach the velcro to thin strips of wood that fit tightly on either side of the window, inside the frame.

May 18, 2023 11:15:50

Ok, here's a picture. Hopefully that helps explain it.

Even with my current rubber cement idea I was still able to pull up the corner of the velcro with almost no effort. I'll let it cure longer and see, but my confidence is not great.
Also, note the yellow residue from my old spray glue attempts, which I'd also like to get rid of at some point.

May 18, 2023 11:19:23

I like a "Goo gone" limonene type adhesive remover for anything I can't soak off. Cook's Illustrated has a DIY recipe for a simple (but they say effective) alternative to the commercial product: https://www.americastestkitchen.com/cooksillustrated/how_tos/13366-diy-goo-gone

Without seeing the exact set up you are dealing with, it is hard to know if this would work, but I wonder if stapling or tacking the hook and eye strips onto your frames with little finishing brads would work since glue is not working well.

May 18, 2023 14:45:21

So it looks like the hook velcro is sewn to a piece of window screen.
Is the pile velcro that you've glued on, glued to a removeable part of the window or something that is permanently attached?
1. If it's removable, how does it stay in?
2. If it is removable, how much "give" is there in the system? If there's at least a bit of give, I've got a couple of ideas that might work. They'd be time consuming to set up, but would last a long time, which glue clearly isn't!

I would hesitate to try staples as most of them rust out pretty quickly and will leave holes. Yes - I'm biased living in the Pacific Wet Coast - everything rusts! We use stainless a lot!

May 18, 2023 16:25:19

More info:
The loop side of the velcro is sewed directly to the fabric screen material (where I am holding with my index finger).
The hook side (that I am holding with my middle finger) is what I'm trying and failing to glue to the window.
It is the vinyl window frame itself - nothing removable - that I am attempting to glue to.

May 18, 2023 18:02:49

Is there a gap between the white window frame and the siding?

Instead of velcro, could you make the screen larger and make clips that would be attached to the screen, and tuck between the screen and the window frame in lots of spots all the way around?

Sort of like, but not necessarily some of the ideas below:

Sep 07, 2023 08:03:30

UPDATE: Asking around, only one person suggested an adhesive I hadn't already tried - silicone caulk. Needless to say I wasn't optimistic, but the velcro for two screens have stayed on all summer (and I've never seen silicone have a problem in winter), so I'm calling this a tentative success.

The only places it has come un-stuck were places with a build-up of crud from my previous experiments. After taking that off with some acetone, it sticks great.

Silicone... who knew!

Sep 07, 2023 11:56:28

Adhesive removal for rubber-based glues = naphtha.
There's a contact cement for shoes called Barge Cement, which is quite tenacious. Apply to both sides and let "dry", then carefully bring the two parts together, you cannot reposition.
Preparation? sometimes failure to adhere with glues or paint is lack/improper preparation. It might be residue from manufacturing (if new, such as a mold release) or loose powdery stuff from weathering, or gunk (grease, oil, smoke, dirt, mold, fingerprints, etc...)

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