5 Things you need before you apply your vinyl decal

#1.  You need a clean wall or surface!  You may use a cleanser to wash with first.  Then, be sure to thoroughly wash it with just water.  You do NOT want any soap residue left over which may take away from the quality of your adhesived backed vinyl decal.

#2.  Your surface needs to be between 60 and 80 degrees F.  For indoor walls, this is not generally a problem.  When you are applying vinyl wording to a ceramic/porcelain tile or vinyl lettering to a vehicle, you need to pay close attention to this.  I always place my tiles in front of a heater for a few minutes before I apply my vinyl wording.  If you are outdoors (such as applying vinyl lettering to your vehicle), then make use of a hair blow dryer for a few minutes to bring the surface to the correct temperature.  The correct temperature is VERY important as I have had it proven many times.

#3.  Your paint should be allowed to cure for 4 weeks to be on the safe side but in some cases one week is good enough.  If you are applying a vinyl decal over painted walls, etc, please wait 4 weeks before applying for best results.  If you apply your vinyl decal too soon, when you decide to take your vinyl decal down, the paint underneath could be ruined when you remove the decal. 

#4  Along the lines of paint... applying vinyl decals over top of LATEX paint is not recommended - but I have always done it =)! It is best to use oil based paints.  But since I am not a fan of paint thinner and the clean-up needed with oil-based paints, all of my inside walls are painted with latex.  I have had decals up for over a year now with EXCELLENT results.  I am only passing this information on to keep you totally informed and I will let you judge what you prefer to do.

#5  Have the correct tools handy.  The tools you will need:
                    a squeegee or popsicle stick to rub over your decal
                    a tape measure to make sure your vinyl decal is applied straight and centered where needed (I like to use the soft tape measure like this - for some reason it works best with my 2 left thumbs).

Stay posted for more how-to's with wall vinyl decals.