FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
HOW ARE THE CLEATS ATTACHED?
They're self-adhesive. You peel away their backer sheet and press them in place. The tape is 3M Brand VHB (Very High Bond). It's similar to the tapes used to attach body side moldings to cars. It's super tough and sticky.DO THEY STICK? TEST YOUR SURFACE.
I guarantee they will stick and stay stuck. Follow the installation instructions, and you should have no problems. Make sure that the surfaces you stick the cleats to are clean, dry, and free of any type of surface protectant. Testing with duct tape is an easy way to determine if your surface is ready for Lash-It™ cleats. If duct tapes sticks good, then the cleats will too. If the duck tape doesn't stick, then you need to clean the surface better. See instructions below for what to do to remove surface protectants like 303 Brand UV Protectant.A WORD OF CAUTION:
On painted surfaces the quality of the adhesion is only as good as the quality of the paint bond. Lash-It™ cleats will stick to paint, but the tension applied to the cleats may eventually pull the paint off of the hull. Recoated polyurethane surfaces are notorious for bonding poorly. In my own experience, I recoated the inside of my wooden canoe with polyurethane, applied new Lash-Its™, and a few of the cleats pulled off. Upon inspection, I found that the cleats stuck impeccably to the poly, it was the new coat poly that failed to adhere to the old coat of poly. I would suggest you sand away any multiple layers of paint or varnish before you apply Lash-It™ cleats.WILL THE CLEATS STICK TO POLYETHYLENE & ROYALEX®?
Yes. The current version of 3M's VHB tape used on the Lash-It™ cleats is specifically design to bond to "low energy" surfaces like polyethylene and Royalex®. This version of 3M VHB tape was phased into Lash-It™ kits during 2003.WILL THE CLEATS STICK TO FIBERGLASS & KEVLAR?
Yes. The success of the bond is relative to the coarseness of the fiberglass weave. I have seen only one boat that I considered too rough for the cleats. The weave looked like a basket weave. If you question your surface, call me at 800-408-5245 and we can discuss the situation. Every surface is potentially bondable. It's just a matter of proper surface preparation. Most often this is very simple.HOW DO I REMOVE UV SURFACE PROTECTANT?
I can tell you right now, you can not bond to a surface with an applied UV Surface Protectant (like 303 Brand). You must remove the protectant. Testing with duct tape is an easy way to determine if your surface is ready for Lash-It™ cleats. If duct tapes sticks good, then the cleats will too. If the duck tape doesn't stick, then you need to clean the surface to remove the UV Surface Protectant. Unfortunately for bonding purposes, UV Surface Protectants are very difficult to remove. Try washing the surface with your most powerful household detergent. Rinse well with water and dry the surface. Test with duct tape again. If the UV Surface Protectant remains, clean the surface with a mild household abrasive cleanser. I like to start with Soft Scrub Brand since it's fairly gentle. Abrasive cleansers will cause Kevlar to fuzz and that is bad for bonding too. Rub the cleanser gently and repeat if necessary. Rinse well with water and dry the surface. Test with duct tape again. Continue until the duct tape sticks.CAN LASH-IT™ CLEATS BE REMOVED?
Yes, but it's a lot of work. Remember the whole idea is that they stay stuck! Also, removing the cleats will destroy them, so if you want Lash-Its™ in another area on your craft, you should buy more and put them where you need them. Leave your old Lash-Its™ where they are, they'll still be useful. To permanently remove a cleat, heat the cleat with a hair dryer, and then use a putty knife to lift the cleat off. Essentially you have to cut through the tape on the cleat. Be aware that on surfaces subject to UV degradation, the spots under the Lash-It™ cleats may be a different color since the cleat was blocking out the UV rays.WHAT IF I HAVE QUESTIONS OR PROBLEMS WITH MY INSTALLATION?
Please call me on my toll free hot line; 1-800-408-5245. If I don't answer, leave your name, phone number, and tell me a good time to call you back, and I will do my best to get back to you ASAP.
