Removable Vinyl Print on plastered wall

[Paul Stenning]

Personally, not on a removable vinyl. If it’s short term I’d consider Drytac Retac which has never given me any problems though

[Colin Crabb]

We had similar, and ‘removeable’ vinyl didn’t adhere to the painted wall very well (painted wall, wasn’t a glossy finish, just emulsion, harder to stick too) when we did a test.

So we played safe an inform client that we cannot guarantee the vinyl print would be removable without damaging paint and went for normal MD5, client took it off month later and did very small touch ups.

[RobertLambie]

Coincidentally, I had to “return” to a job “today”…

The customer had a professional painter and decorator in, who prepped the wall, emulsioned it and then a couple of coats of acrylic paint to give a better surface to bond to.

The wall was about 2090mm deep x 15 feet wide.
The printed and matt laminated panel/tile was running horizontally and measured 1520mm deep x 15ft wide. It was done in this fashion so there was only one single join in the entire wall. Even that was discreetly hidden.

However, when I attempted to install the print the first time. I positioned the 15ft x 1520mm panel, removed the paper and began to apply the vinyl. I thought I missed a swipe with my squeegee, so I passed over it again and instantly I could see it was not sticking. I looked behind the vinyl panel and there was an A4-size piece of plaster stuck to the back of the vinyl. stuck solid and wasn’t going anywhere!

I hadn’t been applying the vinyl for more than 30 seconds and this happened.
the entire 15ft x 1520mm panel was wasted. worse still, I had just fitted about 3ft x 3ft of it, so I removed it, and that stripped even more paint and plaster from the wall.

wiping the patches with my bare hand, I could feel an almost talc powder residue from the plaster. the wall had not been prepared properly and at the very least, they had not PVA bonded the plastered wall before painting it.

the difference here is I instantly told the customer the wall was at fault and why. I showed him the patches of plaster and he could also feel the powder residue between the plaster and the paint.
You have to be calm and professional and have some form of solution to offer the customer, but be clear at the same time. they have just incurred extra costs because this is a reprint and revisit to install.
Fortunately for me, I had no issues and the wall was installed today without any problems.

The point in telling this story, other than it happened only today. is that had the fail not happened in this way, and the customer asked me to remove the print next month or next year. The vinyl would have ripped the paint and probably all the plaster from the wall. Now, “who would be expected to pick up the costs then?” when in fact it was a botched job by the painter and decorator!
I wouldn’t have known, and I would have probably blamed the vinyl for having an over-aggressive bond to the wall. Regardless, the costs to complete;y plaster that wall and repaint it would have landed on me!

Give them ZERO guarantees for graphics on an emulsioned plasterboard wall.

Consider this, If it was wallpaper and paste, hung. can you guarantee a clean trouble-free removal of that?

I appreciate that there are lots of fancy adhesive systems on vinyl etc. but they have to work hand in hand with the correct type of surface.

Keep in mind, that if the adhesive isn’t strong and the painted surface isn’t the best and the vinyl loses its bond in a few months time and starts to curl. will your customer then complain that it is falling off the wall and want to replace it?