The other day I received a question about how to remove a sponsorship decal that was on a basketball court.

The first question I asked the young chap was:

“What sort of basketball court is it? Do you use it for training or it is for games…”

The reason being, is if it’s a basketball court that is only used for training, then it doesn’t matter whether you mark the surface. A little scuffing of the wood is okay. In that case, I would be comfortable using either:

1) Wonder Wheel: rubber wheel that wears away the decal, though can slightly mark the wood and remove the polish from the floor boards

2) Metal razor: this will chip some of the floor boards, though won’t leave too much of a mark

However, this was a court that was used for the local high school matches so the floor had to be kept in perfect condition. So what was my recommendation.

I recommended he use a plastic blade, like the Wonder Blade. The reason – as it’s made of soft plastic blade, it won’t scratch the surface or mark the wood. The plastic blade is strong enough to get under the surface of the decal, then you slowly pull back the vinyl whilst lifting the blade further under the decal. It’s quite easy and fast

When writing articles about the different ways to remove decals, we almost always deter people from using Metal razors blades to remove decals. Why do we take this stand?

Well using a Metal razor blade can:

1) Easily scratch painted surfaces (we never recommend them for removing decals on painted surfaces such as cars)

2) Be harmful for the user if slips (and cut themselves)

3) Dirt cheap

However, if you are trying to remove a decal or sticker from glass, then a metal razor is passable as its:

- hard to scratch the surface; and

- if you use a metal holder, its much safer and harder to hurt yourself

We would still recommend a plastic razor blade such as the Wonder Wheel as its almost impossible to hurt yourself and your wont damage the surface.

Good luck with your project and stay safe.

Removing decals from boats is a common problem as it’s so easy to damage the surface.

Boats are usually made from fibreglass that is a surface that scratches easily and can be affected by intense heat. To avoid ruining the surface of your lovely fibreglass boat we recommend the following approaches to remove the sticker / decal.

Easy ways to remove boat decals or stickers

1) Wonder Blade (plastic razor blade): as the Wonder blade is made from plastic it’s perfect for sensitive areas such as fibreglass. The way it works is by the plastic razor blade getting underneath the decal then applying pressure to slide the plastic blade under the decal to lift it off. You can watch a video of a decal being removed with the Wonder Blade. The downside of this tool is that it is suited to smaller areas that are less than 1 foot x 1 foot. (you can do bigger areas, it just takes longer).

2) Wonder Wheel (soft rubber wheel): this works by wearing away the decal on the boat. You need to be careful with this tool when using it on boats (its fine on cars, trucks and glass). As most boats are fibreglass based which is a sensitive product, then its possible to press too hard with the Wonder Wheel and leave a fine brown mark (usually some cutting or car polish will remove any fine marks, though best to use soft pressure). FYI - the Wonder Wheel is great if the decal is old and baked on as wears away the decal

So to remove decals on boats we recommend:

1) Small area: Wonder Blade

2) Big area or baked on decal: Wonder Wheel

What not to use:

1) We definitely suggest you don’t use a razor blade as this will easily scratch the fibreglass.

2) Heat gun - take caution as the heat gun can sometimes affect the fibrrglass and melt or bubble the surface. If you do want to use a hear gun, we recommend you test it in a discrete area first

Good luck removing the decals and happy sailing and boating

Did you know there are two parts to removing a decal? No….. Well there is. They are

1) Removing the decal (yep, most people know that); and

2) Removing the adhesive left on the surface once the decal has been removed.

Now there has been plenty of articles written about how to remove decals, though the topic of removing adhesive is often overlooked. So why is it important to remove the adhesive…..

Well, the important reasons to remove the adhesive left on after a decal has been removed are:

1) If you are going to replace the decal that is being removed, then you must remove the adhesive. Why… because the new decal will have a rough an uneven surface if you don’t remove the adhesive that is left on the surface.

2) If you don’t remove the adhesive, it will gather dust and dirt and the surface will have a dark image where the prior decal was.

Okay, so how do you go about removing the adhesive that is left on the surface after a decal has been removed?

1) Use a man-made chemical to rub onto the surface that removes the adhesive. We don’t recommend these products as we have seen cases where people hands break into a red rash. A red rash is not a good outcome and has unknown side effects. (We do understand there maybe good products on the market, though we have tested these to give them the thumbs up)

2) Use a natural chemical to rub onto the surface that removes the adhesive. We can recommend Eucalyptus oil. It’s user friendly, does a great job of removing adhesive and has a pleasant smell. Eucalyptus oil can be bought from most major super markets

3) Use a tool that removes most of the decal and adhesive. The Wonder Wheel works excellent in removing the decal and the adhesive. This tool is made of soft rubber and works by wearing away the decal from the surface. At the same time as removing the decal, it takes away most of the adhesive so works like a 2 in 1 product.

P.S - if you do use a chemical (either natural or man-made) to remove adhesive we recommend you wash the surface afterwards to ensure the chemical is removed from the surface. This is important because if you are applying a new decal, you need to ensure the surface is clean and doesn’t have any chemicals left over that may reduce the decal sticking to the surface

Every 2nd day I get an enquiry about how to remove decals that have been baked on a car or truck. When I say baked on, I mean, decals that have been on a vehicle for 10 - 15 years in harsh weather climate - such as the Arizona desert. These are decals that have been on a vehicle that is out in the sun most of the day in temperatures up to 100 degrees

The reason I get asked this question is that some methods don’t work with baked on decals - the reason. The chemical composition of the decal changes over the years. What this means is that the adhesive between the decal and the car gels together so the decal and adhesive become a single common bond. This is factor that makes the decals so hard too remove.

So what methods work for baked on decals. Well first what methods don’t work and why

Applications that don’t work for baked on Decals

1) Plastic razor blade. Doesn’t work. Why, as the adhesive and decal has become one, its almost impossible to get an edge underneath the decal (i.e. get underneath the decal to lift it up). Plastic razor blades are great for new decals or small surface areas

2) Metal razor blades. We never recommend these for painted surfaces as they easily scratch the surface. A ruined paint job due to a scratched surface is the worst outcome

3) Heat gun. Now don’t get me wrong. The heat gun can work for decals that are only a few years old, however for baked on decals it doesn’t cut it. Why??? Because the heat gun works on heating the decal which in turn heats the adhesive, making it loose and able to lift off. However as the adhesive and decal have become one (due to the being stuck on the car for so many years), the adhesive can’t be heated up. When you try this method you can only pick off pieces, the size of a dime, that makes the job impossibly long….

Applications that DO WORK for removing baked on Decals

1) Wonder Wheel: this is a new tool that is made from soft rubber. It works by wearing away the decal and not affecting the surface underneath. So its perfect for baked on decals as it just strips away the decal. The bonus of this method is it also removes most of the adhesive that was left behind. The best way to see this product working is by a video demonstration of it removing a baked on decal from the side of a truck.

There is one type of Decal that is very hard to remove – its, thicker, has stronger adhesive and means some of the standard tools available to take them off don’t work.

The reason reflective decals are so hard to remove is due to a different base material used. It the decal is really thick and stuck on with lots of adhesive. For this reason the only tools to get the Decals off in a reasonable amount of time is

1) Wonder Wheel: works by wearing away the Decal. The bonus is the adhesive is also removed

2) Heat gun: takes longer and there will be adhesive left over. We recommend using eucalyptus oil to remove the adhesive as is a natural product and wont cause skin irritations (unlike some products on the market)

So if you ever have a job to remove decal, check to see if its reflective as it takes more effort and time to remove

Removing decals can be an easy process if the right tools are used. Generally there are 5 ways to remove decals. Each has there own pro’s and con’s, depending on what your criteria is (i.e. cost or time). I have outlined what tools are best for what applications. The top five are:

1) Wonder Wheel (maybe a little bias, but it WORKS)

Description: This a rubber wheel that attaches to a drill (connection is included) and works by wearing away the decal. See video for example of it in use

Pro’s

• very fast and works on most surfaces

• good for large areas

• takes away a lot of the adhesive (less need for additional chemical or tool to remove adhesive)

• cheap (around $25 and seems to last a long time)

• best tool found on the market for removing large areas of decals

Con’s

• availability (only found online)

• if press too hard (very hard) can leave a light brown mark

Best for:

• cars, trucks, buses, glass

Less suitable for boats

• make sure you don’t press too hard

2) Plastic Razor

Description: using a plastic razor blade to get underneath the edge of a decal and scrape off

Pro’s

• very fast on small glass surfaces

• very good for removing decals on boats as won’t damage the surface

• only product recommended for removing decals from wooden surfaces (as wont damage the surface)

• cheap (around $20)

Con’s

• better for small surface areas. Too slow for big jobs

Cost:

• low to medium (around $20)

Best for:

• boats, cars, trucks, buses, glass surfaces, wooden surface

Bad for

• large areas of decals

3) Metal Razor blades

Description: using a metal razor blade to get underneath the edge of a decal and scrape off.

Pro’s

• very fast on small glass surfaces

• cheap (price of a razor blade)

Con’s

• can easily scratch the surface. Easy to ruin paint jobs

• better for small surface areas. Too slow for big jobs

• injury (possible to cut yourself)

Cost:

• super cheap (price of a razor blade)

Best for:

• glass surfaces

Bad for

• painted surfaces on cars, trucks, boats

• large areas of decals

4) Heat Gun

Description: Uses heat (from a heat gun tool) so the vinyl is heated to a higher temperature that changes the structure of the decal (I.e. makes it possible to peel off)

Pro’s

• good for large areas

• once bought the tool, not need to buy further consumables

Con’s

• cost of initial heat gun tool (usually cost over $80)

• messy (adhesive gets sticky)

Best for:

• cars, trucks, buses, glass

Bad for

• wooden surfaces
  
• check for any resprayed areas before using

5) Degreaser / Chemicals

Description: Chemical product (either natural or synthetic) used to remove the decal. Works by the chemical breaking down the adhesive that holds on the decal. Experience has shown that chemicals generally don’t work well in removing the decal as it can not penetrate the decal surface. If you use this method, its recommended to perforate the decal surface so the chemical can break down the adhesive.

We recommend using these chemicals as a supplementary product that is better designed at removing the adhesive that is left over, after a decal has been removed (using one of the tools above)

Pro’s

• none found. Best suited at removing the adhesive (once the decal has been removed)

Con’s

• if using a synthetic product, the potential harm to the skin surface (some products can cause skin irritations)

Bad for

• we don’t recommend chemicals for removing decals, rather they re best suited to removing the adhesive left over

How to remove Decals from cars (that have been baked on by the sun)

A common question I get asked is “how do I remove decals from my car or truck that has been baked on by the sun over many years?”

Well these that are baked onto car, truck or bus surfaces are the hardest decals to remove because the cellular compound of the decal, sticker or advertising label has changed and become a much denser substance.

I am bias in this view, though the only way to remove these decals are:

a) metal razor blade (only an option if the car is going for a re-spray as due to the toughness of the decal, you are 99% likely to scratch the surface). Please be careful as metal blades cut skin easily and due to the harden decal, a lot of force is needed to remove the decal

b) Wonder wheel that is attached to a drill (FYI - I don’t believe its possible to remove decals by using rubber compound products, just using your hand, as the rubber compound needs high revolutions with light pressure to actually wear away the decal)

c) Chemicals, heat guns or plastic blades won´t work as the decal has become too hardened and can´t penetrate the molecular structure of the decal (However, these products can work on decals that haven’t been on the surface long)

Hence if you are removing the decal for the purpose of replacing it with another decal or sticker, or just like it to be removed, then I would recommend the Wonder Wheel (see the demo at www.decalstickerremover.com) for how it works.

If you are having your car, truck or bus re-sprayed, then a heavy duty metal scraper can work, though please take caution due to the dangers of cutting yourself.

Happy decal removing

P.S - I am planning on getting some video footage of the Wonder Wheel working on decals that have been baked on cars, trucks and boats from the sun, so people can get an understanding of their efficiency. The video will also include the time it took to remove the decal as some people don´t believe how fast it works until they have had a demonstration given

Decals change the look of a product, making it the talk of the city. Not only is it easy to apply but also it saves money by not hiring a professional auto graphic to install. Vinyl decals are so easy that you can do it at home!

Decals, stickers and vinyl have always added a zing, be it in decoration or advertising. But with time, it starts to loose its texture and glamour. So removal becomes necessary. But proper methods of removal is essential so as not to distort the surface and the paint on cars, trucks, walls, floors and other areas.

Some of the traditional methods for decal removal are-

a. heat guns

b. metal razor blades

c. toxic and non-toxic chemicals

The above options can work, though are labor-intensive and potentially harmful (some chemicals have react adversely to your skin).

Heat guns are used heat the temperature of the adhesive, making the decal easier to remove. But high heat from heat guns can sometimes melt the surface on which the vinyl or decal has been installed.

Metal razor blades are used for getting underneath the decal and peeling. This can harmful as it may scratch the painted surface of your car.

Some chemicals are expensive and can ruin the surface as well as if the painted surface is a re-spray( and if it’s not done properly then it will be embarrassing for you to have inconsistent colors on your vehicle). These methods have been around for years and do work, but need care and prior experience to remove decals, vinyl or graphics.

So how do you make removing decals easy? by using the alternative way

Wonder products have launched a modern and innovative technology to wipe out decals without affecting the surface and its texture. Mr. Peter Nobbs (our Chief ‘Decal Remover’ Officer) is the exponent behind the discovery of Wonder Wheel and Wonder Blade.

The Wonder Wheel is used to remove decals on bigger surfaces like cars, trucks with its unconventional, yet very effective spinning wheel technology.

The Wonder Blade is made out of plastic and is designed for smaller surfaces!

Decals add a style element to your petrol tanks and other small surfaces. Likewise vinyl letters have also gained immense popularity as a home décor item. Vinyl letters are used to decorate walls, adding a color to your otherwise whitewashed rooms. Vinyl letters are easy to use and can be glued on wood plaques, glass, picture frames and tile squares.

With the craze for funky car exteriors and looks, people are inclined more towards applying graphics to their cars and vehicles. But when the decals become old or worn, out they need to be removed.

Great care needs to be taken when attempting to remove decals as its very easy to damage the surface or tarnishing the paint unless you use the right tool.

So what is the simple technique to remove decals or vinyl lettering from smaller surfaces?

Peter Nobbs of Wonder Products has a solution to this. After much racking of the brain, Peter has found an easy way to remove graphics. Like Wonder Wheel, the Wonder Blade removes smaller stickers, decals and vinyl letters from petrol tanks, walls, floors, etc. Decals or vinyl letters fade away with time and reflects an antique look! However with Wonder Blade, one can simply peel off the decals or stickers from small surface.

The Wonder Blade works with the help of a blade made out of plastic and is user friendly which what makes it so unique… being made of plastic, it won’t scratch the surface (unlike metal razor blades that can turn jobs into disasters)

The Wonder Blade can be used on all surfaces. It is small and easily portable. You can carry it in your pocket too! Unlike some other products, the Wonder Blade does not use any chemicals which can cause skin irritations. The Wonder Blade is safe to use as it does not scratch the surface like metal blades. You will never have to put your extra strength to make it work.

For the Wonder Blade, simply click in the plastic blade and it’s that easy to start getting the job done. With Wonder Blade you can finish the job of decal removal swiftly and without any hassles. You can check out our videos at www.decalstickerremover.com to see how easy it is to remove decals, stickers, graphics and vinyl letters.