Can You Paint Over Vinyl Wall Decals

On a wall decal sticker.

Can you paint over vinyl wall decals. If you have a wall decal matte finish and not super strong adhesive use a very light coat of polyurethane. Whether you want the look of painted drywall. 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. When making signs using vinyl letters and logos we always use oil based paints as they last longer.

Carefully paint the varnish over the sticker with a clean paintbrush using smooth even strokes. 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. The polyurethane tends to curl the edges of a vinyl sticker and with the lighter adhesive the strength of the adhesive can break down.

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. Prepare thoroughly or the decals will inevitably shed their new finish. Paint will not stick to a dirty surface. As a low budget alternative you can also cover up the damage by hanging a poster or moving furniture.

You want to make sure that your vinyl adheres well and that nothing comes up with the transfer paper. I ve seen many with custom motorcycles attempt a clear coat over top of the vinyl decals and with excellent success. You can also use a primer between the vinyl and the paint. Now on to your actual question about removing the wall decals.

Use heat as you remove the wall decal off. Once you have the sticker covered with a light layer of varnish let the surface dry for 30 minutes to an hour. Unfortunately decals are not suited for adhesion and require specific preparation before they will accept paint. Then find a matching color of paint and repaint over the section.

If you can still feel the edges of the stickers apply another thin layer of varnish. The vinyl has a tendency to want to lift up if you don t have a surface that s perfectly smooth. 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. Be sure your vinyl is clean before applying paint by washing it with soap and water and rinsing well.

If you don t have a textured wall you can also use sandpaper. There are several methods to cover up the vinyl without tearing it out or replacing it entirely. 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. 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 have any other questions about vinyl wall decals please check out our faq page.