Mural Installation
Mural Basics We offer four types of mural products:
  • Panel Murals: Generally are full-wall size pictures that are created by installing 4-8 panels to complete the picture. These products are made of paper (about 5 times the thickness of good laser paper), do not have vinyl protection like wallpaper, and can be more challenging to install given the type of image (aligning long palm tree trunks over obvious vertical or horizontal lines across many panels). These are the least expensive products we offer, and the most common type of mural that we sell. We provide some very helpful tips for successfully installing our panel mural product line.
  • EZ-Hang Murals: This product line lives up to it's name in installation. The murals are created with multiple vertical strips of wallpaper (complete with vinyl coating & prepasted). As you install each strip, the mural scene is created. They have beautiful quality along with their ease of use. These products are moderately more expensive than the panel murals, and generally not as large.
  • Designer Art Murals & Designer Kid's Murals: These products are very high end quality and depending on the size may come in a single piece, or just a few pieces making installation very easy. They are not prepasted, but do have vinyl protection making them a durable product like wallpaper. We have many artistic, scenic, and children's themes. Many of the children's products allow personalization of a name that is blended into the murals scene. These are our most expensive products and many are offered in various sizes.
  • Accent Murals: These murals are designed to accent a wall or area and generally are trimmed sections of an individual design. Some are prepasted and pretrimmed. Some require paste and trimming away the white edges. Generally they are very easy to install and depending on the size may come in 1 piece or multiples.
Wall Murals - an inexpensive way to transform a room to exciting!
EZ-Hang Murals:
These products are prepasted and hang in vertical strips. You'll find these very easy to install and very durable. Don't forget to prepare your wall first with a primer-sealer.

Designer Murals:
These products will not be prepasted so you will need to purchase paste. A universal wallpaper paste is generally acceptable - follow instructions for a light-weight paper. A paste like Golden Harvest cellulose paste is a good choice. Each product will come with instructions which should be followed. These are very easy murals to install.

Working with Size Issues:

  • Too large: If your mural is too large for your area, they can be trimmed to fit. When trimming panel murals, always trim with a sharp razor blade and only when the mural is completely dry or it will tear.
  • Too small: If your mural is smaller that your wall area, consider creating a border to frame it. Picture frame or window frame moldings work great and create a 'window' look. There are also many wallpaper borders that have frame like designs that can be used to frame the mural.

    • Using Multiple Murals:
    Although most of the murals are not meant to be used together (their design was not meant to repeat and would have an obvious difference at their connection), there are some clever work arounds we have seen. Generally anything that is 3 or more inches wide will trick the eye into not expecting a continuation of the pattern. Consider selecting the material for the theme such as bamboo, or a narrow strip of grasscloth for a tropical scene, a rustic board or half round log for a woodsy scene. Painted moldings work well with most murals.

    		Typical 8 panel mural layout

    Frequenty Asked Questions:

  • Can they be installed outside? Definitely not recommended. These are inside products
  • Could we put them in a bathroom? Panel murals would not be a good choice. If the area has moderate moisture like a large adult bathroom, an EZ-Hang mural might be OK
  • Can we install them over paneling or texture wall surface? Paneling or textured walls are not good surfaces for these products. Consider installing a wall liner first over the wall and then install your mural. Wall liners are inexpensive and available at most home building or paint stores.
  • Can we coat the mural to protect it? Yes, most murals can be coated after installed & dried, with a product like McCloskey's Clear Coat Satin. This product will not yellow and provides additional protection to the picture
  • Are the murals 'glossy' like a photograph? No, the murals have a more matt finish
  • What is the quality of the image? The extra large panel murals are best viewed a few feet away. If you get too close you can see the pixelation (although the newer printing methods of these products is greatly improved). The EZ-Hang and Designer murals use highly effective techniques to enlarge their pictures and are quite exceptional.
  • Can we order a custom size mural? Sorry, but our murals only come in the sizes shown
  • Are samples available for murals? Sorry, but we are not able to get samples of any of the murals
  • Are the murals difficult to remove? If your wall was prepared with a primer-sealer, soap & warm water is generally all that is needed, with perhaps a little help from products such as 'DIF'.
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    Panel Murals
    Panel murals are the most inexpensive products in the mural lines and we sell more of these than anything else. A successful install can be expected provided instructions for both wall preparation and installation are followed. Things to consider if purchasing are panel mural are:
  • Best used in an area where there is little or no moisture (bathrooms, kitchens are not good candidates for these murals). Children's rooms are acceptable, especially if the mural is coated with a sealer (we have some suggested products that are good for this).
  • This product is made of paper and is not washable without removing the image.
  • Wall preparation is key for a successful installation. A clean wall prepared with a primer-sealer is best. Your wall should be smooth - textured walls are not suitable for this product.
  • Plan this as a 2-person project. The individual panels are large and it is difficult for one person to hold and position the panel in place.
  • Before you start, lay the mural out dry to inspect each panel to ensure the the picture features line up on adjacent panels, and the colors blend on adjacent panels. Do not install your mural without this step
  • Make a plumb line to ensure that your first panel is hung straight. Lining up to a corner or door is not a good idea as it may not be a true straight line.
  • Install your panels so that you are always working on adjacent sections - and don't take a break until it's done. Start with a bottom panel so that the top panel will overlap 1/8". This minimizes the seam from showing. Normally an 8 panel mural will have panels 1,3,5,7 on the bottom and 2,4,6,8 on the top. Generally you will start with panel # 1 then panel #2, followed by panel #3 and then #4. The panels will expand up to 1/2 inch when wet and then contract a bit as they dry.
  • Unlike wallpaper installations, a panel mural will have it's edges overlapped. This prevents the seams from showing after they dry
  • Tip about murals: the most difficult to install are those with vertical or horizontal features that expand over multiple panels (like a palm tree leaning over a beach). If one of the panels gets too wet, or overworked by repositioning, it will stretch and make lining up the pattern most difficult.
  • The greatest install failure with this product is getting the panel too wet (after all it's made of paper!). Our instructions will help you minimize this and make your install easier
  • Using a professional installer? - Make sure they read the instructions and don't try to hang this like wallpaper (it's not)
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