Low or No VOC Paint — Good for You, Not So Good for Wall Graphics
What’s the solution?
Not that long ago, the smell of a freshly painted room was unmistakable – and very strong. Some actually liked the smell. The issue was that the smell was the result of out-gassing of chemicals as the paint dried. Some of those chemicals were VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) — unstable carbon-containing compounds that when vaporized, react with other substances in the air to produce ozone and other nasty pollutants — not good for the human body.
So, VOCs have been greatly reduced or even removed from paint formulations. While this is great news for health, the new formulations are very rough on vinyl adhesion. We have attempted installations of wall graphic designs produced using permanent-adhesive cut vinyl that literally fell of the wall. Color variation in paint from the same manufacturer can have an effect as well as drying time. To have a shot at sticking, the paint needs to dry for at least two weeks, and a month is preferable.
Which brings me to my point: with low to no-VOC paint, vinyl wall graphics are a hit or miss proposition. Our recommendation for vivid, sure-to-stick, wall graphics is printed wall paper. HP makes a paper that further aids in a healthy indoor environment: PVC-free wall paper. We have done several projects using this product ranging from one accent wall to large murals to full four-wall designs and the results have been spectacular.
Here is an example – a detailed 7’ high by 14’ wide large format aerial shot of the Chicago skyline installed at Fuzzy’s Chicago Style Pizza in Peoria, AZ. Their blank wall was transformed into a mural so detailed that Chicago natives can spot locations and relive memories of downtown experiences. Patrons come to Fuzzy’s for their mouth-watering pizza, hot-dogs, and wings done in classic Chicago-style, but the mural is a further draw to their store.
Call today for a free consultation. Let Designs Phoenix show you how transform your space with custom printed wallpaper.