Temporary outdoor adhesive?

DGotlieb

Active Member
So I am producing a show on our outdoor stage and designers really like to build little ground rows that go right against the proscenium walls but I can't screw to the floor or the wall so it always ends up a challenge of trying to drop some wires to hold the flats against the wall or figuring out some sort of low profile foot.

This year I was wondering if maybe someone know of a simple product I can just temporarily glue a painted sheet of lauan to the wall and save me a lot of time and effort.
The walls are painted stucco and get a fair amount of sun/heat. Does anyone happen to know of a product that could accomplish this while being fairly easy to remove?

Mostly I just need something to keep a lauan sheet from falling away from the wall it would be sitting on the floor. (but if there is something that could let me hang 10-15lbs completely off the floor even better)
 
How long is your season (or the run of the show?) Do you need to change these ground rows during the season for different shows? What's behind the stucco? (Masonry or frame construction?) The easiest thing may be nail/screw some vertical furring strips to the wall, then just patch the stucco after you strike at the end of the season.
 
2 productions from load in to strike about 3-4 weeks each
ground row only 4' tall

I have a few of the above suggestions coming in today and some non-essential walls around back I will test them on and will get back to you on any success
 
A bit of knowledge I keep in my back pocket is that alcohol breaks hot melt glue’s bond with the surface it’s stuck to. Probably not useful here though.
Is the issue with screwing to the deck or wall that the owners don’t want a thousand random holes? Could you talk them into strategically placed threaded inserts that could be plugged with colored button heads to hide them?
 
So reporting back after short term tests
I tried holding up approx 1'x1' luaun free floating on a wall the no one will ever see (but is same texture and get similar sun light)
- Removed after 2 days

Seal and peel caulk - struggled to hold up the weight, adhesive was removable but difficult as it smushed into the texture of the wall
Command strips velcro - Held weight, removed cleanly from wall, when removing the adhesive failed before the velcro pulled apart
this stuff on amazon (seems like a heavy weight snot tape?) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BHNGLXN4/?tag=controlbooth-20
- held weight, came off cleanly (but not as easy as the command strip)

I have committed to the 3rd option of the clear tape so hopefully in 2 weeks when I strike this show I don't regret my decision.
it's very easy to use, seems pretty durable, is thinner then the command strips, and the command strips failing at the glue and not the velcro when i went to remove was not encouraging.

currently it is very easily holing up a 4' h x 8' cut luaun ground row piece (most of the wait on the floor). a 6'H cut luan tree. and a 4'x5' foam and coroplast "window" completely off the ground.
each piece with 4-6 pieces of tape that are 1-2" long. so not a lot and step one of install super fast and looks very clean.

I'll report back after a few weeks baking in the sun if it still comes off as clean
 
So here are the pieces that I used the Nano tape on.
A floating window made of foam and corrugated plastic.
Painted tree and ground row on 2 pieces of lauan.

pro-jzX5btTl (002).jpeg
pro-QJCi6dx7 (002).jpeg

The good
both went up easily and had no issues staying for the length of tech/run (about 16 days in the California sun)
it looked really clean
usually I would have to be trying to run to little anchor points you can see it the top of the photos that are on the wrong side of the gutter and the architectural bump out. (with questionable structural integrity)

The bad
90% of the tape released easily and cleanly
if it released from the scenic piece first I could pull the tape a lot like a command strip and it came off quickly with no damage
there were 3 spots where it pulled from the wall first and did minor damage 2 seems to just pull off a little paint (I already have this paint for touch ups)
1 spot pulled a little crater out of the wall so I have to figure out how to patch that

pro-7Rr2szxI.jpeg
pro-SMP8BwRw.jpeg


Final result
If filling that little spot on the wall turns out easy and painless I will probably do this again. But I might try to touch the side that is going to the scenic piece a few times just to make it the slightly weaker connection so then I can pop off the piece easily and then take my time releasing the tape from the wall.

PS If you know how I should patch the hole feel free to let me know ;)
 
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So here are the pieces that I used the Nano tape on.
A floating window made of foam and corrugated plastic.
Painted tree and ground row on 2 pieces of lauan.

View attachment 24531View attachment 24532
The good
both went up easily and had no issues staying for the length of tech/run (about 16 days in the California sun)
it looked really clean
usually I would have to be trying to run to little anchor points you can see it the top of the photos that are on the wrong side of the gutter and the architectural bump out. (with questionable structural integrity)

The bad
90% of the tape released easily and cleanly
if it released from the scenic piece first I could pull the tape a lot like a command strip and it came off quickly with no damage
there were 3 spots where it pulled from the wall first and did minor damage 2 seems to just pull off a little paint (I already have this paint for touch ups)
1 spot pulled a little crater out of the wall so I have to figure out how to patch that

View attachment 24533View attachment 24534

Final result
If filling that little spot on the wall turns out easy and painless I will probably do this again. But I might try to touch the side that is going to the scenic piece a few times just to make it the slightly weaker connection so then I can pop off the piece easily and then take my time releasing the tape from the wall.

PS If you know how I should patch the hole feel free to let me know ;)
For filling I would use something like no more gaps because it is a textured wall and you don't need a perfect finish. Once covered in paint you will be hard pressed to see it.
 

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