How long to wait before applying decals to freshly painted walls? Can the wall decals be reapplied?

Question: I just painted my walls. How long should I wait before applying my new decals?

First of all, it will depend on the type of paint you used. Latex paint takes up to 30 days to cure, although we have put wall decals on walls that have been painted in less than a week. However, in our professional opinion, it would be better to wait 30 days.

If, on the other hand, you’re using an oil-based paint (not common in most areas these days), you can apply vinyl graphics, decals, or stickers within a week or so, as oil paints dry from the outside in.

When making vinyl letter signs and logos, we always use oil-based paints as they last longer. But if you’re applying wall stickers to a wall in your home or business, it’s unlikely that in the modern age you’re using oil-based paints.

So while you can get away with installing vinyl wall decals on your latex-painted wall a week after you’ve painted it (yes, we know that’s a tough wait!), waiting a full 30 days would be more ideal.

Question: Can I reuse the wall decals after removing them from the wall?

Wall decals may not be reusable IF the vinyls used are very thin.

However, using thin vinyl does not mean that they are of low quality. Please note that we do not sell this brand of decal, but we guarantee that the thinner the vinyl, the better the quality. They are likely using “cast” vinyl, which doesn’t shrink like “scheduled” vinyl will.

Most of the time, if you remove a wall decal, you will stretch the material, which will decrease the stickiness of the stretched material. If you put it on a textured wall it will often lift the paint. stains and plaster when removing the sticker, also decreasing the adhesiveness of the vinyl.

As a general note, vinyl decals can rarely be reused. If you get a removable decal or a static cling decal, these can be removed and reused to some degree, although the stickiness will tend to diminish after the first use.

static clings

Static cling stickers lose elasticity over time, and the thinner the static cling material, the sooner it will lose its ability to be reapplied. Use of static cling materials plasticizers to maintain a smooth, flexible surface that adheres to glass, acrylic, or very smooth painted surfaces. Over time, the static cling material loses this flexibility and therefore also its reusability.

repositionable decals

On the other handrepositionable decal stickers are also available. The degree of mobility varies from 6 months to 3 years. Some decal materials are used for interior use only and others for both. Obviously, any decal that can be used outdoors can also be used indoors.

LAST UPDATE ON: June 17, 2018