Architectural Film F.A.Q.'s
What are Architectural Films?
Architectural films are self-adhesive vinyl products that allow you to completely cover and refinish objects or surfaces in a faster, more economic, and more eco-friendly fashion compared to entirely replacing them.
Architectural films come in a wide range of designs such as wood, stone, linens, metals, and more that provide a clean, high-end look. Abstract, matte and colored finishes convert surfaces including metal, wood and glass to reflect an entirely new design.
Here are RM wraps, we are certified in the sales and installation of 3M Di-Noc, the largest and most widely-used brand of architectural films in the US.
What Can You Install It On?
Practically anything - doors, elevators, cabinetry and millwork, walls, ceilings, columns, glass, metal, furniture, and more. As long as a surface is properly prepped, architectural films can be installed on just about anything.
We have some basic information on surface prep at the bottom of this page.
Can Di-Noc Be Installed Outside?
Di-Noc was originally designed for interior applications. However, 3M has expanded the offering to include Di-Noc EX Series; specifically designed for exterior applications with direct weather and sunlight exposure. Use of standard Di-Noc patterns for exterior applications is not recommended.
How Long Will The Material Last?
Di-Noc for interiors has an Expected Performance Life of 12 years for indoor vertical applications. See the DI-NOC Technical Datasheet for warranty information.
Di-Noc EX for exteriors has an Expected Performance Life of 7 to 16 years for outdoor vertical applications, depending on climate and pattern. See the DI-NOC EX Technical Datasheet for warranty information.
Can I Install It Myself?
If it's a flat, simple surface, yes you can! We have a large playlist of videos showing the process of wrapping a wide range of subjects over here on our Youtube channel.
For surfaces with complex curves or large surface-area jobs, we recommend hiring a professional installer who has training and experience working with architectural films. You can search for installers in your local area via Google, or here on 3M's Certified Installer portal.
How Can I Match An Existing Material/Surface/Finish I Already Have?
Is 'X' pattern in stock?
As of 12/2/24, the 3M Di-Noc catalog has been split into "Quick-Ship" and Import-Only categories. The 190 Quick Ship patterns will continue to be available in 65, 131, 328, and 656 sq ft rolls, and should be more readily available moving forward. Still, the US warehouse in Indiana remains the only master distributor in the US, and thus the sole source of Di-Noc for every customer in the US. Because of this, available stock is constantly changing, and we recommend you contact us to check available stock before placing your order.
The remaining ~600 patterns are only available in full 328 or 656 sq. ft. roll sizes (depending on the pattern) and will be available exclusively on an import-only basis from the manufacturing plant in Japan. These orders take 2-3 weeks to ship to the US from Japan, plus about a week to process and ship once here in the US.
If you have any questions or would like to check on available stock, please feel free to contact us: 208-696-1180 | info@rmwraps.com
What Size are the Samples?
3M Di-Noc pattern samples currently come in 3 sizes: 4" x 5.5", 5.5" x 8", or 8" x 10". What size a particular pattern comes in is at the discretion of the national distributor, and can change from time to time.
What Roll Sizes are Available?
All architectural finishes, regardless of brand, are manufactured in 48" widths only. The lengths of the material available depends on the pattern series. Most "standard" pattern series (wood grains, metals, etc.) are available in 5, 10, 25, and 50 meter rolls (because these materials are manufactured in Japan; thus for imperial measurements, you'll mostly see roll sizes referred to in square footage here on our website). Some specialty patterns top out at 25-meter length rolls (VM series, for example). To see what lengths a pattern is available in, please visit that pattern's product page here on our website.
What is the Difference Between The Various Wood Grain Series?
Di-Noc comes in 4 main series - Wood Grain (WG), Fine Wood (FW), Dry Wood (DW/MT), and Premium Wood (PW/MT). They ascend in visual fidelity as well as feel to the touch in the order WG -> FW -> DW/MT -> PW/MT. This is reflected in the prices of the material, with WG being the most economical and PW/MT being the most premium.
What is "Vertical" vs. "Horizontal" Pattern Direction?
A vast majority of Di-Noc films featuring any type of repeating pattern or grain texture have the pattern running the length of the roll of material. For most applications this is ideal, but there are certain application situations where you might want the pattern running perpendicular to the roll length - this is where a "Horizontal" pattern may come in handy.
There are a limited number of options with perpendicular or Horizontal patterns offered by 3M Di-noc. 3M Products will have an "H" appended to the end of the pattern name, i.e. FW-1735H.
Is There Bulk Pricing?
Bulk pricing is only available on very large orders (20 full rolls or more). For orders of that size, please contact us for a quote.
How Long Does It Take To Receive Materials I've Ordered?
Due to the current global economic state, we recommend contacting us at info@rmwraps.com or by phone 208-696-1180 to check on stock availability/lead time of acquiring any architectural films prior to ordering.
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3M Di-Noc materials are stocked at a central national distribution warehouse in Indiana. Orders are always fulfilled from there if possible. These orders take 1-2 days to process, and are shipped via UPS or Fedex ground shipping (3-5 days to arrive on average).
If a material is out of stock at the national distributor, it will come from the manufacturer's warehouse in Japan. These orders take 2-3 weeks to ship to the US from Japan, plus about a week to process and ship once here in the US.
If a material is also out of stock in Japan, your material will be placed on backorder. Backordered materials can take anywhere from 4 to 14 weeks to produce and ship, depending entirely on the next scheduled production run. More specific timing will be requested and shared with you when available on any O.O.S/backordered material, before processing your order.
Basic Surface Prep Guidelines
Below are some basic surface prep guidelines based on what you're installing the architectural films on. When in doubt - we recommend doing an adhesion test, as described on Pages 5-7 of this 3M PDF.
