What Is a Wall Mural?

Murals are a form of self-expression and normally consist of pictures and real-life images that have been printed on a very large scale. 

Wall murals are becoming increasingly popular as homeowners and businesses are using them to create a design statement and tie together a room. 

But, why is this the case? Why are they becoming more popular than traditional wallpaper, and what are the benefits of having a wall mural? 

These are the sorts of questions we’ll discuss in this article. You’ll find out more about what wall murals are, how they differ from wallpaper, and why they are becoming so popular, among other nuggets of information. This should help you be informed if you are thinking of decorating with wall murals. 

What This Article Covers:

• What Are Wall Murals?
• What Makes Printed Wall Murals So Easy And Convenient?
• Wall Mural Installation
• What Is The Difference Between Wallpaper And Wall Mural?

What Are Wall Murals?

When wall murals were first developed, they were often huge artworks that were hand-painted onto walls. This has changed a bit over time. 

These days, wall murals are printed artworks that are larger than life and stuck onto different walls using an adhesive. 

Wall murals are singular scenes as opposed to the repeating images of wallpaper. You can get different types of them. They can be used in bedrooms, living rooms, gyms, or offices. 

Wall murals really bring a spark of color to a room and make it much more exciting. While most people prefer to only cover one wall in a room with a mural and leave the other three blank, it’s up to you to decide how much of your wall you want to cover.

Different Types Of Wall Murals

Wall murals can differ in the materials used to make them, and they can also differ in what the image used is.

Printed wall murals are generally printed onto vinyl, latex, fabric, paper, or laminate. But, vinyl is by far the most popular, long-lasting, and easy to work with. 

Wall murals also differ in terms of the images they have on them. These images are usually large, and photorealistic images are very popular choices. But, you can also get wall murals with scenes that are abstract, geometrical, actual photographs, splashes of color, or landscapes.

What Makes Printed Wall Murals So Easy And Convenient? 

Printed wall murals are exceptionally easy to use, install, and remove. We will explain the process of how to do this shortly, and then you will understand why printed murals are praised for this. 

Printed wall murals allow you to install the mural by yourself, and literally take a few minutes to install. Another great thing about them is that they are so easy to customize into anything that you want. 

The cleaning and upkeep of printed wall murals are also exceptionally easy. They have a long life span and don’t fade easily, even if you are cleaning them frequently.  

Wall murals also bring a whole other dimension to a room. They give it personality and a spark of color to make it more enticing. 

When it’s time to update your room, printed wall murals are easy to remove and can be used again. They can also be customized, which means you will get exactly what you want. 

Wall murals are also very easy to clean, they are durable, and have a long life span.

Overall, wall murals are a great investment if you are looking to brighten up a room and make it look unique.

Wall Mural Installation

Wall mural installation differs depending on whether your wall mural contains self-adhesive or not. 

Self-adhesive wall murals, also known as peel-and-stick, are much easier and less of a hassle to install. But, if you have someone helping you, neither of the two is too difficult to install. 

First things first, you might be wondering if a wall mural needs a smooth wall. The answer is that yes, it does. So, that is where you would start.

Then, for wall murals that aren’t self-adhesive, you need to apply mural glue to the back of it and spread it out with a roller. Let it sit for 10 minutes so the glue is properly absorbed. 

To stick it on the wall, start at the top of the wall and stick the left corner of the wall mural down. Use a smoothing tool for the air bubbles, and smooth from the inside out. Continue until the whole mural is stuck on the wall.

The same process is followed for peel-and-stick wall mural, except you will obviously skip the very first steps of applying glue to the panels.

A very important step that should form part of your installation process is how to seal a wall mural. 

How Do You Remove A Wall Mural?

Removing wall murals is quite a simple and easy process.

The best peel-and-stick wall murals are normally made to be removed without any additional supplies; simply just peel them slowly and carefully off the wall. 

To remove wall murals that use adhesive, start by tugging at the corner of the wall mural, and see how much of the mural you can easily get off. 

Then, use a hairdryer on a low setting, and blow it over one area for a few minutes. Once the area is warm to touch, pull it off the wall a bit more. Continue with this until the whole mural is off. 

If you have done the above process carefully enough, and the mural is still in good shape, you can learn how to reuse wall murals and use them again somewhere else, if you please. 

What Is The Difference Between Wallpaper And Wall Mural?

Designs

With wallpaper, there is not often the choice to customize it, and the patterns are usually mass-produced. The patterns found on the wallpaper are often small and repetitive. They are made to blend in with the room and not really stand out.

Wall murals are often custom-designed and are of a large, eye-catching image. Usually, wall murals are printed images of real-life photos, and they are made to stand out and be the centerpiece of decor in a room. 

Locations Where They Are Used

Another notable difference between wall murals and wallpaper is where they are used. 

Wallpaper can be used anywhere, on all four walls of a room, or even on the ceiling. Wall murals, on the other hand, are usually only placed on one wall of a room. 

Wall murals are meant to be an eye-catching addition to the room. Wallpaper adds a visual appeal to a room and ties it together, but is not meant to be a focal point. 

Installation And Application

Similar to wall murals, you also have the option to choose a wallpaper that has self-adhesive, or wallpaper that does not. 

Peel-and-stick wall murals are applied the same way that a peel-and-stick wallpaper is. 

Wallpaper that doesn’t have a self-adhesive is also applied similarly to a wall mural of the same nature. The only difference is that you need to smooth the wallpaper onto a flat work surface. Then you will have to coat the back of the wallpaper with adhesive applied in a figure-eight pattern. 

Removal 

Removing wallpaper isn’t as easy and simple as removing wall murals, unfortunately. Wallpaper also often can’t be reused, unless it is the peel-and-stick version.

To remove the peel-and-stick wallpaper, you follow the same steps as for wall murals. 

To remove wallpaper that uses adhesive, you have to score the wallpaper with a razor scraper; this is to be done in circular motions. This creates slits in the wallpaper which allows the moisture, when applied, to easily break down the adhesive. 

Next, you will apply a wallpaper removing the solvent to the wallpaper, which will break down the adhesive. Use a wide paintbrush or roller to apply this. Let the moisture soak in for a bit before peeling and scraping off the wallpaper. 

Care And Life Span

Something that wall murals and wallpaper do have in common is that if you look after them properly, they both have a long lifespan. 

Most types of wall murals and wallpapers aren’t sensitive to moisture and can be cleaned with a damp sponge, especially if you have put a sealer on them. 

You want to avoid using any harsh cleaners to make them last longer. 

Conclusion

As you can tell, wall murals are a great decor element to add to a room. They bring in a beautiful pop of color and can tell a lot about the homeowner’s personality.

Wall murals are cost-effective, easy to install, customizable, reusable, easy to clean and have a long life span. It is a no-brainer that custom wall murals are an amazing element to bring a room together, and are definitely worth the investment.

Did you enjoy reading our blog? Then consider checking other guides:

• How Much Does a Wall Mural Cost?
• Best Wall Murals
• Decorating With Wall Murals
• How Are Wall Murals Printed?
• Best Wall Murals for Bedroom
• Best Wall Murals for Living Room
• Outdoor Wall Murals
• Simple Outdoor Wall Murals
• Garden Wall Mural
• Weatherproof Garden Wall Murals
• Waterproof Wall Murals
• Exterior Wall Elevation Wall Murals
• Wall Murals For Business
• Home Office Wall Mural