Fridges are one of those crucial kitchen appliances that can feel dated before you know it. And unfortunately, buying and installing a new fridge comes with a high price tag. However, with vinyl refrigerator wraps, you can make your old-fashioned fridge look brand new once again.
The cheapest and easiest way to improve your outdated fridge is to install vinyl wraps. Vinyl wraps can modernize any refrigerator with a wide range of colors and designs, and they’re easy to replace as soon as you’re craving a new look.
Refrigerator wraps are uniquely designed to revamp your old fridge with a modern appearance. In addition, they last for a long time, up to 7 years or more, while shielding your fridge from damage. Let’s take a loop at how vinyl wraps work, which kinds to consider, and how to install them yourself.
What Is a Refrigerator Vinyl Wrap?
As the name implies, a refrigerator vinyl wrap is a piece of vinyl that sticks closely to your fridge like a second skin. It’s like a giant sticky label that conceals the entire appliance’s surface, altering its appearance in terms of color and texture.
Vinyl wraps are strongly built for durability, and you can use them on other hard surfaces like doors, cabinets, dishwashers, or even bookcases. They allow you to make regular color changes to those surfaces, including your fridge.
Why You Might Want a Refrigerator Vinyl Wrap
There are various reasons why you may want a refrigerator fridge wrap; let’s consider three of the most common ones:
Budget
One reason you might want a fridge vinyl wrap is that you’re saving for a more important purchase, or you intend to buy a new fridge but haven’t saved enough for it just yet. Refrigerators are one of the most expensive appliances in your kitchen, so replacing one is no simple matter.
Even if you find a relatively cheap option, there are the costs of delivery, installation, and disposing of your previous model.
When you take all of these costs into consideration, it becomes clear that changing your fridge is an expensive procedure, even in the best cases.
Compared to replacing your fridge, vinyl wraps are a much more affordable option. You can purchase lots of unique designs for a low cost that is a far cry from the price of a single fridge replacement. In addition, there is no need to dispose of your old fridge or pay for delivery to get your new refrigerator installed.
If your budget is limited, but you’re looking to make some changes in the kitchen, then vinyl wraps may be exactly what you need.
Stress
A more convenient alternative to the tasking process of replacing your old fridge is a refrigerator vinyl wrap. As you’ve read above, getting a fridge replacement is pretty expensive, but you should also know how stressful it can be to carry out the setup process.
While the installation is underway, your entire kitchen is out of use. Furthermore, you have to move the old fridge out of place and find another spot to store it until you can get rid of it.
In some cases, you may need to work out how exactly to maneuver a fridge through your house. That might involve rearranging or disassembling furniture. In addition, you have to remove all items from the fridge and find a place to keep your frozen items while you make the switch.
With a vinyl fridge wrap, you don’t experience any of the above stress. All your furniture remains in place, plus you don’t need to haul the fridge in and out of your kitchen. Furthermore, emptying your fridge is not necessary as installing the vinyl wraps doesn’t meddle with the interior of the fridge.
Modification
Getting a new fridge to replace your old one is a big decision that costs significant money and effort.
Any model you choose could be in your kitchen for the next decade or more, so you need to take as much time as possible to make the right decision. It’s common for people to select the most neutral fridge instead of going for the one they find attractive because they believe the neutral ones have the best chance of aging well.
On the other hand, vinyl stickers allow you to switch up your style whenever you feel like it because you get to choose whatever design you like. They give you the freedom to modify and customize your old fridge rather than waiting for a long time to get a new one.
Vinyl wraps are very affordable, which means there is less pressure for you to make the best possible decision for the long term. The low cost makes it easier for you to switch to new designs as often as you want, as you get to enjoy the flexibility while trying out different patterns.
Types of Vinyl Fridge Wraps
While there are many types of vinyl fridge wraps, they generally fall into a few categories that will help you understand the best choices to select without getting overwhelmed by the numerous options. Those categories are the following:
Metallic Vinyl Wraps
These wraps have a metallic sheen that draws attention to your kitchen as they imitate specific metal or material in the same space. Such materials could be chrome, stainless steel (on Amazon), or another shiny reflective surface. The downside of metallic vinyl fridge wraps is that they have only one solid color, which means there are no patterns or designs.
Matte Vinyl Wraps
Just like metallic wraps, matte stickers are also a single solid color, such as this black one (on Amazon). However, compared to the above fridge wrap, matte wraps are relatively flat colors that are not expected to shine or catch the light. They feature any color of the rainbow, but their common characteristic is their matte lusterless hue.
Graphic Vinyl Wraps
If you come across fridge wraps with patterns or drawings, they fall under the graphic vinyl wraps category. These graphic wraps (on Amazon) are specially designed with graphics on them or can mimic another living entity. An example is that they can transform your refrigerator into a phone box or a vending machine or disguise it in any way you want, depending on the design you purchase.
Some of the stickers also feature patterns like stripes, crosses, skulls, or hoops. There are countless different styles from which you can choose.
How to Install Fridge Vinyl Wrap
Before installing a fridge vinyl wrap, you should identify the following specifications of your refrigerator so that you can make sure to get the right size option.
- The brand and model number
- The dimensions, i.e., height, width, and depth
- Whether your fridge handle is removable
- The type of vinyl wrap that is suitable for your fridge
Regarding the dimensions of your fridge, if yours is a mini-fridge measuring 36 inches by 24 inches at the sides (left and right) and 24 inches by 60 inches at the front and top, you’ll need a 5-foot roll of vinyl wrap. This should cover the whole fridge, and you might have some leftovers.
Full-sized fridges that measure 24 inches by 72 inches at the sides (left and right) and 60 inches by 72 inches at the front and top need at least 84 inches of vinyl wrap to ensure no space is left uncovered.
Moving on to the installation process of the fridge vinyl wrap, below are twelve easy steps for you to follow:
- Remove the handle of your refrigerator if required or possible, then clean the appliance’s surface with paper towels and an alcohol-based cleaning product.
- Prepare the tools you will need for installation, including tape, a sponge or squeegee, a scalpel or cutting knife, and an applicator. If you don’t have an applicator, you can use a credit card or something similar instead.
- Place the vinyl sheets on the fridge, aligning them with even top and edges.
- Tape the vinyl sticker in place on both sides of the fridge.
- Use the scalpel to remove extra vinyl wraps along the fridge’s bottom.
- Place a strip of tape in the middle of the sticker, ensuring the adhesive reaches from one side of the fridge to the other. Then remove the tape you placed in step four.
- Peel the top of the vinyl wrap away from the application support, starting from the top right corner. Shed the vinyl off to one-third of the way down the sheet, then use the scalpel to cut the backing off the top third of the vinyl wrap.
- Grab the top of the sticker by its corners and pull it upwards lightly. Then stick the sheet to the top of the fridge and make sure the sheet is firm to avoid creasing during installation.
- From the middle, close to the tape, press down steadily with a sponge at a 45-degree-angle to the tape. Afterward, move upwards using smooth movements from one end to the other until all of the top third is applied.
- You can now remove the strip of tape. At the same time, pull the lower half of the sticker up and peel it off in a slow backward manner while using your other hand to sweep the sponge back and forth, moving downwards to the bottom of the refrigerator.
- After applying to the two-thirds of the fridge’s bottom, use the edge of the sponge to press down the bottom and sides of the sheet firmly against the refrigerator.
- Finally, use the scalpel to cut off excess vinyl sheets at your fridge’s top, bottom, and edges. Then remove the trimmed sheets and use the sponge alongside the edges to glue the wrap down.
Installing your fridge vinyl wrap is certainly something that can be done without expertise; however, if you want to achieve a perfect finish, you might want to consider professional help. Even minor mistakes can make a big difference here.