Vinyl Removal: Tips and Best Practices

When discussing vinyl, a majority of people will focus on what vinyl to use, what tools they use or vinyl cutter, but in this blog, we’ll be discussing another side of vinyl. Instead of putting it on we’re going to look at how you take vinyl off. Vinyl can be hard to remove and time consuming. In this blog we’ll look at why vinyl can be so tedious to remove, what to avoid, and some best practices when it comes to removal.

Why Vinyl Won’t Come Off Without a Fight
There are many factors that weigh in on how well a vinyl will come off. Those factors include how long the vinyl has been there, the type of vinyl, and what substrate the vinyl is on. If a vinyl has been on the substrate for several years, it will be substantially harder to come off and give you a bigger struggle. Depending on the wear and tear of the vinyl and quality, it could already be brittle, flaking and leave “tan lines” around smaller decals like vinyl lettering. This will all increase the amount of time it will take removing and cleaning the vinyl from the substrate. Temporary vinyl, or vinyl meant to only be installed for a short time will come off with much more ease. All of this should be taken into consideration when preparing to remove the vinyl

What to Avoid
When removing vinyl, especially from cars and windows, there are several things you want to avoid. Firstly, using abrasive solutions should be avoided at all costs. Using such tactics could cause damage to the substrate you’re removing from and you could end up with a bigger mess than you started with. These methods include using exacto knifes and razor blades. There are tools that allow you to scrape of whole window decals quickly, but even these should be used with caution. Using these tools too aggressively can cause you to cut into the film commonly placed over glass. Thus becoming another costly mistake, you can make. Lastly, dosing vinyl in vinyl remover, adhesive remover, or using tools should be avoided until you test. You don’t know how a substrate or vinyl will react to what you are doing, so it is best practice to always do a test patch before continuing.

Heat is King
Removing vinyl isn’t fast and easy, but takes a lot of patience and heat. Many experts boil down the process to heat, pull, and repeat. There isn’t much out there that will beat this method. If you can get a corner of the vinyl, you can make it work. When pulling from the substrate, make sure not to pull too far away. Keep in close and pull closer to the source. This will allow you greater success in pulling off larger pieces instead of small chunks, enabling the process to go faster. While you can use various tools to aid you, heating the vinyl is recommended by experts. On the flip side of heat--Be careful not to burn or overheat the vinyl and ruin the substrate.

Vinyl Removal Tools
There are several tools you can use to assist you in removing vinyl. There are power tools like the MBX Vinyl Zapper, a rubber tool that is meant for substrates like metal, glass, or fiberglass. These handheld tools make the work easier, but are not recommended for certain vinyl types or types of vinyl decals like lettering. There are other recommended tools such has plastic razors and chiselers that can help in peeling up the vinyl. Most of the tools used to remove vinyl are plastic or rubber to limit the possibility of damaging the substrate you’re removing from. Any tool you use, and even heat, should be used with caution to avoid such damage and liability to you and your company.

The final step of the process is to finish removing any leftover adhesive the vinyl left behind. There are several adhesive removers to aid in this step. Additionally, prepping the surface for new vinyl is required if you are looking to reapply vinyl to the surface. Make sure all vinyl remover is cleared away and the surface is sterilized and ready for the new decal.

Keep in mind that there is no rule of thumb when removing vinyl. Vinyl removal takes time, testing, and patience. There is no magic tool or remover that will make the vinyl peel off in a breeze. A combination is often required between heating, pulling, and utilizing tools to make it work. Always be careful not to go too far in any method and damage the substrate. Avoid using abrasive methods and always preform a test patch before proceeding further!