What to Know About Vinyl Wall Decals

Decals are a simple, fun, and inexpensive way to personalize your walls. They come in a wide variety of shape, sizes, and styles, and are lighter and easier to hang than traditional picture frames and other, bulky décor. If you’re a first-time user, here’s what to know about vinyl wall decals before purchasing and applying one.

What's the Difference Between Wall Decals and Stickers?

Wall decals and stickers share similar, basic properties. The main differences between them involve size, material, lifespan, and ease of application.

Stickers are smaller than decals, come in larger quantities, and are meant to be applied to things like laptops, notebooks, and water bottles.

Decals are larger, come in smaller qualities, and are specifically designed for use on walls, windows and floors. They can last for nearly half a decade, making them a durable, reliable choice for room decoration.

Picking the Perfect Decal

What makes a decal ‘perfect’ boils down to three principal qualities: personal preference, the location of the decal, and the type of wall surface you’re applying it to.

Above all else, choose what suits your personality, tastes, and overall design aesthetic.

Location is important, too. Unless you’re going for a quirky, humorous look, you’ll want to pick a vinyl detail that’s well-suited to the room you’re placing it in. Placing a bathroom-related wall quote in your kitchen will, suffice to say, appear wildly out of place.

The wall material and paint type are crucial considerations. Decals adheres poorly to surfaces like concentrate block, suede paint, stucco, sand paint and brick. For the best stick, you'll want an untextured wall — if painted, preferably with matte. Surfaces like flat metals, glass, and painted walls are ideal.

To prevent unwanted peeling, ensure your walls are dirt, dust and grime-free prior to application. Metals, glass and tile should be soaped down or wiped with wet cloths, then sufficiently dried.

Applying the Decal

Another important thing to know about vinyl wall decals is how to apply them. Thankfully, adhering decals to your wall is a quick and simple process. Follow these basic instructions, and you're good to go!

• To start, you’ll want to clean and dust the surface you’re applying the decal to.
• Next, you’ll want to pull the waxy backing off your decal. This exposes the sticky, adhesive end, which is what you’ll be applying to your walls. At this point, it’s best to keep the masking applied to the top of your design.
• Press your decal against the desired surface, adhesive side down. Smooth out any air pockets or wrinkles with your palm or a thin, hard-edged object, like a credit or debit card.
• Once you’ve smoothed out any imperfections, slowly remove the masking. That’s it — you're done!

At VWAQ, we offer a wide variety of vinyl wall decals and other fun, high-quality wall graphics. If you’re looking for the perfect thing to spruce up your walls, come check out our inventory!