Emboss Vinyl Wall Mural

Custom wallpaper murals can be printed from your own photo or design, or you can use a stock photo from one of the many sites available that provide images such https://www.istockphoto.com - https://www.shutterstock.com - https://www.dreamstime.com and many others. These sites have low cost stock images you can purchase, and there are some that offer free images, but make sure any free images are of a suitable resolution because you do often get what you pay for. If you plan on using your own file or photo, be sure you read the helpful information in the FAQ tab to learn about file sizing for quality wall mural printing. If you're printing a traditional wallpaper design with a repeating pattern, you can provide the pattern file and we can repeat it to fill your desired dimensions>

Preparing Your Wall

Surfaces to be covered must be clean, smooth, dry and structurally sound. Loose paint or other wallcoverings must be removed. In order to ensure maximum smoothness of installation, nail heads, nicks, gouges, and other surface imperfections should be filled, sanded smooth and sealed. On new walls, drywall joints should be taped, bedded and sanded smooth.

Mold and mildew require moisture in order to grow and, therefore, it is important to check the walls with a suitable moisture meter. Moisture content should not exceed 4%. Excessive moisture in wall needs to be corrected prior to the installation of the wallcovering. Remove any mold and mildew from existing wall and treat surfaces to inhibit future growth.

This emboss wallcovering can be installed over almost any surface that has been properly prepared. Do not hang over ball point pen writing, wax crayon, ink marker, oil based stains or any foreign matter that may bleed through the wallcovering. Painted surfaces should be checked for possibility of pigment bleed-through. It is suggested that lead pencil be used to mark the print or wall as pencil marks do not bleed. Glossy surfaces should either be sanded to dull the surface or an application of Professional R-35 heavy-duty primer should be made.

If future strippability is desired, a primer must be used. Some drywall joint compounds contrast with the drywall paper surface, showing strong light and dark colored areas. Very lightly colored wallcoverings may allow show-through due to their limited amount of opacity. Should this situation occur, we recommend that you use a primer, then Koroseal Heavy Duty A-848-B Adhesive or equivalent.

Recommended Wallpaper Paste

There are only two major commercial grade wallcovering adhesive manufacturers remaining in the United States: Gardner-Gibson & Roman Decorative Products. They have consolidated market positions by developing numerous private label brands for most major retail paint store chains and in some cases mass-merchandising builder supply outlets. Their branded and private label products work quite well and can be used for a successful installation if these general guidelines are followed.

Always use a recommended compatible primer with the selected brand of adhesive. New sheet rock, previously painted sheetrock, sheetrock with wallcovering previously installed and subsequently removed (adhesive residue remaining), sheetrock in high humidity environments will each require slightly different surface preparations and or formulations depending on job site conditions. There are primers for unique installations that can be used but close attention to individual job details are a big plus for successful installations.

We have found that water-based acrylic and or latex primers are preferred to almost all other types of primers. Paint stores will know the compatibility of their house brand of primers relative to their brand of adhesive relative to the condition of the installation surface. The good news is that it is not rocket science. The product information / application labels are actually pretty good in this industry.

The best general guidelines for a suitable wallcovering adhesive are as follows:

1) Premixed commercial grade available in one and five gallon buckets.

2) A “clay” premixed is the baseline for commercial wallcovering adhesives. All commercial wallcovering adhesives are water based. Clay based adhesives require a little more attention than a “clear cellulose” adhesive when they are dropped, smeared or spilled on surfaces other than the back of the wallcovering. A real “sea sponge is recommended for cleaning/removing clay based adhesive residue. Do not try to save a few dollars by buying a conventional sponge. A cheap sponge will spread the adhesive over a larger area and come back to haunt you when it dries. Rinse with clean water. Change water frequently. Some installers prefer clay based products because they can readily see the amount of adhesive that has been applied to the wallcovering or the wall if “dry hanging”. There also may be some additional “open time” (the amount of time available to install the material before it dries out) depending on the local temperature and humidity.

3) A “clear” (cellulose vs clay) based adhesive will minimize clean-up issues. It dries to a consistency similar to oatmeal residue and will flake off easily. Be careful around exotic finishes (silk, woods, etc...) regardless of what type of adhesive is used. One inch “blue” painters tape is great for a quick barrier between the finishes, over ceiling grids, moldings, etc...

4) A “strippable” commercial grade adhesive will facilitate future removal of material when you are ready to change the image/message. If you plan to change the mural at some point then seriously consider a strippable adhesive and suitable primer. You'll make the process of changing out the mural considerably easier. 

Below are some general product recommendations, but there are many others available:

1 ) Gardner-Gibson:
a ) Primer: Dynamite® 235 / HD acrylic primer sizing: 350-400 sq. ft. per gallon.
b ) Primer: 221 clear wall prep.
c ) Primer: 222 white tinted wall prep.
d ) Adhesive: Dynamite® 780 HD clear strippable: 275-300 sq. ft. per gallon.
e ) Adhesive: Dynamite® 234 premium HD clear/strippable.
f ) Adhesive: Dynamite® 433 clay based strippable.
g ) Adhesive: Dynamite® 111 clay based not strippable. Last resort.

2 ) Roman Decorating Products, Professional® Series:
a ) Primer: Pro 935 (R-35®): 400-450 sq. ft. per gallon (might be over kill for some)
b ) Primer: Pro 909 vinyl prep.
c ) Pro Ultra® Prime 997: great for new sheet rock applications.
d ) Adhesive: Pro 870 HD clear strippable: 275-300 sq. ft. per gallon.
e ) Adhesive: Pro 838 HD clear.
f ) Adhesive: Pro 774 clay strippable.
g ) Adhesive: Pro 732 clay. (last resort).

3 ) Roman Decorating Products: (high humidity environments)
a ) Primer: Pro 988 (for mildew prone environments) 400-450 sq. ft per gallon.
b ) Adhesive: Pro 888 Clear. (for mildew prone areas): 275-300 sq. ft. per gallon.

4 ) Benjamin- Moore:
a ) Primer: Universal Wall Grip®203: 400 sq. ft. per gallon

5 ) Sherwin-Williams:
a ) Primer: Prep-Rite® Pro Block®
b ) Prep-Rite® Bonding
c ) Prep-Rite® Pre-Wallcovering Primer (depends on condition and type of substrate).

6 ) Zinsser:
a ) Primer: Gardz®
b ) Also supply quality mildew prevention products. 

Installing the Panels

All material must be installed in panel sequence. Graphic design of panels will determine seaming method to be implemented. Overlapping and double-cutting and pre-trimming both have advantages in making acceptable seams, but most murals are printed with overlap to be double cut. Do not “score” dry wall when double-cutting.

When hanging materials it is best to observe from a distance the first two or three sheets before continuing so any potential problems can be identified before the installation is complete.

Apply an even coat of adhesive to fabric side of material using a stiff bristle brush, roller or pasting machine in accordance with label recommendations. The wallcovering should be applied to the wall as soon as it has become tacky. Smooth the surface, working out air bubbles as you go using a wallcovering brush, sponge or soft plastic scraper. Avoid burnishing the surface of the print as you complete this step.

As each strip is installed, immediately remove excess adhesive from wallcovering surface and seams using natural sponge and a soft bristle brush frequently rinsed in clean warm water. Dry with clean cotton toweling, professional vinyl cleaner/wallpaper remover should be used where adhesive products have been specifically developed for use in these applications. We are not responsible for the appearance and performance of the wallcoverings not applied according to these instructions. Seams should not be located closer than 6” to outside or inside corners. Do not install wallcoverings unless a temperature above 55°F is maintained in both areas of installation and storage.

Maintenance and Care

Ordinary dirt and smudges can be removed with a mild soap and warm water. Clean from bottom of wall upward. Rinse thoroughly with clean water from the top down using a sponge. Deeply embossed wallcoverings need extra attention to remove suds or loosened dirt that may lodge in the embossing. Dry wallcovering with a soft lint free cloth or towel. For more difficult stains that are only surface deep, the use of a stronger detergent is recommended. Always test an inconspicuous area with the stronger detergent to be sure that the surface and ink are not damaged. DO NOT USE steel wool or powdered abrasive because they can damage the image and textured surface. DO NOT USE solvents, alcohol, pine oil, or cleaners that contain these kinds of products as they can remove the image and damage the textured surface. When cleaning, always take measures to prevent water from dripping behind molding. 

Do the emboss vinyl wallcoverings contain cadmium?

For those who are not aware of this, NIOSH has concluded that cadmium is possibly a human carcinogen and has recommended that exposure be controlled to the lowest level feasible. Since then, the use of cadmium and its disposal has come into question in American industries. Cadmium-containing chemicals have been used in the production of vinyl wallcoverings for many years, both as a heat stabilizer and as a color pigment. They performed well in both of these applications and were effective in meeting the market needs. However, the restrictions on use in Europe and Japan, and the growing discussion in the United States on the hazards associated with its use, were of concern.

The manufacturer and raw material suppliers developed replacement materials that would be cadmium-free and still meet the product requirements. This required extensive research and development trials to arrive at a cadmium-free heat stabilizer which could deal with the high processing heats, hold the film’s color, and not interfere with the printability of the film. This project was completed, and all cadmium was eliminated from use in these products.

What is the emboss vinyl wallcoverings Early Warning Effect?

The emboss vinyl wallcoverings are made with a special feature that gives off an Early Warning Effect® when heated to a point below fire ignition temperature. This can save lives by giving people extra time to leave a room before there’s smoke or open flames. The life-saving time made possible by this Early Warning Effect can vary from only a few seconds, in the case of a fast moving fire, to as much as a half hour or more when the heat of an impending fire is slowly building in intensity.

This Early Warning Effect® formulation works when as little as one (1) square foot of the Wallcovering is heated to about 300 degrees Fahrenheit - well below the ignition point of most common room materials. For example, newspaper ignites at a temperature of 445 degrees, and pine shavings ignite at 500 degrees.

At that point, the wallcovering gives off an odorless and colorless vapor that will set off the alarm on an ionization-type smoke detector. Consumer Reports magazine ran an article that claimed more than 85% of the commercial smoke detectors installed in the U.S. are ionization-type. The formulation of the Early Warning Effect has been demonstrated in a series of tests conducted by an independent laboratory in Texas.

Ionization-type smoke detectors utilize a low-level radiation source to generate a beam that can be interrupted by charged particles. They are the single most popular type of smoke detector on the market today. To see if a smoke detector is an ionization type, take the smoke detector off the wall or ceiling and examine the backside of it. If it is an ionization-type, there will be the symbol for radiation prominently displayed on the back. (The radiation symbol looks like a three bladed propeller.)

Keep in mind that the Early Warning Effect is triggered by heat on the wallcovering. Smoke or open flame elsewhere will not trigger the effect, but the normal operation of ionization-type smoke detectors should handle those situations.

What is the fire rating of the Emboss Vinyl Wallcovering?

Specifications /Testing /Certification

Federal specification: CCC-408-A Type II Class A
CFFA specification: CFFA-W-101-D Type II Class A

Fire Testing

NFPA 101® Life Safety Code®: NFPA 225** Class A
ASTM-E84 Tunnel Test** Class A
CAN S102M Tunnel Test** Class A
NFPA 286 Corner Burn Test***
Meets or exceeds requirements for Flame Spread, Smoke Developed and Flashover.
Underwriters Laboratories Listed and Labeled: Type II-J

How wide will each panel of my wall mural be?

Generally we make each panel of a larger wall mural 48 inches wide. If the dimensions of your mural are such that narrower panels are necessary to divide it into equal sections, we may make the panels narrower. For example, if a mural were 80" wide, we might split the mural into two 40" panels, rather than one 48" and one 32" panel. For wallpaper and textured vinyl wallcoverings that require wallpaper paste for installation, we leave a 1"-2" overlap between panels to make alignment and trimming easier. For self adhesive products, we leave a 1/2" overlap since those materials require you leave the overlap between panels rather than double cut and butting the seams.

For smaller murals or graphics, we try to keep the image in one piece if possible.

Should I install my wall mural, or should I hire someone else to do it?

We generally recommend having a professional paper hanger install your mural. The process isn't any more difficult than installing other wallpaper, but since a custom wallpaper mural is more expensive than standard wallpaper, a mistake during installation could be more costly. For that reason, professional installation is the safest approach. Also, many people are used to installing wallpaper in smaller sections and may have a more difficult time with larger 48" panels. Your local wallpaper retailer should be able to suggest a qualified installer, or most painting contractors can also install wallpaper.