Be VISUALLY EXCEPTIONAL with Wall Coverings

THE RIGHT MATERIAL FOR THE JOB

If you are living in a rented space or temporarily decorating a model home, you might want to choose a removable wallcovering. These come pre-pasted, peel n stick, and are easily removed without damaging the wall. The bonus is it is all recyclable too. A non-pasted traditional vinyl Type I or Type II commercial grade material will do just fine if you are looking for a more permanent wall covering for your high-traffic areas. Essentially, it boils down to how much traffic will be in the area and where it will be used. For example, a school hallway would do best using Type II as it is more rugged and a great solution to enduring kids bumping and banging against these wall areas all day. Anything else might not withstand the constant contact and start to wear down and lose its luster and effectiveness.

CHALLENGES: THERE ARE NO PERFECT WALLS

Are you thinking about sprucing up a space with a wall covering, wrap, mural, or decal? There are some challenges to consider. The most important thing is to start with an on-site consultation to do a wall adhesion test, confirm measurements, and look at the environment. These steps are vital to the project’s success and ensure your wall covering stays attached, looks fabulous, and lasts for years.

Unfortunately, not all materials will work for all wall surfaces. First, a wall adhesion test is critical to determine the best product to use for your project. Second, but equally as important, is the measuring. Remember the saying, “measure twice, cut once?” yes, this applies,

but probably we will be measuring more than twice! The entire wall dimensions are measured down to the quarter inch. A final challenge is most walls are not square or perfectly even. Ceilings slope and some walls have electrical plugs, thermostats, and other permanent obstructions that must be wrapped around but match graphics and/or text seamlessly.

In one case, an A&I client’s ceilings were scalloped, requiring a unique wrap technique to fill in the high points across the entire width of the wall! While another client wanted a wall wrap that extended around corners onto six separate wall surfaces! The wall wrap was a text quote that needed to be centered. And yes, each wall surface had to be measured precisely, and an adhesion test was performed.

Various ceiling heights over a multi-wall installation make for creative printing, especially when text is a part of the graphic. The scene must be balanced, straight, and centered. Projects like these aren’t always easy with walls not of the same height.

Printing of these wall coverings, murals, and wraps needs to be overlapped (also known as a full bleed) at least two inches or more around all edges of the artwork. Doing this allows the multi-panel design to match up correctly because nobody wants to see jagged edges or have the design fall short when reaching the edge of a wall.

IMAGE RESOLUTION
Wall coverings, wraps, and murals are meant to cover large-scale walls. A big obstacle to avoid is pixilation (low-quality image) of the final

printed design or image. Resolution is the key to printing high-quality and visually vibrant graphics. Not to get too technical here, but the general rule of thumb is Resolution divided by DPI (dots per inch) = maximum image size. Simply put, remember a large print can go smaller, but a small print will not scale up and look well enlarged without following the formula. Nobody wants to look at a ten-foot-high blurry wall mural! Right?

EXTRA PROTECTION
To laminate or not laminate, that is the question. An extra lamination layer may not be required if you have chosen a rough or textured material. Still, depending on the space’s environment, lighting, and humidity, lamination might be the best way to protect the print instead of leaving the ink exposed to the elements. Lamination also makes the material more rigid and easier to work with for installation in some settings. During the consultation, A&I will discuss your options and see what is best for your project.

You can transform any space by installing wall coverings, murals, wraps, and decals. Here are a few examples:

School: Let school pride resonate throughout the campus with custom murals. Not only can it promote a sense of community and spirit, but the large-scale theme creates a memorable environment for faculty, students, and visitors. A genuinely nurturing classroom provides an atmosphere that allows students to thrive, bringing lessons to life.

Medical/Dental: Easing the apprehension among patients can be as simple as providing an atmosphere that makes them feel calm and comfortable. Calming scenes or quirky fun scenes for pediatric offices keep young patients entertained and reduce anxiety using fun and colorful wall murals or decals.

Business/Lobby: Create an inspiring brand-strengthening work environment with custom wall covering or wall wrap. A bright, cheerful workplace inspires creativity, morale, and productivity. Use themed logo colors and designs to welcome customers and clients.

Senior Living Facilities: Feeling at home is essential to the resident’s wellbeing. Natural and warm hues and panoramic landscapes can bring a sense of calm and cozy. For those with Alzheimer’s or Dementia, wall murals are a perfect solution to create a wayfinding system.

Spa/Gym: Wall Decals and Wall wraps can give a motivational boost to members while they get into shape. Transform a spa or salon into a luxurious retreat with a custom mural, inspirational quotes, or serene wall wrap with Zen-like themes. People want to return when they feel relaxed and well.

Kids Daycare: What is more fun than bright colored walls and murals full of storybook characters to look at? What about a wall covering that could be used as a chalkboard? So many exciting ideas to unleash children’s creativity and imaginations.

Home: There are endless uses for wall coverings in your home. Murals in children’s rooms inspire calm, textured material for the living and dining rooms, wall graphics, quotes, and sports team decals for that man cave. Magically expand your space and give the illusion of a window looking out to the beach with a scenic wall mural. It might inspire your next vacation or add a sense of calm to the room.

Wrapping things up, the right image and feel inspire people to return to where they feel good. Wall coverings, wall wraps, murals, and decals are simple, customizable solutions to create a unique and memorable environment no matter where you are.

“Everything is judged by appearance, what is unseen counts for nothing-
Therefore, STAND OUT”
-Anonymous