Help! My decals aren't sticking. What do I do?

Unfortunately, we do see this happen from time to time.

If this is going to happen, its most often in the first few hours (or sometimes days) after application, which is why we recommend checking on your decals over the first 48 hours in particular. 

Step 1

Put the decals back on the backing paper (baking paper is a good alternative).

If some of your decals are just lifting slightly at the edges, you may not need to do this, but if you have young children, loose decal pieces can pose a choking hazard and we recommend monitoring them closely for signs they are lifting further from the wall. 

If whole sections of decals peel away from the wall completely, they will pick up fluff and dust from the floor, making the issue harder to resolve.

Step 2

Time to Investigate

Let's troubleshoot the most likely issues. 

1 - Have you recently painted?

Your paint may not be fully dry. This may seen counter intuitive, but paint that is not fully cured can cause decals to peel away from the surface, as it is still going through an off-gassing process. The time it takes for this to happen varies between paint types and can also depend on how good your ventilation is. Standard paints can take approx. 1 month, while others can take 8 weeks. Our Paint Guide has more info on this.

2 - Did you wipe the wall down before applying the decals?

Just like all the other surfaces in your home, walls accumulate dust, grime and oils in the same way. It can be surprising just how much it can help with decals adhering, to simply wipe the wall with a damp cloth before you put them up. Make sure to let the wall dry before applying the decals. 

It is not generally necessary, but in some instances (eg low/zero VOC paints) it can be worth wiping the wall with a mixture of 70% isopropyl alcohol with 30% water (you must not use more than 70% alcohol as this can cause issues such as bubbling of the paint surface). Wipe this across the wall (you may see a little paint on the paper towel). Let it dry completely before applying your decals.

3 - If you're re-applying the decals, does the sticky side look like it's picked up much fluff or dust?

While our decals do not get less sticky the more you use and move them, they will pick up little bits of dust and fluff. If you think this might have happened to your decals, we recommend running them under a cool tap to give them a refresh. Don't scrub at the adhesive, or use any detergent, as this can compromise the adhesive. Just hold the decal sticky side up under the running water and gently move any bits of fluff and dust away with the flat area of your thumb and fingers. 

Once done, lay your decals sticky side up on a clean surface to dry before returning them to the wall.

4 - Are your walls heavily textured?

Textured walls that prevent large areas of the decal from coming into contact with the wall are difficult to stick to and so our decals may lift away in places. Unfortunately we don't have an easy fix for this, but our high tack decals are perfect in this instance.

5 - What paint is on your walls?

If the answers to all of the above are no, the issue is probably down to your paint type.

Over recent years, stain resistant paints have become increasingly common place. These paints contain compounds like Teflon and Silicon, which resist anything sticking to the wall, including decals. Our standard decals are strong enough to stick to some of these paints, but generally we recommend using high tack.

The best bet is to check your paint can. Most major paint brands will have a variety of paints they make. For instance Dulux makes standard paints that are easy to stick to, but also paints like 'Wash and Wear' and 'Easycare' which are highly stain resistant and a real challenge for standard decals. If you'd like our advice on a paint, it's really important that you give us the details ie not just the brand but the range and finish too. Check out our Paint Guide for more info on this.

It looks like my paint is the problem, what are my options?

1 - High Tack Dots

Depending on the size and complexity of the decals sets you have, using some high tack dots behind your decals can be a great fix. These are small patches of our high tack material which you apply behind your decals to help them adhere to the wall. Depending on the decals and the severity of your peeling issues, this can be a fiddly process, but it can be a great option. Contact us if you'd like to try these.

2 - Alter the painted surface

Apply a prep coat or sand the surface. We don't have first hand experience with these options and know they are not right for many customers, especially those that have invested in lovingly painted walls. However, they may work for some and on that basis it would feel remiss not to mention them. 

Here in Australia Viponds sell a product called 'Self Adhesive Prep Coat you can apply over your paint which we understand will mitigate the issues, but until we give it a go ourselves we can't recommend how well it works.

3 - Contact Us

The last option is to purchase replacements made in high tack. Please get in touch if you are considering this, in case there is anything we can do to help.

If you need us we will always do our best to help and offer advice, so drop us a line at info@littletalltales.com