Working with materials that aren't familiar can be scary to many consumers. Installing wallpaper has been a home improvement task that many people avoid. The memory of working with pasted eight foot pieces of wallpaper may come flooding back to anyone unfamiliar with vinyl wall art.
Vinyl wall art however, is very different. First of all, you aren't working with large sticky sheets. Second, once it is applied you don't have to hire a contractor to fix the walls or spend hours to remove. Third, it is creative, fun and truly a reflection of you. Fourth, it's completely customized and/or personalized just for you!
Let's get started.
Start with what visually gives you joy to look at and let that surround you. If you like the outdoors or if you live in a city apartment, choosing a tree theme might be a good way for you to express your joy of nature and the outdoors. If words inspire you and keep you uplifted, you might want to apply some vinyl quotes to your wall. Remembering quotes from a lost loved one or from a great writer or movie quip, may make you smile every time you look at it. Or it may fill your heart with strength.
You will have the opportunity to choose colors that compliment your existing decor. You will have the chance to add in accent colors and conform a blank boring plain wall into a work of art that was created by you.
What will you get when you receive your order? Okay, let's start at the beginning. According to U.S. Patent 6388006 issued on May 14, 2002, self-adhesive vinyl is a pressure-sensitive adhesive made with vinyl polymer and a meth acrylic polymer. Well, maybe not that far back.
Please, keep in mind that each color of vinyl comes on it's own roll. So, when you place an order that has a black branch, olive leaves and purple birds, you will receive three separate sheets of cut vinyl; a black sheet, an olive sheet and a purple sheet. The great thing about vinyl is that when it's applied, it looks like it is painted on your wall. You can apply these pieces in your own pattern/design or you can check the website and install them as the original design was intended.
So, how do you get the awesome design that you order? A designer has to set it up. It is intricately computer cut on a machine with a very small blade. When the machine is finished cutting the design, a production person has to remove all of the unnecessary material (vinyl) typically by hand. When this is done, if you don't have transfer tape applied to your design, you would have to take each letter of your quote off the paper, letter by letter. So transfer tape, which is like masking tape but not as sticky, is applied so that you can transfer your design more efficiently.
Now, your artistic vinyl wall art is packaged and delivered to your home. This is where you get to have all the fun. The first thing you want to do is unroll your design and let it rest so that it can become flat again after its journey. After a day of flattening and acclimation to your environment, you can start installing your creation.
You should receive an application tool in your package and its first task is going to be helping you to install your vinyl. After that, you should save it to help with all sorts of chores around the house such as removing stuck on debris from pots/pans or helping to remove ice, etc. You will also need to save it so that you can easily remove your vinyl design, when you decide to refresh your room.
Using your application tool, you should go over the transfer tape so that the vinyl underneath is securely attached for transfer from the glossy paper to your wall. Slowly peel up the transfer tape/vinyl combo and cut the glossy paper in half (keeping the cut sides together). Carefully starting from the cut lay your transfer tape/vinyl combo back onto the glossy paper.
Next map out your transfer area. It may be helpful to measure and put painter's tape in the area that you want to use. Put the first color of your design on the wall in position. Use masking tape or painters tape and tape it on one side of your center cut. Now measure 3 times to be certain that your design is straight and in the proper position. Measure from at least two straight places on your vinyl (not the backing paper). Example: If you are transferring a quote choose one line of type and measure from the baseline of a straight character to a straight place on your wall. Step back a bit and check it visually to see if it's in the correct position. It can always be changed at this point.
Once you are satisfied with the position of your vinyl, carefully fold the whole side from the center cut in your glossy paper to the front. Hold this off the wall and carefully peel the glossy paper away from the transfer tape/vinyl combo. With this piece still being held out from the wall, start from the center and keeping it tight, slide your hand up and down and roll the design onto the wall. Starting from the center, using your application tool, firmly move from the center to the edge making sure that you go over each piece of vinyl underneath. When you are finished with that side, it's time to go the other side and repeat this whole process one more time.
Starting from the top corner slowly pull the transfer tape at an angle, while doing this keep a close eye on the vinyl. If it is sticking to the transfer tape and coming off the wall, go over it again with the application tool using a stronger pressure. You may have to press down random areas while you are removing the transfer tape from the vinyl. Your design is transferred when you reach the opposite bottom corner. If there are any pieces that came up a little, push them onto the wall with your finger. Don't use anything hard directly on the vinyl as it may tear. Wala, you can enjoy the new vinyl wall art addition to your living space.
For an instructional video on vinyl decal installation, please visit our website at www.RightOnTheWalls.com
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