About our Products and Materials
All our products are handmade in Indiana, United States of America. We use quality archival and poster paper, temporary and durable vinyl and self adhesive polyester fabric media. Wall temporary and durable vinyl and transfer tape for interior decor is manufactured by Oracal.
American Decals wall materials adhere to many wall surfaces (glass, treated wood, treated metal), however, you will have a choice to select the right type of material based on your wall paint choice. We have tested our wall decals on many surfaces and we urge you to pay attention to the wall paint on your walls in order to select the right type of material. We cannot guarantee that our removable vinyl wall decals will adhere to every surface equally well because we have seen that certain paints reject the decal and it will fall off the wall. Also, note that because our wall decal material is so thin, the grooves of a textured wall will show through (this doesn't happen with the fabric option)
Because the paint formulations are protected by trade secrets, it is difficult for any temporary vinyl decal manufacturer to understand how film adhesives interact with these paints, in which case, you should select durable vinyl instead of temporary vinyl.
LIST OF PAINTS YOU SHOULDN'T USE IF YOU PLAN TO USE Temporary VINYL DECALS (TempVINYL):
Dutch Boy® Dura Clean® Ceiling Interior Latex Paint + Primer with Stay-Clean Formula
BEHR PREMIUM PLUS ULTRA® Interior Paints with Stain-Clocking Paint and Primer (Some customers have reported the Self-Adhesive Fabric shows issues with this paint)
SHERWIN WILLIAMS Stain-Blocking Paint.
KILZ PREMIUM High Hide Stainblocker.
VALSPAR 2000 Paint + Primer
We have found through extensive testing and we found out that the permanent vinyl decals work well with any kind of paint.
Additionally we provide a guide on Adhesion Cleaning Method prior to installation, and also PRO TIPS during installation. Follow these and you will quickly, easily and successfully adhere most decals to most wall paints.
These are the PROS and CONS of each media:
TEMPVINYL DECALS
PROS: Great for renters. Easily removable, thin material that wont leave any residue behind when removed. It is a very thin smooth material with bright colors, it is perfect if you are renting because it is easy to take off and it won't last long, 6 months to 1 year of durability.
CONS: The low tack adhesive will not hold to walls that are treated or painted with stain-resistant paint, those that are marketed as dura-clean, stain blocking, stain resistant specially from Behr, Sherwin Williams, Valspar, etc. The paint recommended for this temporary vinyl is Glidden essentials. THESE DECALS WILL FALL OFF THE WALL IF YOU HAVE USE THESE PAINTS.
DURAVINYL DECALS
PROS: They work with all kinds of wall paint. These are thin decals and very bright colors and they are smooth with minimal luster. These years will last up to 5 years on your wall (they might last longer but we do not recommend leaving them longer than 5 years)
CONS: Removal will require a specific technique. After a week of being applied to your wall they will require some technique for removal (usually blow some hot air with your hairdryer while peeling slowly), if steps are not taken, you might remove some paint chips from the wall when taken down the decals. I do not recommend it if you are renting and you will move within a year.
STICKYFABRIC DECALS
PROS: Removable Medium Tack Adhesive that can also be re-positioned many times from wall to wall. It is durable, long lasting media (5 years) and it won't rip easy because it is polyester fabric.It has a canvas-like texture and it is matte.This material could be better for textured walls because it is thicker than vinyl and can hid the texture better. However, if there are many "peaks" on your textured wall, no material will have enough surface to hold on to which might prompt the decal to fall off the wall or be punctured by the sharp peaks on the texture.
CONS: It is thicker material. It has a higher price than Vinyl. Please see my blog for tips on how to remove this media from the wall.