Do decals damage walls?
With our decals this very rarely happens, though it is still possible, as sticking anything to your wall comes with it a risk of damage.
Whilst possibly not the most exciting subject, there is a lot more to wall decals and the surfaces they go on, than you may think. So here goes trying to explain this a little more…
Understanding wall decals
Wall decals come in a whole range of different flavours - from low-tack fabric decals like ours, to super sticky vinyl or PVC wall stickers. Some decals have a far higher chance of damaging your walls than others, generally based on the strength and quality of the adhesive. So, it’s important to make sure that you are using decals with the right level of adhesive for your wall.Our paint guide will fill in some of the gaps between our Standard decals and the High Tack version.
Understanding your wall
The next thing in trying to assess whether a wall decal could damage your wall is trying to figure out how solid your paint is. No matter how easily removable the adhesive is, there is still a chance the paint might come away if it is not securely attached to the wall behind.A good way to think about it is: If the bond between the adhesive on the decal and the paint is stronger than the bond between the paint and the wall, then sadly it could result in some bits of paint coming away with it when removed. This is why low tack decals are less risky and why our Standard decals are generally so safe.
Understanding how strong the surface you have, is where you may have to do a bit of detective work and make an assessment based on your findings. The answers to a few questions will help you to form a picture.
How old is your wall?
Older walls may be safer, as they have had many layers of paint applied over the years – sometimes making the paint harder and more resilient. If you’ve very recently painted your wall, you may risk damaging it by applying decals before it has had time to fully hardenHow thick is the paint?
If the paint looks very thin as is sometimes the case with newer houses, or you have any doubts about the general quality of the paint job (especially on dry walls), you may find there is an increased chance some flakes of paint may come away when the decals are removed.Is the paint damaged or degraded?
Any cracks, damp, mould, bubbles etc. all indicate that the paint surface is weaker than would be ideal and using any kind of decal on top of this could cause the issue to become worse.If you are painting your own walls, make sure the paint is correctly applied on a clean and primed surface. Dusty or crumbling walls are the worst surface for any paint. Let newly applied paint rest at least 14-30 days (or more), for it to dry and harden enough before applying any decals. Low/zero VOC paints and stain resistant paints, tend to need the longest possible drying time.
Can I test out the decals before buying?
To make all this easier, you can always buy one of our test strips to see if the Standard decals are going to be ok on the surface or whether you need the stickier High Tack decals.Use the Standard test strip and leave it attached for at least 48 hours without touching it and then check to see if the test strip has lifted or curled at all; if it did then you will need the High Tack decals.
Summary
Like we said in the beginning, our wall decals go on and off most surfaces without any problems. However, it never hurts to be extra careful. Here’s a handy little checklist on how to use any wall decal with minimal risk:· Check your walls. Try to assess the condition of the paint, how thin it is, are there any loose or flaky areas etc. If you are in doubt and have time, get some test strips and test the Standard test strip on the surface.
· Using wall decals is a simple, fast and fun way to decorate any space, but by understanding how they work will also help you remove some of the risk from placing decals on the wall. However, even though you couldn’t get much less sticky than our Standard decals, as soon as you stick anything on a surface there is a chance some paint could come off.
· And some statistics: at the time of writing this we have sent out more than 30,000 orders. In that time, we have had only a handful of instances that we know about where a small amount of paint has come off the wall.
And remember that you can always get in touch with us if you have any doubts about our wall decals. Your walls and the environment are our priority, and we will always do what we can to protect both (that's also the reason we wrote this blog post in the first place).
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