When exactly is it worth choosing wallpaper?
When you are faced with a choice between wallpaper and painting the walls, you should give preference to the first option if:
- you are doing repairs in a “dry” area (children’s room, bedroom, living room);
- you want to emphasize complex design (prints, patterns);
- you want to hide wall defects without complex preparation, long leveling of walls with plaster and putty.
Wallpapering is the right decision if you are doing the repairs yourself. You will not have to spend a long time selecting or inventing a shade and texture, and even an untrained person can handle the finishing process.
When choosing such a finishing material, pay attention to its type. Different wallpapers cost, look, serve and are glued differently:
- Paper wallpaper. Of the advantages – they do not emit harmful substances, allow air to pass through. But they quickly become unusable.
- Non-woven. Eco-friendly, breathable, easy to stick and care for. Do not tolerate high humidity.
- Vinyl. Dense, masking, waterproof, do not fade. Hide all small and medium irregularities. Dangerous when heated, due to excessive heat they emit toxic substances.
The type of wallpaper is especially important when you decide what the wall surface will be – smooth or textured, plain or garish. In comparison with painting, some will win, others will lose.
When is it better to choose painting?
Painting the walls is acceptable in any room: many modern interiors do without wallpaper at all, without losing the feeling of coziness. In some cases, this finishing option is really the most suitable:
- Finding “that” shade. When you need a certain shade of green with a drop of blue and brown, looking for wallpaper is not an option. It is easier to find it in a huge palette of ready-made cans of paint or order a computer tint. Moreover, it is possible to choose not only a complex abstract tone, but also to repeat the exact color “under something” — for example, under the same wallpaper that decorates the accent wall.
- Complex bases. We are talking about log walls, clapboard, plasterboard and other surfaces of the house that you do not want to level. It will be more profitable to change the color using paint, a brush, a roller.
- The possibility of quick alteration. Preparing walls for painting is a complex and expensive process. But after it, it will take only a few hours to completely update the color of the walls. This is convenient if you like rearranging and are open to fresh ideas.
- The basis for an artistic concept. The paint on the wall does not necessarily have to be monochromatic. Buy special stencils, create them yourself or order decor from an artist to decorate the surface the way you want. After all, even among ready-made prints on photo wallpapers it is not always possible to find the very thing.
What is more expensive?
Which wall decoration, wallpaper or paint, will cost a pretty penny is difficult to say. After all, the construction markets offer a range for every taste and budget.
- The most economical option is paper wallpaper and water-based paint. They have an equally short service life (up to 3-5 years), and both types of coating are impossible to care for due to fear of water.
- The middle price segment includes non-woven fabrics, acrylic and latex mixtures. They last up to 10 years, and are easier to maintain – but not all coatings can be washed.
- The most expensive options are vinyl canvas, the paint composition of which contains silicone. They are dense, mask surface imperfections, and can be washed with water.
In general, the cost of the paint or wallpaper itself, as well as the additional costs for their application, are approximately the same.
What is more practical?
Painting walls has one big drawback – the surface literally attracts dust. But this is offset by simplified maintenance – it is enough to wash the walls with a damp cloth during cleaning.
On a single-color base, stains and dirt are not only visible, they will be eye-catching – therefore, for this type of finishing, choose washable wallpaper and compositions. This is especially relevant for the hallway, children’s room, kitchen.
Textured wallpaper with a small pattern makes small stains visually almost invisible. This is an undeniable advantage of decorative canvases.
Service life
In the section “What is more expensive” we already said that the higher the cost, the longer such a finish will last – this applies to both wallpaper and dyes.
Paper will last 3-5 years, non-woven – 5-8, vinyl about 10, painting prolongs the life of the canvases twice.
Even the simplest water-based emulsion is designed for about 10 years, acrylic – 10-20, silicone composition lasts on the walls for 20 years or more. The shortest-lived painting with a latex composition – 5-10 years.
Fading
It is difficult to answer what is more practical, wallpaper or painting a wall in a sunlit room. If you save money, both categories are afraid of ultraviolet radiation – they will fade, lose their original gloss.
Advice: Painting or pasting with more expensive modern materials guarantees color preservation for the entire service life.
Resistance to mechanical impacts
Sharp objects, pet claws, awkward movements of family members – are fatal for any type of wallpaper. They are easily scratched, damaged, and the entire canvas will have to be replaced due to damage.
Painting is more durable and reliable, after 48-72 hours after application, the composition is completely covered with a protective film – so even your favorite animal with sharp claws will not be easy to harm. But if this does happen and the coating is damaged, it is enough to putty and touch up the chipped area.
Which material is cheaper to install?
You can do any type of repair yourself, or you can entrust it to professionals.
It is easier to wallpaper: remove large holes or bumps, prime, and wallpaper. A professional team will certainly do everything well: the seams will be invisible, the pattern will be adjusted. But they will charge about 120 rubles per square meter for these actions (prices depend on the city of residence).
Painting itself does not require any special skills, but before that, the walls must be made perfectly smooth. This is labor-intensive and can create many problems. In order not to be disappointed with the result, contact a specialist for quality. The price for preparation per 1 m2 starts from 400 rubles, painting – 140 rubles.
What is more difficult to remove from the walls?
When deciding between wallpaper or painting the walls, think about the following repair: you will have to remove the old coating before applying a new one.
The easiest way to get rid of wallpaper: paper ones are enough to wet, leave for 5-10 minutes and remove without leaving a trace. There are two types of non-woven and vinyl: some are easily removed without a trace, others are also easy to remove, but if dismantling is carried out correctly, they leave a thin base – you can glue the next canvases on it without preparation.
With painting, it is different – if you plan to re-paint, you can not remove a high-quality coating at all. After you wash and prepare the wall, apply a new color, a new layer. If the paint begins to peel off, cracks appear – you will not be able to do without dismantling. You will have to try to remove it. For this, solvents, sandpaper, construction tools and other technologies are used. The process is very long and labor-intensive.
Which is more environmentally friendly?
When creating both types of finishing, manufacturers use environmentally friendly components and conduct more than one study before launching a line. Therefore, a purchased can of dye or a roll of wallpaper will not harm the health of children and adults.
The only exception is vinyl wallpaper, at high temperatures (ignition) they release harmful substances into the air.
Which finish is more fireproof?
Of course, paper burns best – so it may seem that wallpaper in this comparison lose. However, the chemical elements in most paints are also flammable – so in case of fire there is no difference.
Fire-resistant fiberglass and silicate paints and varnishes are considered fire-resistant, they are really safer.
Which has better water resistance?
Acrylic, latex, silicone paints are not afraid of moisture, so they are suitable for “wet” areas – kitchen, bathroom, toilet.
Paper and non-woven wallpaper are hydrophobic, they cannot be wetted, used in conditions of high humidity. Vinyl, thanks to a special moisture-proof coating, does not let water through, not inferior in characteristics to paints.
Variety of designs
You can evaluate the appearance from different sides:
- Paints have a larger selection of colors and shades, many stores have a computer tinting function for a white base – therefore, in a monochromatic comparison, paints and varnishes are in the lead.
- Wallpaper has a lot of options for ready-made designs – a small repeating print, a large rapport, ready-made paintings. All you have to do is choose the right one and stick it on the wall.
- Using paint and a stencil, you can easily create your own pattern, and artistic talent will allow you to create a real work of art. Individual design is fashionable.
Comparative table
Everyone makes the decision to paint the walls or glue wallpaper on their own. Determine what properties you want to get, how much time, effort and money you are ready to spend. To make it easier for you – look at the table of the pros and cons of each finishing method.
When planning repair work, evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of each material – there is no single ideal recipe for everyone, choose the most suitable method for each room.