Why choose a vinyl wall graphic for use in your school?

Do you think of having a wall-mounted graphic put up in your college, school or at a university?

Uncertain of the many choices are?

As wall graphic designers and educators in all aspects of school displays, we’ve assisted schools across the UK to navigate between the advantages and disadvantages, and pick the appropriate wall art item. This article explains the qualities that make vinyl appropriate for schools and also explains what you should know before beginning your project.

What is a wall art?

Wall vinyls can be positioned around any wall obstruction and aren’t restricted in terms of size or style.

Every image or design which is put on the wall using self-adhesive vinyl is considered to be wall art or a wall art. This is the most popular and least expensive type of wall art. With larger-sized designs being put on your wall in sections known as drops, there is no ceiling for the size of an image on the wall. Wall graphics can be fully-coverage (like wallpapers in your home) or be scaled and cut to fit any form.

There are numerous vinyl products for companies to choose from, each having different degrees of success adhering to painted walls. You could reduce costs by using less expensive varieties of vinyl, however it might not last for very long since the adhesive was not made to adhere to painted surfaces. These are less prone to surface tension and typically require an expert wall vinyl.

Why should I use vinyl graphics on my school’s walls?

Vinyl wall graphics work great in schools due to the fact that they’re cost-effective and simple to put up and are protected with a protective film or laminate to shield the print from scratches and scratch marks. Wall wraps that are complete in areas like hallways and other areas with a lot of traffic have a major impact on the appearance of your area and, as they are washable, could help reduce the expense of redecorating walls each year.

What kind or wall will I require for a graphic made of vinyl?

Vinyl graphics look best on walls that have a smooth painted surface and are free of obstructions as they can be. 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 that are covering the wall, the design might not be noticed and it will make it harder to create an impactful effect.

Vinyl is able to reveal any imperfections and bumps on your wall. To get the most perfect finish, it’s best to fill in any gaps or holes, clean and paint your wall when it’s in need of it. The better the paint surface, the more attractive the vinyl wall art will appear when it’s put up.

There are special vinyl options which can be applied on blocks and brick walls. However, make sure you know the cost of installation since they may take longer to set up than panels. In addition, since they do not conceal the texture of the wall, it is important to consider the viewing distance to ensure that your design can be seen in the way you would like it to be without the texture becoming distracting.

Is it possible to easily alter an image on a wall?

They can last for ten years or more indoors, consider a wall-mounted vinyl as a medium-term display option. After your vinyl is installed, it is not possible to change the design easily without taking it off which leaves your wall needing some kind of change prior to doing anything else. If you’re looking for more flexibility or a temporary solution there are plenty of alternative solutions that might meet your requirements better.

Students will be able to remove the vinyl from the wall?

Vinyl is prone to being scrutinized by curious fingernails only when there is an obvious edge. If your design will be over the entire wall floor-to-ceiling, and edge-to-edge, this is the most effective way to guard from this type of scrutiny. If your design has to be stopped before the ceiling or wall, then think about trimming your design. This will conceal the vinyl edge, and make it much easier to decorate every year.

Wall vinyl is cut into intricate designs if the design you want to create needs this. In certain situations, they’re a good solution take into consideration that shapes cut designs may be more costly to create per square meter, but they are much easier to take off the wall than designs with full coverage and are more difficult to embellish around.

What type of care will a wall graphic made of vinyl need?

After your vinyl wall art is installed, it will require minimal or no maintenance. If it has the protection of a laminate to it, this should allow you to use more powerful cleaning products than if the ink was not protected. A gentle scrub with an ordinary surface cleaner will get rid of most everyday damage and wear. Isopropyl alcohol cleaners 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 option to fix the damage is by applying an application of a vinyl patch. In the majority of cases patches can be applied in a way that it is difficult to even notice that they exist and especially when the patch is cut to connect to the design. If this isn’t feasible but it is possible to find an alternative design that permits the patch to be less evident. When the damages are substantial the section might need remove, wall repainted and a new section of vinyl to be added.

When you apply any vinyl patch or other addition that has been applied in retrospect there is a chance that the colours might not be in harmony. This could be more challenging for certain types of printers than other. For instance, latex printers are especially affected by this problem of colour-matching which can result in small colour variations on the same print in one print to another.

What could cause a graphic made of vinyl to fail?

Three main reasons your vinyl could begin to peel off the wall: the effects of temperature fluctuations, an ineffective installation procedure, or incompatible paint.

Temperature

Vinyl is made to contract and expand when it cools and heats. It is predicted to shrink in the course of time. Because of this, joints are constructed with an overlap in order to ensure that the gaps in your design don’t appear as time passes. When the temperature fluctuations become greater and the stretching may be excessive, weakening your bond, cause the vinyl to lose adhesion. In the end, you could be in trouble using vinyl in these locations.

Poor installation

Wall vinyls generally have a more durable adhesive than sign-making, and the process of applying them is also a bit different. To ensure the most effective installation the wall vinyls should be applied dry in one easy operation on a wall that has been thoroughly clean and prepared. It’s possible for smaller designs to achieve an excellent finish using DIY methods, but bigger walls with full coverage are for only the professionals.

Paint that is incompatible or poorly varnished walls

While vinyl is suitable for application to most surfaces but it is dependent on an extremely high tension surface for the adhesive to “key in’ . Therefore, it’s not appropriate for every finish. Paints with added silicone is not able to provide a strong bond. The majority of wall vinyl experts will be able to conduct the wall with a test using the paint they recommend and will show the degree to which the vinyl will adhere. If the paint you have is not thick enough, or (for new constructions) the plaster wasn’t made in a proper manner, it could result in the failure of paint.

School wall graphics: pros and cons

Pros

Cost effective

Easy to set up

Are they able to withstand the rigors of school life?

It is possible to clean

High impact

No maximum size.

Cons

It’s not easy to modify

Not recommended in certain areas.

It is possible to pick them up if the area is not secured or positioned strategically

If you’re still not sure whether a wall-mounted vinyl graphic is the best option for your college, school or university, then contact us.