COOL WALL STICKERS

How to install self adhesive vinyl panels?

Another quick photo essay to help our customers learn about how EASY it is to DIY install our wall vinyl panels.

The removable wallpaper panels are self adhesive and the  high tech adhesive means you can reposition the wall vinyl over and over again.  Any issues simply peel off and reposition.  This makes decorating with feature walls and fun patterns a piece of cake!

First align the panel by peeling back approx 10-15cm of the backing paper revealing the sticky side of the vinyl.  Continue to align until you have the panel located where you want it.

Stick the first part of the panel down- the backing paper should be folded underneath ready to be pulled downwards.  TIP:  Check your alignment at this point- if the panel is not straight it will only continue that way.  Better to realign until correct and then continue.

Pull down managable sections of backing paper.

Then smooth with both hands from the inside of the panel to the outside.  The technique is the same for whatever size panel you are installing.

Once all backing paper is removed, firmly rub over the whole panel smoothing out any extra air bubbles.  Trim back edges with a sharp utility knife if you wish to remove any overlap.

Watch this space for more photo and video essays on how to relocate our woven wall paper panels.

Install yourself wall graphic for interior decorating

Keeping renovating/ decorating costs down is always a bonus, and our range of self installable vinyl wall graphics is perfect for creating maximum punch at cost effective prices.

We have done market research over the past 2 years and found that our customers will pay up to $1000 for a feature wall that this high quality and easy!

The below wall was created for $700- and is a one off and totally awesome!!!  It was installed in 15minutes by the decorator and looks fantastic.  The vinyl can be installed, repositioned, and relocated with no bother.

Contact us about custom wall graphics for your space.

Now offering EASY APPLY frosted window graphics

One of the great things about tech advancements in the vinyl industry, is that mostly the advancements mean EASIER products for us to make.

We have been testing a special frosting for about the last 6 months, and are now happy to sell it in our DYI kits in our frosted window film section on Cool Art Vinyl website.

The new frosting has a special adhesive that makes installation much easier than our original frosted product for self installation.

Most professional installers use a wet method to install frosting, but most DYI decorators would use a dry method and the new easy apply frosting makes placement of the frosting on the glass an effortless affair.

All current products in our frosted vinyl section will change to the easy apply- and it also gives us confidence to design a lot more in this range, so keep your eye out for lots of new designs.

Vinyl Cut Lettering for Commercial Interior Decorating

We sell plenty of cut vinyl lettering for self installation which give people across Australia the opportunity to put wall quotes and wall words on their walls.

For commercial projects, when we know that we are doing the installation, we press the boundaries of the vinyl to create interesting artworks on a variety of surfaces.

In this recent project below, we used various cast vinyls, which are the highest grade vinyl you can get, to cut intricate blocks of text entirely by die cutting every letter.  This vinyl was then weeded (which means to remove all the negative vinyl) and painstakingly installed directly onto the wall surfaces.

Section 1:  Involved placing cut vinyl lettering onto specially prepared plywood panelling.  There is not a manufacturer who would recommend this because the plywood is rough and porous- two negatives for vinyl adhesion.  However we did testing on plywood over a long period before we offered this option.

In total 10 panels of black vinyl lettering were installed on the plywood.

 

Section 2:   Involves using silver, blue and yellow vinyls to create blocks of die cut lettering on various walls within the commercial office space.

As per above, all text is cut using die cut vinyl lettering.

The only other way to do intricate lettering is to print the design like a wallpaper and then install the lettering in panels.

To ensure lettering like the above examples stick, we can only use cast vinyls which when heated can conform to the texture of the wall surface.

If you are interested in any custom commercial  lettering design, then drop us an email via our contact page.

Unique Mothers Days Gifts with wall stickers

Mothers Day is on May 12th 2013 in Australia and a really thoughtful, yet cost effective way of giving a personalised gift to mother figures in your life, is with a custom wall quote.

By choosing a wall quote that means something to them, you can then personalise the wall stickers with colour, font and size.

So start looking around for a saying, maybe even a word that you think describes your mum and plug it into our CREATE YOUR OWN wall quote system.  Dispatch in 3 business days!

Ideas include:

Or look at WALL QUOTES ABOUT MUMS for a few more ideas.

 

Vinyl lettering to brand commercial interior spaces

Vinyl lettering is the ideal solution to create a powerful branding statement in your business premises. Not only is it cost effective, but the ability to make a large impact with simple and quick graphics is a huge benefit.  We recently installed this white vinyl lettering at an aerial dance studio in Sydney.  Very simple but with a great result!

The same logo was installed on the reception wall showing consistency and continuity  throughout the dance studio.  Interior graphics are an essential part of any businesses branding and there are lots of cost effective solutions such as vinyl lettering.

Our custom commercial projects start at $200 and we have quick turn around.  Contact us on 1300 281 044 to discuss your branding needs.

Removable self adhesive vinyl graphics

We have been enjoying decorating with our door art skin range for the past 6 months.  They are so easy to install the removable vinyl graphic and if you get it wrong you can just reposition.

We recently installed this for a client so we were able to do a before and after shot of the door skin.  This was a quirky application because the door skin actually went on a wall inside a door frame, giving a fun perspective to the space.

Before shot of the decorating space in an interior office.

After shot of the removable self adhesive graphic in place.

You could use any image that creates the feel like the door is going to "somewhere" else outside.  Door Art Skins are removable, can be repositioned and stored and relocated over and over and over again.

Another a great interior graphic idea for deocrating your office or home space.

Why does using a hair dryer help the wall stickers stick?

This is a quick TIP article about why heat may just be your best friend when installing wall stickers!

Our team on average is onsite with customers 2 times a week, this is in addition to our own installations within our warehouse testing product.  90% of the time we finish the installation by using a hair dryer and about 50% of the time use it during the installation.

In all our instructions we send out with self installation kits, it references using a hair dryer.

So what is it all about?

By warming the vinyl with a hair dryer AFTER it has been installed on the wall surface it softens the vinyl and makes it more pliable, you then use the palm of your hand to push the vinyl into the surface ensuring a good connection.  If your lettering or graphic is already sticking well then you may not need this step- but there are many reasons why vinyl may not adhere firmly in the first instance.

Earlier we mentioned that we use a hairdryer 90% of the time, and this shows you just how many different surfaces we have to deal with each week.  Some are textured, some have high tech paints that don't really like the vinyl on them, room temperature and also whether direct sun is on a wall, or if the wall is very porous.

Whatever the reason may be, we have never never never- seriously never- had our vinyl NOT stick after using heat to finish the installation.  We have worked on million dollar commercial office installations where our graphics are the finshing touch, and we guarantee to those customers a 7 year lifespan- and we would never do this without finishing the installation with a good use of heat.

1. Install the vinyl graphic or lettering
2. Use a hair dryer and heat the vinyl on the wall until the vinyl feels hot and then press the vinyl into the wall with the palm of your hand.
3. Move onto another section making sure you cover all parts of the design.

For any more information on using heat to finish your installation feel free to call us.

 

HOW TO Install a Door Art Skin

Unpack the door art skin or photo door skin from the box or tube. Allow the design to lie flat by unravelling and lying on a flat surface. DO NOT cut the design at this stage to fit your door dimension- you will trim on the door.  Features of this product include:

• The vinyl is self adhesive.  One side will appear sticky- the other will have a woven fabric finish.  No additional glue required.
• The vinyl has a high tech adhesive that can be repositioned over and over again.(*1)
• If accidently you stick the vinyl to itself (sticky side to sticky side), the vinyl can easily be pulled apart. 
• The vinyl is able to be wiped clean with a damp cloth and can even be cleaned if you get dirt on the sticky side.  Wash with water and then allow to dry.  Stick again.

PREPARE THE SURFACE

Check the door surface for any obstructions.  If the door has any hooks or other obstructions, remove them first.  If the door has a window or an air vent on it, then you will trim around this after you have installed it.  The main obstruction you will experience is the door handle.  See our article on removing a door handle.

Give your surface a wipe down to free from loose dust and grit.  Clean with gentle soapy water if required for heavy soiling- do not use household cleaning products as they tend to contain repelling subtances such as silicones. Leave door to dry before installation of vinyl.

Wait at least 2 weeks for freshly painted surfaces to dry and cure completely before applying vinyl. The solvents in paint continue to evaporate for up to 2-3 weeks and this can affect the adhesive and therefore the longevity of your vinyl art.

INSTALLING THE DOOR SKIN

The door skin comes in a standard size of 204cm high x 90cm wide.  Depending on whether your door is an internal door, a cupboard door or other, then it may be slightly larger than your door.  Not all doors are exactly square and if you pre trim to size you may find it diffcult to fit.  We recommend trimming the design after you have installed.

Hold the design (with backing paper on) up to the door and check your alignment and whether you have excess that will need trimming later.  Take note of where you think you will start at the top.  Hold in place with masking tape if required so you can stand back and align. We do recommend you install with a second person, and they can help at this stage.

Once you are happy with the  initial alignment, lay the design face down on a flat surface.  Peel about 10cm of backing paper away and fold it over. You will use the revealed sticky strip to temporarily hold your design in place on the door. Check alignment and re adjust the top as required.  The backing paper is still in place.

Start installing the door skin by pulling about 20cm more of the backing paper down from behind the design in an even line. Move both of your hands to the front and smooth the design onto door by sweeping from the middle to the outside for this section only.

Before you continue onto the next section of 20cm, this is the time to check your alignment and whether
the door skin is straight and heading in the direction you want. If not, peel off the door and reposition.  Once you have this first 30-40cm correct, the rest of the design will follow in the same line.  So you need to get this first section perfect.

Continue installing the door skin downwards, moving in sections. [If you didn’t remove the door handle, during installation you will need to cut a single slit when you get to the door handle and pop the handle through- leave like that until you have installed the whole skin. Return to the handle at the end, and using a sharp utility knife cut as neatly as you can around the casing.]    As you reach the bottom of door, pull the backing paper completely out from the vinyl and roll up and store in case you wish to re-use the vinyl at a later date.

To FINISH the design, you need to do the following:

TRIM: Taking a freshly snapped utility knife, start at the bottom edge (this way if you make a mistake it will be less noticeable) and angle the blade inwards (to avoid any “lip”) and in a steady motion run the blade across the vinyl pulling the discarded strip taut as you go, this will stop the blade snagging on the vinyl if it is nice and taut.  Do not rush this as the blade can jump and make unwanted slashes- just
work steadily and you will get a nice even cut.  Repeat on all edges.

DOOR SLIT: To be able to refit the door handle, cut a cross slit in the centre of the door handle and keep it as seamless as possible.  If you have removed the door handle, do not cut a circular hole here- just cut a slit that the handle core can slip through. Retrace the steps for removing the handle and the result should be a seamless design fitting under the door handle.

AIR AND EDGES: If you have any air pockets under the design, you should be able to sweep them out- if not, lift design away until you reach the pocket and then re apply ensuring the air is swept out.  Rub firmly over the whole design and press the edge in nice and firmly so they do not pop up.  Your door skin is now fully installed.  The vinyl can easily be wiped with a damp cloth for cleaning.

HOW-TO Remove a door handle for decorating doors with door skins

With the release of our door skins and photo door skins, we are making a collection of HOW TO articles and videos that will help you install your door skins with all the guidance you need.

The best way to install the door skin is if you remove the door handle from the side you are installing.  The reason for this is that you only need to cut a small slit for the door handle core to poke through the door skin when installing.  If you wish to reuse the door skin on another door, there will be little damage to the skin except the slit.

If you cannot remove the door handle, then you will need to cut a larger hole for the handle during installation- therefore if you want to re-position the door skin to a new door, there will be a hole on the skin. No problem if the new door has exactly the same handle position, but in our experience this is not the case. 

Here are some basic steps for removing a door handle in these instructions.  For more advanced detail there are several vidoes on YouTube about removing handles.

STEP 1- REMOVE THE HANDLE

The handle stem will have a small latch somewhere on it.  Whether you have a round handle or a straight handle, somewhere on the core will be the latch.  Look carefully and you will find it.

You need to use a sharp point, place it in the hole and simultaneously separate the latch while wiggling the handle.  Eventually the handle will release and you can lift it off.

 
STEP  2 - REMOVE THE CASING

Pop the outer casing off by leveraging a screwdriver under the edge. This will reveal some screws holding the inner casing.  Unscrew these and lift off casing.  This will reveal the core.

STEP 3- REMOVE INNER CORE

If you now turn the door handle from the other side, or push the side knob in, it will open and close the latch shown below. When latch is open, you should be able to wiggle the other handle out.

 

After cleaning the door and the area around the handle hole, you will be ready to install your vinyl door skin.   During installation, all you need to do is cut a small slit across the hole and then the handle core will fit through this slit.  

If you decide to reposition the door skin at a later date, there will be minimal damage to the skin.

Other articles on our door skins include:

Door Skins Introduction

Door Skin Examples

Shop for photo door skins online