The Framers Forum

L&G,
I'm about to frame a couple of mounted prints which the customer intends to hang in her bathroom.
There have been various posts regarding sealing the assembly with tape for such environments - just wondering what the consensus is.
Frame nominal 14" * 11", American Oak (waxed). Colormount Dove Grey mount, white card undermount. The prints are by JH Dowd and have been salvaged from a damaged book which I believe is long out of print. Value in the region of £5 to £10 each, I guess.
I'm aiming to seal the assembly with P90 but pondering whether to use acrylic instead of MDF to the rear because acrylic is impervious.
If the customer's bathroom is anything like mine I would not want to have any material such as MDF or Kraft board open to the elements as it would turn green inside a week.

So the assembly will probably be:
Glass
Mount
Artwork
Undermount
Acrylic
The above sandwich will be taped around its periphery, installed into the frame with flex tabs, then gummed tape to finish.

Any advice/comments/observations/experience in this scenario, please?
John.

Acrylic at the front as well might be a good idea as it is less prone to condensation than glass.

I'd also leave the backing acrylic out of the taped sandwich and use Lineco foil tape for that and for sealing the frame back.

Why flexi tabs?

I've put acrylic on the back to prevent mould afflicting the MDF - I hope.
My extensive range of suitable tapes is P90 plus a spare roll of ..er.. P90, so P90 it is!
Not sure I get the inference of 'Why flexi tabs?' ... rust?
The back is sealed with gum tape on the reasoning that it should be tolerant of water vapour; it may/will moisten slightly but then dry out and its adhesion should improve over time

John.

What MDF? There's no MDF in the list of frame contents in your first post.

Gummed tape is paper and that can go green like MDF can, foil tape isn't organic. If the adhesive on the gummed tape is constantly re-moistened and dried, it'll eventually dry out altogether; not improve; if it gets moist and comes away it's not going to press itself back either. So I think a coated self adhesive tape would be better, the foil stuff isn't cheap but it's very aggressive stuff, and impervious, in fact some (more qualified than me) say there are only two true barriers from vapour, metal and glass; the rest are filters.

Re the flexitabs, just asking why those, which are mostly used for ready-made frames, as opposed to rigid tabs - it's not that big a deal really but given the choice, rigid tabs would be best.

'I've put acrylic on the back to prevent mould afflicting the MDF'
Oops! Let's rephrase that:
I've put acrylic instead of MDF on the back so it's not afflicted by mould.

I take the point about the tape - I'll took out a roll of foil tape for the next hostile-environment frame!

Flexitabs - all i have!
I'm a 'one man in his garage and no dog' operation and only run to one tab gun, a manual one at that.

But... I have just bought me a nice new shiny compressor so looking out for an Omer - although a £50 tab gun will probably have to do for starters.

Your comments are appreciated!
John.

I bought some foil tape from the pound shop - I forget how much it cost - it was very flimsy but it was fine for 'sandwich' sealing.

I bought some foil tape from the pound shop - I forget how much it cost

My forensic mind hopes that it wasn't sold by the inch (£1/inch)

I guess not all framing supplies have to come from a framing supplies supplier!

John.

True! http://www.tapes-direct.co.uk/index.php ... cts_id=933

I've got two pictures in my bath/shower room (used every day and lots of condensation) that I framed 10 years ago.

Cheap Art Group prints drymounted, double mounted, stained and waxed ash frame and backed with...MDF and finished with gummed tape. Glass not sealed and back not protected in any way and they are perfect apart from some slight mould on the MDF on one of them which I have only just noticed as the have not been moved at all until just now. (I don't decorate much in my house!) The tags have begun to rust under the tape but then that is to be found on most old pictures.
I used to seal the glass in with silicone sealer to stop the condensation creeping round the rebate but not sure if it's needed as these pictures show. If it was for a customer I might consider sealing to be on the safe side and the pro's and con's of bathroom pictures would be explained to the customer with no gaurantee given.

Dave

always nice to be 'well hung' bathroom bedroom - et al