You CAN apply Wall Stickers to Textured, Knockdown Walls

We, at Wall Decor Plus More, did a test with wall stickers and rougher textured wall surfaces - this one is called knockdown texture.  We hear a lot of customer comments that they aren't able to use wall stickers for this reason.  Here are some tips and how-to's so that you CAN use wall stickers on your rough or textured walls:

1.  Purchase wall stickers that have bolder, plain print.  If your walls aren't as rough as the ones in the picture, you can get by with some cursive, script lettering; but generally the bolder, plain fonts are easier to apply.  The thickness of the lettering makes a larger sticker or more material to stick to the wall which allows it to stay on the wall better.

2.  Plan to have a lot of time and patience when applying the sticker.  If you work slowly and carefully, you CAN get the sticker applied.  The biggest challenge is getting the top tape layer off of the lettering.  Since the wall isn't a smooth surface, the stickers don't adhere perfectly.  At times you will need to place a letter by hand, if it gets moved accidentally - this is another reason why plain lettering is better than cursive, connected lettering.

3.  Firmly rub the wall sticker down with your fingers after you remove the tape.  You can see the slight curve in the "N" that came after we rubbed each letter good.  The sticker curved into a groove in the wall and that is good - you can only see it by looking very closely and it means that is stuck to the wall better. 

The size of this quote is a 23"W x 12"H approximately and we applied a Chocolate Brown sticker to a tan colored wall. View more wall stickers at WallDecorPlusMore.com.  If you aren't sure which sticker will be best for your textured wall, feel free to use the contact us form on our website.

These pictures were taken 2 weeks after the sticker was applied.  We wanted to be sure that the stickers STAYED on the wall - and they did!

A Tip for removing the backing of the Wall Sticker Shapes

Do you have trouble peeling the backing off our wall sticker shapes?  This comment was passed on to us and we have known this as we have applied numerous shapes in the past.  Some people don’t have problems and some just feel it is time-consuming.  So, to help you out, try this trick.  Use a piece a tape.  If you used tape to stick them to the wall before the actual application, to get a feel of how to space them, then you have a head start.  If not, just stick a tiny piece of tape, preferably painter’s tape that isn’t so sticky, either to the backing or the actual vinyl sticker.  If you pull back on the piece of tape, the backing should start to come away from the sticker.  If you stuck the tape to the vinyl sticker, carefully peel the tape off, after application is complete, being careful not to tear or stretch the sticker.  We continually are researching new and improved methods and you hear it first if we have a new and improved design to offer.

Working with Wall Vinyl Decals/Stickers - some problems you may encounter and their solutions

 This post will help with troubleshooting as you apply your wall vinyl decal and even after the application.
First off, be sure you know how to apply your decal.  Read the instructions included and if you are confused (which is quite common!), watch the how-to video at our website.  Most of time, seeing is the better option to understanding.

Some common problems you may encounter with your wall sticker or decal: 

1.  Bubbles or wrinkles show up after you have applied your sticker.

           Solution:  Continue to smooth the bubble down each time you notice it.  Wall Vinyl is easily stretched so it may have been slightly stretched during application.  Also it may have gotten a wrinkle from shipping and it "remembers" that.  After a few times of smoothing the wrinkle down it will start to adhere to the proper place.

2.  It looks like my vinyl decal or sticker is starting to fall off the wall.
          
          Solution 1:  It is HIGHLY unlikely that it will actually fall off.  We use top-of-the-line vinyl and continue to test in our own homes.  I have NEVER seen a decal, made with our brand of vinyl, fall off the wall.  I  have seen a few instances where the edges look loose on close observation.  Generally this is from applying your decal to a bumpy surface, like knockdown textured walls or similiar textured walls.  So continue to smooth that wrinkle and it will soon be gone.
          
         Solution 2:  There is a slight chance your wall/surface was not clean enough or was too cold.  If the surface was not clean enough, there isn't much you can do to remedy this.  You can keep smoothing it down to see if you can eventually get it to adhere better.  If it is because your surface was too cold, most likely you had a VERY difficult time getting it off the transfer tape in the first place.  So now you should heat up the surface with a hair blow dryer and thoroughly but carefully smooth the entire design down.  This will make for a much better application.

3.  Can you apply to a textured or bumpy wall?

            Solution:  Yes, you can.  Here are some things to remember:  The smaller the vinyl decal is, the more PATIENCE you need as you apply the sticker.  Again, this is something we have tested in our own home along with friends and family's homes.  We have the usual textured walls here in our new part of the house.  I have applied growth charts to these walls.  Growth charts with their tiny inch marks can be the hardest along with tiny lettering.  That was about a year ago - they are still up with no signs of wrinkling at the edges or bubbles showing up.  Basically, if you can get the vinyl design adhered the first time, it will be adhered just fine and you are good to go =)!  Our wall sticker shapes are the easiest to apply to textured or bumpy walls.

This will be something we will continue address here - I don't want to bore you with a LONG post =)!