Self-adhesive plastic sheet explained

Self-adhesive plastic sheet, known in the United Kingdom as sticky-backed plastic, is wide plastic sheet or film with an adhesive layer on one side, used as a surface coating for decorative purposes. It is typically smooth and shiny, but can also come in textured varieties, in which case it can sometimes be used as a cheap alternative to veneer. The plastic is often PVC. The sheeting is typically sold with a removable paper release liner to prevent it from adhering prematurely.

Self-adhesive vinyl sheet was introduced to the UK market in the 1960s under the brand name Fablon.^[1]

It was extensively used in DIY at the time,^[2] and notably featured in children's DIY projects on the British TV show Blue Peter, but always under the generic name "sticky-backed plastic."^{[3] [4]}

Smooth self-adhesive plastic sheet is typically used to cover the studio floor for shiny-floor shows, thus giving them their name.^[5]

See also

• Contact paper
• Vinyl lettering
• Pressure-sensitive tape

References

1. Web site: Bringing it all back home – 1960′s interiors revisited. MacLeod. Heather. March 15, 2016. www.heathermacleod.co.uk. https://web.archive.org/web/20180928150101/http://www.heathermacleod.co.uk/bringing-it-all-back-home-1960s-interiors-revisited/ . 9 June 2024. 28 September 2018.
2. Book: Highmore, Ben. The Great Indoors: At home in the modern British house. Profile Books. 2014. 9781847653468. 85.
3. Web site: 50 things we learned from Blue Peter. 16 October 2008. The Scotsman. 2016-08-05. "sticky-backed plastic" was the term used for the product marketed under the trade name Fablon.
4. Web site: Blue Peter: celebrating 50 years. Marson. Richard. 4 October 2008. Daily Telegraph. 2016-08-09. Blue Peter conjures up cosy memories of pets, badges and sticky-backed plastic.
5. Web site: Ten questions for Adrian Swift. Brook. Stephen. April 16, 2012. The Australian. 23 April 2016.