Are you considering getting an image for your wall installed at your college, school or even a university?
Are you unsure of the various alternatives are?
As wall graphic designers and teachers of all things school displays, we’ve helped schools across the UK discover their way through the cons and pros, and choose the best wall art item. This article will discuss the qualities that make vinyl appropriate for schools and provides the information you should know before beginning your project.
What is a wall art?
Wall vinyls can be positioned around any wall obstruction and aren’t limited in size or design.
Every image or design which is put on an interior wall with self-adhesive or self-adhesive can be considered to be wall art or a wall graphics. It is the most widely used and the cheapest form of wall art. With more elaborate designs put on your wall in sections known as drops, there is no ceiling for the size of the wall art. Wall graphics can be fully-coverage (like wallpaper in your home) or be scaled and cut to fit any form.
There are numerous vinyl options for businesses to choose from, each having different degrees of success adhering to walls painted. You could save money by using lesser kinds of vinyl, but it might not last for very long because the adhesive is not specifically designed to adhere to painted surfaces. They have lower surface tension , and typically require an expert wall vinyl.
Why should I choose vinyl graphics for my school’s walls?
School wall graphics are a great choice for schools as they are affordable, simple to put up and are protected by a film or laminate to shield the print from scratches and scratches. Wall wraps that are complete in areas like corridors and other areas with a lot of traffic have a major impact on the appearance of your area and, since they’re washable, could help reduce the expense of painting walls annually.
What kind or wall will I require for a graphic made of vinyl?
Vinyl graphics look best on walls that have a smooth, finished paint and are as free of obstructions as is possible. Vinyl is able to be placed around light switches, sockets as well as other obstructions however, if you have a lot of conduits, pipes and trunking sections over your wall, your design might not stand out and be more difficult to make an impactful effect.
Vinyl is able to reveal any imperfections and bumps present on your wall. To get the best finish possible, it’s always recommended to fill in any gaps or holes, clean and paint your wall when it’s in need of it. The more polished the surface looks, the better the vinyl wall art will appear once it’s installed.
There are special vinyl options which can be applied on blocks and brick walls. However, be sure to check the costs for installation as they may take longer to put in than panels. Additionally, since they don’t conceal the texture of the wall, it is important to consider the view distance that will let your design be seen the way you want it to be without the texture appearing to be a distraction.
Is it possible to easily alter the design of a wall graphics made of vinyl?
Since they are able to last for 10 or more years indoors, it is advisable to consider using a wall vinyl as a medium-term display option. Once the vinyl has been installed, it is not possible to change the design easily without taking it off and leaving your wall that requires some sort of redecoration before doing any other thing with it. If you require more flexibility or require a shorter-term solution there are plenty of alternative solutions that might meet your requirements better.
Can students take the vinyl off the wall?
Vinyl is prone to being scrutinized by curious fingernails, but only if there’s an obvious edge. If your design runs all the way across the wall, floor-to-ceiling, and edge-to-edge, it is the best way to protect against the kind of attention that is expected. If your design has to end before a ceiling or wall, then think about trimming your design. This will conceal the vinyl edge, and make it much easier to decorate each year.
Wall vinyl is cut into intricate shapes , if your design needs it. While in some areas they can be a great solution, take into consideration that shapes cut designs may be more costly to create per square meter, and are much easier to take off the wall than designs with full coverage and are more difficult to embellish around.
What kind of maintenance do wall graphics made of vinyl need?
When your wall graphics is up and running, it will need minimal or no maintenance. If it has an extra-shielded laminate to it, this should allow you to use more powerful cleaning solutions than if your ink is not protected. A gentle wash using the standard surface cleaner can take away most damage and wear. Isopropyl alcohol cleaning solutions or alcohol wipes may be used to remove the more difficult marks.
Can wall vinyl be fixed?
If the vinyl design is damaged or ripped, the only method to fix the damage is by applying an application of a vinyl patch. Most of the time patches can be applied in a way that it is difficult to even notice that they exist and especially when the patch is decal-cut to connect to the design. If this isn’t feasible but it is possible to find an option to design the patch so that the patch to be less at all. When the damages are substantial it may be necessary for a section remove, wall repainted and a new section of vinyl to be added.
If you have a vinyl patch or other addition that has been applied retroactively there is a chance that the colors may not be in harmony. This is more likely to happen for certain types of printers than with others. For instance, latex printers are especially vulnerable to this issue of colour matching which can result in small colour variations on the same print between days.
What can cause a graphic made of vinyl to fail?
Three main reasons your vinyl could start peeling off your wall: the effects of temperature fluctuations, an ineffective installation, or uncompatible paint.
Temperature
Vinyl is made to contract and expand when it cools and heats. It is predicted to shrink slightly with time. This is why joints are placed with an overlap in order to ensure that the gaps in your design don’t appear as time passes. If the temperature fluctuations are more severe and the stretching may be excessive, weakening the bond, leading to the loss of adhesion. You could be in trouble when you apply vinyl to these locations.
Poor installation
The majority of wall vinyls are more adhesive than sign-making, and the method of application is different. To ensure the most effective installation it is recommended to apply them dry in one easy operation on a wall which has been cleared and cleaned. It’s very possible for smaller designs to achieve the best finish using an approach that is DIY, however large full-coverage walls should be left to the pros only.
Paint that is incompatible as well as poorly-painted walls
While vinyl is suitable for application to any wall but it is dependent on high surface tension to allow the adhesive to “key into’, so it’s not appropriate for every finish. Paints with an additive of silicone won’t allow for a solid bond. The majority of wall vinyl experts will be able to perform the wall with a test using the paint they recommend to determine how well the wall vinyl will adhere. If the paint you have is not thick enough, or (for new constructions) the plaster wasn’t properly prepared, this could cause the paint to fail.
Vinyl graphics: pros and cons graphics
Pros
Cost effective
Quick to set up
Will they be able to handle the hustle and bustle of school life?
Cleansing is possible
Hight impact
No maximum size.
Cons
It isn’t easy to make changes
Not suitable for certain locations.
The possibility of being picked on is not protected or strategically located
If you’re still not sure whether a wall graphics made of vinyl is the best option for your college, school or university, contact us.
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