Reasons Your Wall Decal Won’t Stick

Decals are one of the best ways to decorate your walls. They're damage-free, easy to apply, and come in every shape, size, and style imaginable—what's not to love? Applying your decals should be a simple, straightforward process. But sometimes, you'll have a decal that refuses to stick. No matter what you do, it peels straight off the surface you're applying it to. When this happens, you can't help but wonder what the issue is. Let's look at some reasons your wall decal won’t stick.

Reasons Your Decal Won't Stick

There's a whole variety of reasons that decals refuse to stick. If your decal is peeling off the walls, it could be because:

• The surface hasn't been thoroughly cleaned.
• The surface has residue on it.
• The wall isn't painted or is painted with low-quality paint.
• The wall is textured.
• The decal or the surface you're sticking it to is cold.

Thankfully, most of these problems are easy to fix.

The Surface Isn't Clean

Your decal won't stick to surfaces that are wet, dirty, or otherwise unclean. Before you apply your decal, take a gentle, damp cloth and clean your wall. Walls have dust particles and residue that can affect your decal's stickiness. Cleaning them removes these imperfections, giving your decal a flat, clean surface to stick to. Once you've washed your wall, leave it to dry. Depending on the type of wall, this can take anywhere from a few hours to an entire day. To be safe, it's best to let the surface dry overnight. Once it dries, you can reapply your decal.

Your Wall Is Textured

Another possible reason your wall decal won’t stick is that you have textured walls. For a proper application, the surface you're applying your decal to needs to be smooth. Decals don't stick well on uneven walls or walls that contain texture. Before applying your decal, you'll need to even out the surface. Take a hard ball—a tennis ball will work fine—and roll it over the textured area. This flattens any raised surfaces.

It's Not Sticky Enough

Sometimes, your decal is just having a hard day. Using a blow dryer can help. Melting the glue around the edges will boost your decal's stickiness. Make sure you exert minimal heat, as using too much can spoil your sticker. If your decal isn't sticky enough, it might be low-quality. Low-quality decals use cheaper materials and won't stick as well as ones that are higher quality. The easiest way to fix this is by buying your next decal from a reliable, trusted source.

At VWAQ, we're dedicated to making high-quality, personalized decals for our customers. Come check out our selection of vinyl wall art, including inspirational wall decals and wall quotes, today!