When you move to a new apartment or build a new home, you may consider putting up wall decals to avoid boring walls. Wall decals (also named wall stickers) make your decoration process simpler and easier. But if you don’t know much, you must have many questions to answer, for example, how many years do decals last? Are they eco-friendly or safe for children? Do they damage my walls? Do they leave residue on walls? You will find answers in following paragraphs.

Generally speaking, there are two types of wall decals, with and without transfer film. The type without transfer film is more self-adhesive and stickier. It’s easy to install, just peel and stick. This type has vibrant color and it’s usually used to make full color decals like Disney character theme, photo stickers, life size basketball super star, etc. It’s thicker and stickier than the other type so it lasts many years and hardly curls up or falls off from walls. I have a sticker on an old refrigerator in the kitchen and it was applied about twenty years ago when I was a teenager. And now the color faded along with refrigerator surface.

The type coming with transfer paper is also popular among homeowners. It’s thinner and relatively vulnerable, which requires transfer film to help. This type of vinyl wall decals is complicated to install. You have to transfer each piece from back sheet to walls. It’s time consuming process especially when you have a large tree with lots of leaves. All decals of this type are one color so manufacturers usually offer several color options like black, white, brown, grey, etc. Most quotes wall decals are made of this type. It’s not as sticky as the other type but good enough to stay on walls for years.

Both types have their own advantages and disadvantages. All wall decals are primarily made for indoor use and if you use outside they will fade quickly. Nowadays, both types of wall stickers on the market have little hazarded content and safe for all your family. But you still need to let it air for a few hours after you unroll the package. Decals without transfer film probably hurt your walls after long time because they get stuck with walls. And when you peel off some stickers there will be residue left on the walls. If you want to use decals, you should prepare for that. So it’s recommended to use on windows, doors, furniture, or something with flat or semi flat surface. You wouldn’t have all the problems.