Post-it Extreme XL Notes – You Can Stick ‘Em Where The Sun Never Shines

In the movie “Cool Hand Luke,” the angry warden vents at Paul Newman, saying “What we’ve got here is a failure to communicate.” Just like on the chain gang, miscommunication is a common problem in the trades. Thankfully, only a small percentage of this miscommunication ends with the offender being smacked and rolling down a hill. In their quest to eliminate these communication breakdowns, the folks at 3M have come out with a line of Post-it Extreme XL Notes. Calm down, grab a chair, and we’ll communicate the details.

Looking similar to the colorful little 3” x 3” Post-it notes, Post-it Extreme XL Notes motto is “Go big or go home.” Measuring 4.5” x 6.75”, and available in several colors, they’re much more likely to be noticed on a cluttered job site or office. Made using rugged Dura-Hold™ paper and adhesive, they’re also much more likely to survive in real-world conditions. Here’s the list of features from 3M, followed by a brief video communication:

• 4.5 in. x 6.75 in., available in Orange, Green, Mint and Yellow.
• Sticks to textured surfaces and in tough conditions.
• Water resistant, durable and writable.
• Sticks in hot and cold environments.
• Use indoor/outdoor for lists or long instructions.
• Removes cleanly.
• Made with ultra-strong Dura-Hold™ Paper and Adhesive.
• 25 Sheets/Pad
• Not recommended for use on paper or other delicate surfaces.
• Apply to dry surface to hold in wet conditions.

Neither Rain, Nor Snow, Nor Gloom Of Night…

Clearly, the engineers at 3M had construction sites in mind when they designed Post-it Extreme XL Notes. They’re fabricated to withstand heat, cold, wind, and water – all familiar elements to anyone who works in the trades. They also concocted an adhesive that should stick to just about anything on a typical job site; here’s the list of approved surfaces from 3M:

• Treated Lumber
• Untreated Lumber
• Painted Lumber
• Painted Metal
• Galvanized Steel
• Stainless Steel
• Aluminum
• Cement Board
• Painted Cement Board
• House Wrap
• Textured PVC Trim
• Smooth PVC
• Glass
• Oriented Strand Board
• Plywood
• Concrete
• Painted Concrete
• Composite Decking
• Cedar Planking
• Ceramic and Porcelain Tile
• Brick and Stone
• 3M Air and Vapor Barrier

And here’s another quick video from the manufacturer, that brings back fond memories of my early days as a framing carpenter in Buffalo:

https://youtu.be/pZSirEkGGFI

Sticking Post-it Extreme XL Notes Where The Sun Doesn’t Shine – And Where It Does

When our media samples of Post-It Extreme XL Notes arrived, I wanted to try them in several spots, to see how they’d hold up. Since using them indoors didn’t seem to pose much of an “extreme” challenge, I stuck them mostly outdoors, with the exception of a gentle reminder note in the shower.

To try a variety of surfaces, I stuck Post-it Extreme XL Notes in various locations, most of which were unsheltered. I stuck one on an unpainted fence slat, a painted piece of trim (which was under an overhang), a painted concrete block, a plastic recycling container, some painted T-1-11, a glass window, and some Tyvek house wrap. I also had a “to-do” list stuck to the dashboard of my truck for a week or so.

Twenty days later, I checked on all my test sites. Even though there had been a LOT of rain and wind during that time, all the notes were still firmly where I’d stuck ‘em. Some were a bit wrinkled or faded, but all were intact and still very readable. When I removed them, they all came off cleanly, with no gooey residue left behind. None were torn at all; the paper is very tough, and while it’s possible to tear it intentionally, it’s not easy.

Got Something To Say?

On any job site, especially where multiple trades are working, a failure to communicate can be time-wasting and costly. Post-it Extreme XL Notes offer a large, noticeable format for leaving instructions, reminders, lists, and so on. I used one on a recent mud room addition, stuck to a window header, to jot down “to-do” or “to get” items as they occurred to me, before they fluttered out of my mind forever.

If you want to get your message across, and prefer not to do it by knocking your employees down, try a pack of Post-it Extreme XL Notes. Available in refreshing mint, orange, yellow and green, they can be purchased in packs of two with 25 sheets per pad, or in larger quantities. Your failures to communicate should go way down – along with your employee complaints to the NLRB.

Buy Post-it Extreme XL Notes from Amazon:

Buy Now - via Amazon