Wall decals peeling off, HELP!

What to do if your Vinyl Decal is peeling or lifting off your wall

"Oh Great, look honey, they now make wall paints that will stay clean longer!" - You told your husband when trying to justify the purchase of one of the most expensive brands of interior paint at the hardware store. "What a great idea, let's get this one that reads STAIN BLOCKING PRIMER!"

You never thought it will also prevent your decals from sticking on your wall. But who does? Then it comes the part when you have been working for 45 minutes installing a whole set of woodland trees and watercolor hand-painted animal decals on your baby's nursery. Sweat off your forehead but a smile on your face, you admire the beautiful details on that baby fox and deer, the contrast of the tree decal in brown against a taupe wall... it all looks perfect! You take a few pictures, call your mom, signal the neighbor for a peek to your successful wall art project. Celebrate all around, finally the Nursery is finished! You go to bed super happy.

The next morning, you wake up and what do you do? Of course! you go back to the Nursery to continue to soak in the beauty.

But this time, you notice some of the edges lifting off the wall. What went wrong? What did I do? You wondered. The answer is: nothing, you did nothing wrong... (well, at least not in regards to your decal application)

You have followed all the instructions, wait 6 weeks for the paint to completely dry, clean the wall and apply the decals with the correct technique. Then... WHAT HAPPENED?

The absolute truth is we cannot be sure of why the wall is rejecting the decal because there are so many variables. We have been informed about certain wall paints preventing the decal to fully adhere to the wall, some paints contain additives that prevent dirt and smudges to stick, but they also prevent decals to stick. We have not been informed about the Self-Adhesive Fabric decal being rejected by any wall paint, and that is why we always recommend the Fabric option decal.

Does this sound familiar? if this is happening to you, DO NOT STRESS, THERE IS A SOLUTION!

Based on our own customer's experiences and recommendations over this past year, we have put a list of REMOVABLE ADHESIVE GLUE options that you can use to keep your decal to stay on the wall. You can order these online or buy it on your local craft store. (Note, prices might not be updated)

Please note that if the decal has fallen off the wall completely, instead of just a few corners peeled off, this recommendation might not work for you, in which case, contact us and we will work with you to find some other solution.

1. Aleene's Tack-It Over & Over Liquid Glue 4oz ($5)
2. Aleene's Repositionable Tacky Spray, 10-Ounce ($13)
3. ELMERS Repositionable Mounting Spray Adhesive, 10 Oz, Clear ($15)
4. Gorilla Heavy Duty Spray Adhesive, Multipurpose and Repositionable, 11 ounce, Clear ($8)
5. Krylon K07020007 10.25-Ounce Easy Tack Repositionable Adhesive Spray. Style:Easy Tack Repositionable Adhesive ($13)

DISCLOSURE: We do not endorse any of these brands. These are just the most popular brands you can find in the market but we should not be held responsible for any issues or damages arising/caused from these products. Please always follow manufacturer recommendations on all products and contact us if you have any further questions. Heavy Duty Gorilla Brand works well with painted decal but not with Oracal brand, we recommend do not use this brand for trees and other thin decals.

BUBBLES HAVE APPEARED UNDER THE DECAL?

If a bubble re-appears over the next day or two, pressing and lightly rubbing can removeit. This can happen occasionally if oil, dirt,or dustis onyour surface. Use a sewing pin to pop the bubble,and thensmooth it out with your fingers in a circular motion. In the very rare instance thatbubbles keepre-appearing, you may want to move your Photo Tex to another areaas there is something preventing the adhesive to stick. Most causes of bubbles are because the wall was painted within the last 30 days or cleaning chemicals where used prior.

WHY IS PAINT IMPORTANT?

Most interior walls are painted. Unlike the sign industry, there isn’t a standard vinyl-friendly paint in use on interior walls, so there are variables that can affect success. The two most common interior paints used are enamel and latex. Enamel is best because, like glass and aluminum, it provides a smooth, non-porous surface. Latex is more porous and is not as suitable for vinyl graphic application. The bigger issue with paint is out-gassing. Freshly painted walls emit gaseous solvents until the paint cures. If these gases are trapped under an applied vinyl graphic, they may cause bubbles or react chemically with the adhesive and weaken it leading to failure. That’s right, I said failure. Putting vinyl graphics on any freshly painted surface will lead to failure due to out-gassing of the substrate. ORACAL advises that you allow paint to cure for at least five days before applying vinyl graphics.