Can You Paint Over Vinyl Wall Decals

Prepare thoroughly or the decals will inevitably shed their new finish.

Can you paint over vinyl wall decals.

When making signs using vinyl letters and logos we always use oil based paints as they last longer. If your vinyl surface is clean the paint or primer will adhere to the vinyl rather than the dirt and you will have a longer lasting finish. As a low budget alternative you can also cover up the damage by hanging a poster or moving furniture. Paint will not stick to a dirty surface.

Be sure your vinyl is clean before applying paint by washing it with soap and water and rinsing well. Once you have the sticker covered with a light layer of varnish let the surface dry for 30 minutes to an hour. Depending on the type of wall paint. A hair dryer on high heat setting or a heat gun on low heat setting should help the glue release easily.

There are several methods to cover up the vinyl without tearing it out or replacing it entirely. Use heat as you remove the wall decal off. The best way to get wall decals or most any other decals off is to use a bit of heat as you peel the sticker. If you have any other questions about vinyl wall decals please check out our faq page.

You can also use a primer between the vinyl and the paint. You can go ahead and paint it or spray paint it but just be sure to give it a really long time to dry before applying the vinyl. Then find a matching color of paint and repaint over the section. If you have a wall decal matte finish and not super strong adhesive use a very light coat of polyurethane.

You want to make sure that your vinyl adheres well and that nothing comes up with the transfer paper. If on the other hand you are using an oil based paint not common in most areas nowadays you can apply vinyl graphics or decals or stickers within a week or so as oil paints dry from the outside in. On a wall decal sticker. The polyurethane tends to curl the edges of a vinyl sticker and with the lighter adhesive the strength of the adhesive can break down.

If you can still feel the edges of the stickers apply another thin layer of varnish. A show car or custom chopper and you ve did some testing and you can t easily or cost effectively do it with only paint or vinyl graphics. If you don t have a textured wall you can also use sandpaper. Vinyl wall paneling can look dated in a modern home.

Unfortunately decals are not suited for adhesion and require specific preparation before they will accept paint. The vinyl has a tendency to want to lift up if you don t have a surface that s perfectly smooth. I ve seen many with custom motorcycles attempt a clear coat over top of the vinyl decals and with excellent success. If you need to paint but are unable to remove existing decals from the surface you are working on paint over the stickers using the proper techniques.

Now on to your actual question about removing the wall decals.