Which is better - wallpaper or wall painting? What is more practical and what is cheaper? Apartment Repair

In the process of repair, many are faced with a difficult choice - to paint the walls or wallpaper them? Both room decoration options are very popular in various types of interior, and each of them has a number of advantages and disadvantages. In order not to make a mistake in choosing the right wall covering, you need to familiarize yourself with the basic nuances of pasting and painting.

It is important to remember about the features of the room where you have to change the appearance of the partitions, because it is he who is sometimes decisive in choosing between paint and wallpaper.

Features and benefits of painting

Wall painting was not always as popular as wallpapering, but over time, it began to compete confidently with the usual methods of wall decoration in a house or apartment.

Coloring agents for walls have special characteristics:

• paint is a material that can be easily adjusted. Often you have to deal with color errors. If you change the wallpaper in color and pattern is too time-consuming and costly financially, then the shade of paint can be easily corrected by applying an additional layer to the wall,
• with the help of coloring materials you can choose an exclusive shade for the walls in the room. By correctly mixing various tones, you can get a color that is difficult to find on ready-made wallpapers, and create an original room design,

• Paint can be selected for various surfaces, while wallpapers are not suitable for all textures. It’s much more practical to paint the log surface with a composition specially made for it, than to choose a wallpaper that eliminates the originality of the interior,
• dyes are great for those who like to periodically change the interior. The process of changing the color of the walls is not always laborious, you can safely repaint the room, while avoiding the presence of abundant debris and dust, which usually occur after removing the wallpaper,

• in addition to creating unique shades, with the help of paint you can create exclusive patterns and ornaments. Sometimes the basic color of the room is supplemented by wall paintings corresponding to the chosen interior concept, and the room turns into a place that fully reflects the individuality of its owner,
• paint is better for homes and apartments in which there are pets. Cats or dogs can often infringe on the wallpaper, causing them significant harm. But with a paint coating, the animal simply has nothing to cling to with its claws or teeth.

The negative aspects of paint compositions for walls include the following nuances:

• painting sometimes does not allow even the slightest defects in the form of nicks and other irregularities, so it often takes a long time to transform the surface of the wall and prepare it for applying the composition. Sometimes you can mask a small flaw with accessories in the form of paintings and decor elements, but such a tool will not always be appropriate,
• when there are painted walls in the room, it is necessary to periodically wash their entire surface. The structure of the substance over time absorbs the smallest particles of dust and dirt, which can subsequently affect the appearance of the room.

Painting materials

When choosing a dye, it is important to consider what function the room in which the repair is carried out will perform.

Depending on this, paints are selected from the following types:

• acrylic paint and latex polymers often paint rooms in which high humidity is preserved. Such options are perfect for the kitchen and bathroom,
• There are also such types of coatings, which include PVA glue. They are suitable only for dry rooms, because contact with water and steam will significantly affect their durability,

• for those who have the opportunity to purchase expensive paint, such types as silicone and environmentally friendly coating are suitable. They are completely non-toxic and hypoallergenic.

When choosing a paint, you must definitely look at the material of which the wall is made. For example, drywall allows the use of oil or water based coatings, as well as enamels.

Advantages and disadvantages of wallpaper

Despite the fact that wallpaper is a wall covering familiar to most from childhood, it does not stand still and is developing along with the entire interior decoration industry. There are a number of reasons why consumers prefer wallpaper instead of paint:

• Using modern wallcovering models, you can create many optical effects. Wallpaper is sold as a canvas with a finished pattern, which is very easy to fit into an accent wall.

It is fashionable to use technology such as the 3D effect, embodied using wallpaper. It literally expands the room and creates additional space.

• no less popular is the option of panorama or photo printing, created according to an individual sketch of the customer,
• With the help of special technologies for applying wallpaper, you can create an amazing convex relief on the wall, which is difficult to make with a paint composition. A similar technology is called - liquid wallpaper. This option is great for those who do not want to choose old types of models that form seams between the joints,

• if it’s difficult to perfectly sand the walls, then wallpaper will be an excellent way to hide such shortcomings,
• in a new building or a populated house, printing cover will become an additional means of sound insulation. It also helps keep you warm.
• most types of coatings are made from environmentally friendly materials. They do not cause allergies, and also prevent the development of fungal formations or mold on the walls,

• in various styles of interior, the plus of wallpapers will be the ability to create with their help imitations of various materials. You can come across such models of coatings that are made under a brick, under a stone or log houses. This wallpaper panel will creatively complement any room,
• modern technology allows the wallpaper to perform a number of additional functions. They can have a magnetic surface suitable for office or children's rooms. The composition of these products includes components that allow the surface to flicker and glow in the dark. Coatings even combine elements such as leather and metal inserts in their texture. All these nuances allow us to conclude that from the variety of models you can find the right one for any room.

Similar wall decoration materials have the following disadvantages:

• the aesthetic appearance of the wallpaper directly depends on the price of the material. Truly high-quality materials, on which imperfections are invisible, are more expensive than models available to a wide range of people. If you chose wallpaper from cheap materials and at the same time decided to glue them yourself, then it will be difficult for you to mask the seams between the joints. But the services of specialists who will help to stick the coating perfectly, require additional financial costs,
• products with complex patterns can be difficult to glue evenly. It is necessary to spend a lot of time cutting and decomposing the details so that the pattern matches the walls and looks organically and uniformly,

Pros and cons of wallpaper

Evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of trellis is very difficult due to the fact that they are made from completely different materials with their strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, first we give the general pros and cons for wallpaper, as a class of finishing materials, and then consider each of them separately.

The dominance of wallpaper on the market of building materials in Russia and the CIS countries is explained by the fact that many buyers do not see tapestries as a competitor in wall paints. And that's why:

• Advances in the development of new technologies made it possible to apply a variety of drawings to the wallpaper. Their choice is truly enormous: from a relief surface with a small pattern, to the optical illusions of 3D printing, which visually expand the apartment, creating additional space. Such images emphasize the style of the room, form a cozy and comfortable environment (options for using 3D images when decorating the interior of the room can be seen in the photo below).

Paint a wall with a similar effect can only be a talented artist, but it will cost a lot of money.

• before gluing with tapestries, careful preparation of the walls is not required, unlike paints, where the slightest defect is not only visible, but also bulges out with a paint layer,
• the wallpaper does not conduct thermal energy well. As a result, there are two advantages at once: although a little, the wallpaper insulates the room, the tactile material is warm, which is nice when touched, especially at night in the bedroom when you accidentally touch the wall with a naked body,
• despite the small thickness, the wallpaper absorbs sounds well, which is important for budget housing, where the life of neighbors is well audible,
• all types and types of trellis are environmentally friendly, do no harm to humans or pets,
• simple finishing technology - all work can be done independently.

In addition to the advantages, trellis has its drawbacks. Among them:

• short life: 5-8 years,
• low strength: easily damaged by sharp objects,
• difficult care: dirt is poorly washed off even with washable wallpapers,
• difficulties encountered when docking drawings,
• high degree of damage to cats and dogs.

If we consider the wallpaper by the appearance of the base, then they also have their own pros and cons.

Paper based wallpapers:

• let the walls breathe
• well hide wall defects,
• environmentally friendly.

• when in contact with water or its vapors, they lose consumer properties, which excludes the use of this type of trellis in rooms with high humidity (bathroom, kitchen),
• fragile - easily torn from sharp objects and claws of pets,
• short-lived.

Non-woven wallpaper:

• easily stretched, which allows you to dock with the previous sheet without much effort. In addition, due to the elasticity, various folds and air pockets are smoothed out during drying.
• mask various surface flaws well,
• serve as a good sound insulator,
• easy to remove.

By cons include:

• transparency, which requires a monochromatic, at the same time light colors, coloring of the walls. Otherwise, colored spots will shine through,
• difficulty of leaving: do not wash.

Vinyl Trellis very durable, mask any unevenness of the wall, resistant to water and sunlight (do not fade). Service life, especially if they are painted, at least 20 years (with regular painting in a different color).

Among the minuses, we note the high toxicity in case of fire and the release of harmful substances into the air when heated above 30 o C.

Cullet the most durable of all types of trellis, which allows owners to not change them for 30 years or more. Can be washed with chemically active detergents and a hard bristle brush. Therefore, it is possible to glue in places where the likelihood of pollution is highest: a children's room, an entrance hall and a corridor. Material does not burn.

The disadvantage of fiberglass experts include:

• release only in a variant for painting,
• complexity of removal during repairs.

The pros and cons of coloring

The painting also has its supporters who believe that wall decoration with paint removes the problems of cleanliness and beauty. Therefore, they are not faced with a dilemma: paint the walls or glue the wallpaper. However, those who have not made their choice should carefully study the strengths and weaknesses of painting the walls.

Pros:

• long term of operation,
• redecorating is carried out easily and quickly, without significant financial costs and attracting specialists: the color is simply repainted with a different, more fashionable color, and the damage is repaired with putty and painted over in a new way,
• easy care - any kind of pollution is washed with water with the addition of special products,
• do not succumb to the claws of pets,
• a huge selection of colors and shades, allowing you to find the option you need for the interior,
• ideal for those who like to often change the interior of the premises - the walls are repainted without dust and in a short time,

• the color of the walls is easily adjusted if there is an error in choosing a color scheme for the existing design style,
• can be applied to almost any surface, including textured, such as, for example, a lamb,
• sometimes the only option is wall decoration. A striking example is houses made of logs,

• simple finishing technology: no complicated mechanisms are needed (just a brush or roller) and work experience.

TO weaknesses painted walls include the following points:

• requires a very flat wall surface, which requires complex preparatory work, which is often beyond the strength of a novice builder. It’s also financially expensive,
• paints from the budget segment of prices quickly burn out,
• need constant care.

Having studied all the pros and cons, everyone decides for himself which is better, paint or wallpaper for the walls. For those who are still uncertain, we will conduct a comparative analysis.

Comparison of wallpaper and painting

Comparison of wallpaper and paint parameters will allow you to choose the best option for wall decoration. We will analyze the most important indicators:

• material price in terms of 1 m 2 of the wall,
• finishing cost 1 m 2,
• the complexity of technology
• wall surface requirements,
• difficulty removing
• fire safety
• burn resistance
• resistance to mechanical stress,
• service life
• water resistant
• appearance (design),
• environmental friendliness
• heat and noise insulating properties,
• which is more practical.

The advantages of wallpapering

Allows you to update any room and make it comfortable repair. The apartment after it, even if the most budget option is selected, will in any case look fresher. Often wallpaper is used for this. New models are constantly being released with their own characteristics. The advantages of wallpaper include the fact that:

• Before work, special preparation of the walls is not required. Small errors are hidden. The coating will serve the owners for a long time, unless, of course, you choose the right glue.
• The surface will be pleasant to the touch, it creates comfort and warmth.
• Paper and non-woven are not allergens and are safe for people and animals.
• A wide range of various wallpaper options allows you to purchase the right material in full accordance with your own preferences and taste.
• Work can be done independently.
• Because of the paper surface of the wall they breathe, therefore the occurrence of fungus, mold is excluded.

To answer the question, which is better - wallpaper or painting the walls, you should familiarize yourself with the minuses of using paper material.

Disadvantages of using wallpaper

The disadvantages of wallpaper include:

• Due to the high-quality adhesion of the material to the wall, difficulties arise with its removal before new gluing.
• Contaminants appearing on the surface are difficult to remove. Even if the wallpaper is washable, it is not so easy to do.
• Many pets spoil the wallpaper. Although this is not harmful to them, the original appearance of the walls naturally suffers from this.

• Paper-based material cannot be used for pasting walls in a bathroom or toilet due to high humidity in these rooms.
• Coverage is short-lived. After a few years, it will have to be changed.
• Walls are easily damaged by sharp objects.

Pluses of painting

Whatever option is chosen, it is necessary to carry out high-quality repairs. Painting walls or wallpaper it will be, it all depends on the desire. Paint is often used. For this, various materials are used. Reliable, odorless, reliable, reliable paint mixtures are quite popular at the moment. The advantages of painting include:

• In preparation for such work, according to technology, you need to process the room. Antiseptics, primers are applied to the walls, which eliminate mold and other microorganisms.
• If it is necessary to carry out cosmetic repairs, you do not need to paint the entire wall, you can only update a separate area. This is fast and cheap.
• Painted walls can then be washed.
• Pets will not be able to spoil the appearance of the surface.
• Many varieties of paints are produced to transform various interiors.

Puttying the walls for painting, the price of which depends on the material chosen, is an obligatory step. Mixtures for 120-480 rubles per package are used to level the surface. Plaster mixtures are in the range of 280-420 rubles per 18 kg. For acrylic putty compositions you will have to pay 860-1820 rubles per 10 kg. The price depends on the company. This, of course, requires additional material costs, but in the end you get a quality foundation that will facilitate the work during the next repair.

Disadvantages of painting

Learn what is better, wallpaper or painting the walls, will help familiarize yourself with the disadvantages of the methods. The disadvantages of coloring include:

• The preparatory work is lengthy. For its implementation, skills in using tools are necessary.
• Qualitatively painting the walls is quite difficult for lay people. And the masters will have to pay a lot of money for this.
• Even resistant paint has a tensile strength. She cannot withstand strong blows.
• Any pattern is applied to the walls today. But designer paints are used for this, so such work is not cheap.

Finishing Choice

Which is better - wallpaper or wall painting - everyone decides for himself. To make the right choice, you need to focus on several factors:

• Wallpaper is glued simply and quickly, and the preparation of walls for painting takes a long time. For the second option, you need to have plastering skills. Usually a lot of tools and materials are required. For wallpaper, you need a knife or scissors, dishes for glue and a roller. Work can be done independently.
• Even high-quality paper materials will cost less than painting the walls.
• Wallpaper can be changed often, updating the interior. But if you do not want to make a new repair in a few years, then it is advisable to choose a paint. With appropriate care, it persists for a long time.
• Any tint is given to the paint using tinting. This is difficult to do with wallpaper.

Whatever was chosen, wallpapering or painting walls, everything will look very beautiful, creating a cozy interior. Paper material may vary in texture, colors and shades. Walls can be painted not only in one tone, but also put on their surface a different pattern.

Cost

Before performing apartment repairs, you should calculate how much money is needed for materials. Improving the type of premises can cost a different amount, it all depends on the quality and type of the upcoming decoration. But remember: in any case, it is advisable to make a quality repair. After this, the apartment will look good for a long time, and the walls will not need updating.

If you compare high-quality, but inexpensive paint, and good (not paper) wallpaper, then the price for such repairs will be approximately the same. Pasting or painting a room of 20-30 square meters in price may differ only if the work is not done independently.

Complexity of work

Preparing walls for wallpaper is easier compared to painting. After removing the old coating, of course, it is also advisable to putty and primer them. But this work is simpler if the walls are straight and small defects do not matter. Thick wallpapers can hide even serious flaws.

Preparation for painting is more thorough. Cracks, grooves, dents are treated with gypsum or acrylic putty. When painting, it will not be possible to hide small irregularities. It will not lie flat, if the surface is rough, over time it will begin to crack and peel off. With the final grinding there should not be a scratch, and therefore the final stage before painting is very laborious and not everyone can afford it.

Sustainability and practicality

Absolutely environmentally friendly wallpapers do not exist. Those options that are “breathable” are impractical. These include textile materials or plain paper. They get dirty, deteriorate from moisture and are subject to abrasion.

The painted surface gets dirty faster than the wallpaper, but it is better washed.

Masters Recommendations

To determine which wallpaper or wall painting is more practical, several professional tips should be considered:

• Colors for painting must be combined with the interior of the room.
• Thick wallpapers hide the imperfections of the walls.
• Non-woven wallpaper can be repainted up to 5 times.
• If the walls are uneven, then it is better for them to choose fiberglass wallpaper. They are also suitable for rooms with high humidity.
• Plain walls look great in small rooms. Images visually hide the volume of the room.
• Water-based paint is considered environmentally friendly and safe, but it is not wear-resistant.

• Acrylic and latex paints are durable and safe.
• Vinyl emits toxic components.
• Drywall is the best material for preparing walls for painting and pasting.
• Moisture-resistant drywall is preferably treated with a primer with water-based white paint. This will hide the green shade of drywall.
• For drywall, it is better to use the GKL-1 acrylic primer, and it is advisable to apply it with a brush and not with a roller.
• The seams are glued with mylar ribbon-serpyanka. Then they are puttied and leveled.
• The paint is considered resistant to temperature changes compared to wallpaper.

Housing should be comfortable. With the help of modern materials and technologies today it is possible to make high-quality repairs and create an excellent interior. For finishing today, as a rule, various water-based or acrylic paints, wallpapers are used. Therefore, each owner decides for himself how the living room, bedroom and kitchen will be processed. Wallpaper or painting the walls will make, by and large, any room more comfortable. Both methods allow you to perfectly update the room.

Which is more expensive

An important criterion when choosing a finishing material is the price factor. After all, repairs can be carried out for different amounts, and family income often requires a budget option. Therefore, it is bought that is cheaper. To have an idea of ​​the cost of materials for people with different income levels, we compare the cost of finishing with 1 m 2 of wallpaper and paint in the budget segment, the average and the elite (prices were taken as of the winter of 2020 in St. Petersburg).

A budget option. Pasting the walls with paper wallpaper will cost 33-45 rubles / m 2. Painting - from 10 rubles. per 1 m 2 ("Bauproffe") to 18 rubles / m 2 ("Profilux").

In the average price segment, 112-200 rubles / m 2 will have to be spent on wallpaper, 80-150 rubles / m 2 (Tikkurila) for the purchase of paint.

Elite option. For expensive wallpapers you have to pay from 400 rubles. and higher for 1 m 2. For the paint of the Elite series, you need to pay less - from 310 rubles / m 2.

Output. Despite the fact that all printed materials conducting a comparative analysis of finishing materials for walls talk about parity between paint and wallpaper when comparing prices, in reality, paint has a significant advantage - the cost of buying it is significantly lower.

Technology challenges

When wallpapering without a picture or for painting, difficulties in work do not appear, as well as when painting walls. Appearance of patterns or patterns on the wallpaper violates equality. Gluing such wallpaper is much more difficult.

Output. The complexity of the technology is a slight advantage in the paint. Here in the process, problems do not arise.

Wall surface requirements

One of the advantages of trellis is that they hide minor wall errors, unlike paint. Therefore, for painting, you need to prepare a perfectly flat surface.

Output: under the wallpaper less stringent requirements for the surface of the walls. Therefore, the paint in this indicator has a significant lag from the trellis.

Difficulty Removing

It is equally difficult to remove both wallpaper and paint from the walls. However, when removing the paint layer will have to spend more time and effort. At the same time, the work is very dusty and harmful to health (personal protective equipment is required).

Output: by the complexity of removal, preference should be given to wallpaper.

Burn resistance

Both materials in the budget segment of prices burn out under the influence of UV rays. More expensive materials withstand prolonged exposure to sunlight without changing color.

Output: modern production technologies have eliminated the ability of trellis and paint to fade under the sun, and therefore in this indicator full parity.

Life time

By the life of the paint can only be compared to glass and vinyl wallpaper on a non-woven basis for painting. In other cases, the service life of the trellises is 2-3 times less.

Conclusion: the paint is more durable in terms of service life, which, in turn, widens the gap in the cost of materials for decoration in favor of paint (and so more expensive wallpapers will have to be bought 2-3 times during the life of the paint).

Water resistant

Paint for walls is completely waterproof, which allows you to paint the walls in all rooms of the apartment without any exceptions. Wallpaper can be glued in the bathroom and kitchen, where there is high humidity, you can only certain types having a moisture-proof film (vinyl).

Output: in terms of moisture resistance, the paint is small, but an advantage.

Design

It makes no sense to evaluate the design of the walls after pasting or painting, since everyone has their own concept of beauty. Some people like beautifully painted walls in a classic style, others like the original, airy design style, which can be achieved using 3D printing.

Output: Neither the author of the work, nor the editors of the site undertake to evaluate or give any advice in this situation. Each buyer decides for himself what he needs for the walls.

Environmental friendliness

Both finishing materials are made from environmentally friendly components. Only in vinyl wallpaper, in the event of force majeure (fire), combustion products harmful to health begin to be released. This point must be taken into account.

Output: both materials can be used for wall decoration without restrictions. Therefore, they have complete equality.

Comparison Results

To summarize the analysis.

• Using paint for wall decoration will cost less than buying wallpaper. And given the life of the materials, this difference is significant. Therefore, if the financial factor comes first, an acrylic emulsion is bought.
• For lovers of strict shapes and colors, paint is ideal. A riot of color, lightness and optical illusions give only wallpaper.
• If necessary, wallpaper, especially dense ones, will help to at least slightly reduce the noise in budget new buildings.
• If there are cats and dogs in the apartment or house, preference must still be given to painting the walls.

For those who have not decided after the analysis, it is necessary to pay attention to an alternative option: wallpaper for painting.

Let's do another little research and find out which is better, wallpaper or wallpaper for painting.

Immediately, we note that wallpaper for painting is more likely the basis for paint, not trellis. After all, this material hides wall imperfections, especially cracks, which constantly appear on painted walls when the building shrinks. At the same time, consumer characteristics are closer to paint than to wallpaper. For example, in terms of service life, practicality, ease of maintenance, the possibility of restoration or updating, wallpaper for painting has the same parameters as paint. There are only two criteria where there are differences:

• relationship with pets. Wallpaper for painting is easily damaged, but also easily tinted,
• heat and sound insulation. In paint, these parameters are completely absent, unlike wallpaper for painting.

Output: to make a separate comparison of wallpaper and lanes for painting does not make sense, since the latter have the same characteristics as the paint.

Another option to use both wallpaper and paint are cullet. Many consumers may ask a reasonable question: why glue fiberglass, if the wall can simply be painted. However, it is not so simple. Cullets have 5 advantages over paint.

• Preparing walls for painting. To paint, the walls should be as flat and smooth as glass. Such a surface is achieved by finishing putty, which must be polished for a long time, swallowing dust. If you stick fiberglass, then you can refuse the finishing putty. It is enough to apply a layer of starting solution. And this is money and time saved.
• Protecting the finish from building shrinkage. Shrinkage of the building spares neither paint (cracks appear) nor wallpaper (the web breaks). Liquid wallpaper or fiberglass, which can withstand a tensile load of up to 3 tons, is saved from the appearing cracks.
• Protection against damage. Damage to glass at home is almost impossible. They withstand the claws of pets, the backs of chairs, children's pranks and much more than you can scratch or tear the finish.
• The quality of the color. The paint applied to the wall emphasizes all the imperfections of the surface. This is explained by the laws of physics: a ray of light falling on an uneven surface is reflected in a different direction, which scatters the light flux from a flat surface. The anomaly is instantly fixed by the eye. The textured surface of the fiberglass scatters the light randomly. Therefore, it is impossible to catch the flaws in the preparation of the wall for painting after gluing the glass.
• Decorative effect. The woven base of fiberglass can imitate many types of decorative plaster, which allows you to use a variety of techniques and special effects when decorating the interior of the apartment.

What and in which rooms is better to prefer

Based on the characteristics of the materials for the hallway, bathroom and kitchen the preferred option is paint: in the hallway the walls quickly become dirty at the bottom, and in the bathroom and in the kitchen there is increased humidity. For bedrooms and children's room better fit wallpaper. Here, walls that are pleasant to touch create a special cosiness and warmth.

In the rest of the premises, a lot of factors influence the choice of finishing material: the amount of the estimate for repairs, the design decision on the interior design, the available furniture, the presence of pets, etc.

Conclusion

Give a definite answer, which is better, paint or wallpaper when decorating walls is impossible. Here it is necessary to take into account the interweaving of various factors, from the financial possibilities of the owners to the presence of a dog or cat in the house.

The only thing that can be argued without fear of mistakes: both paint and wallpaper allow you to create a unique beautiful interior in any style.

The pros and cons of painting

Staining allows for a long time to mask cracks, subject to competent surface preparation. Repainting is a very simple process, and many types of paints allow you to wash, wipe off dirt and use detergents. The choice of color is no less than that of wallpaper, and the texture is also quite diverse.

But:

• Staining gives a good result only on thoroughly leveled and prepared walls.
• All training at a high level is unlikely to be possible for lay people, like the initial wall covering.
• Surfaces will need to be washed completely from time to time in order to prevent the closing of pores with dirt.
• To paint everything in one color is a solution appropriate only for some organizations, and a variety of designer paints, even acrylic, are expensive.

Which is better to choose?

Make the final decision - wallpaper or painting the walls in the apartment, you still have to. For coloring and preparation for it, as already mentioned, you will need to hire experienced finishers. Wall pasting is also available for non-professionals even when working alone, the list of necessary equipment is minimal.

If you want to finish the walls not from scratch, but thoroughly aligned with previous repairs, it is financially more profitable to use paint.

What is fashionable now?

If you turn to the collections of various designers, both mid-level and first-class, you can find examples of rooms decorated with wallpaper and paint. Paints and varnishes are enormous variety, some manufacturers have such colors in stock that even a simple description of them requires a whole phrase. But wallpaper manufacturers are trying to keep up and are also constantly improving their coatings:

• This year, at the peak of popularity, there are plain wallpapers, and for different rooms they are selected individually, expressing their spirit and style as fully as possible. The combination of solid stripes or lines will allow you to visually distinguish between parts of the room, freshness of perception is ensured by the introduction of prints into the interior.

In the past year and a half, design specialists have recommended using wide wallpapers that form only a minimal number of connections.

• To dilute excessive monotony is not only possible, but even necessary. For this purpose, unusual patterns are used. Or seemingly ordinary, but with thin dark contours of figures. European and Asian motifs are stably in demand, such decisions can be chosen safely, without fear of their going out of fashion.

• If paint is chosen instead of wallpaper, there are also undeniable leaders here. The design community and manufacturers are now inspired by colors for natural greens, clear water (in the ocean or in a waterfall), ornaments with bright wild-growing flowers. Kale's key is designed to become the backdrop for more catchy and vibrant elements. When you want something bright, but practical and not assertive, it makes sense to choose the color of hazelnuts.

• In the event that you need to revitalize and invigorate the room as much as possible, lazurite coloring can be recommended. Do you want extreme brightness, brightness, love radical experiments? Then the red-orange tonality “flame” is suitable for you - the most intense and energetic in recent collections. Such a coloring should be used on the largest possible area, and the remaining colors should be used only as accents or additions.

• For several years now, the use of blue tones has been a very popular solution. Varying the warm and cold shades of this color, you can easily express your unique mood. Do not go beyond the limits of the warm and cold group, choose in each room different tones, but close color temperatures.

• The Marsala key has been used in the interior relatively recently - and there is every reason to believe that it will become one of the leaders in the near future. Please note that this juicy cherry color focuses, and therefore suitable only for accent walls.

Which is more practical?

Wallpaper, which is made these days, can last longer than any paints and varnishes. But if you decide to change the appearance, use a different concept, painting the walls will be easier and easier.

The combined option - wallpaper for painting - allows you to apply additional coating up to ten times, as the manufacturers claim. The only problem is that the texture is stored no more than five times, and then the paint layer becomes completely smooth.

If it’s still very difficult to make a decisive choice, consider applying paint in some rooms and wallpaper in others. Or try to divide them in height, to divert different walls of the main room under them. In new buildings and where walls will often get dirty, it is worth using wallpaper, and if the room is very humid, it is more appropriate to use a paint and varnish coating.

Coloring is more suitable for those who like frequent changes., it is also the only option that allows you to decorate a log cabin. Theoretically, wallpaper can also be glued on it, but it is necessary to prepare a mediation layer that will destroy the decorative advantages of the log house.

Alternative solutions

It should be noted that in some cases it is easier to abandon paint, wallpaper and use alternative material. Which one, depends on the priority quality for you. Thus, wood and all coatings based on it (lining, laminate, blockhouse and decorative panels) will be best at naturalness and environmental cleanliness. Plastic panels are moderately strong, very hygienic and have excellent antistatic characteristics. But these advantages are crossed out by high toxicity during combustion, susceptibility to high temperature, tendency to warpage and the inability to clean with abrasive products.

Brick, stone, tile and porcelain stoneware surfaces can not even be considered - this is a completely different price range. What specific option to choose, you have to decide for yourself, because neither the designer nor the builders will have to live in a renovated house. Weigh the pros and cons before making a decisive choice.

Design ideas

You can decorate the space in a new building in a very original and effective way: experts recommend combining different types of wallpaper. If they are represented by vertical stripes, it will be possible to overcome at least partially the loweredness of the ceilings. In order not to disturb the harmony, It is worthwhile to apply a single color gamut coating, varying only shades. When drawings of different types are combined, it is worth choosing those that match in color or style.

When staining is chosen, a combination of three colors can be resorted to, and it can be expressed both in completely imperceptible transitions from one tone to the next and in sharp contrast. There is no prescribed rigidity of the border, it can also be in the form of protrusions, moldings and other decorative elements are often used. In the choice of color combinations, there are no canons either, you can focus entirely on your imagination.

Knowing the simplest principles of selection will help to create an original interior that matches the current fashion both with the help of wallpaper and with the help of paints and varnishes.

For more information on how to paint walls in two colors, see the next video.

Paint or wallpaper: choose the best

Conceiving repair, I want the updated interior to be beautiful and to remain unchanged for as long as possible. Therefore, it is important to choose a practical, durable design, among the most popular finishing options: wallpaper or wall painting, which is better - we will understand today. And also we will tell you for which rooms the decor is suitable, where it is better not to use it.

Pros and cons wallpapers

Gone are the days when only paper strips were glued to the walls. The material could be more or less dense, but in any case it was just paper, which pretty quickly deteriorated. Modern coatings are made differently. In most cases, these are two sometimes three-layer canvases, where decorative, protective layers are superimposed on the base. The properties of the decor depend on the materials used in its manufacture.

Fiberglass

Durable, moisture resistant, non-toxic. Can be washed with a stiff brush. Therefore, they are glued in the kitchen, in bathrooms, for batteries, etc. Serve up to 30 years. Used only for painting, poorly removed from the base.

Wallpaper panels vary greatly. This should be taken into account when choosing which is better: wallpaper or walls for painting. Embossed vinyl will not lose its properties and attractive appearance for more than a decade. While ordinary paper, even thick, with water-repellent protection, will not last long. Much depends on the right choice of material.

So, in a bathroom where humidity is constantly present, it is impossible to glue paper or non-woven. They will go bad very quickly. Fiberglass, on the contrary, will last a long time. It is possible to use hot stamping vinyl, but still it is advisable to finish the wet areas with tiles or something similar. Despite the variety of wallpaper, they have common advantages.

Wallpaper Benefits

• Possibility of self-sticking. It is especially easy to work with non-woven, which does not need to be lubricated with glue.
• Large selection of different textures, colors.
• The ability to hide small, and in the case of vinyl, significant base defects.
• Pleasant to the touch relief or smooth surface.

Paint: pros and cons

The painted walls have long ceased to be associated with government agencies, hospitals, and other unpleasant places. Many spectacular interior solutions use this particular design technique. A variety of coloring compositions allows you to get a decor with the desired properties. For interior decoration several types are used.

Silicone

They have the best hiding power of all, cover quite significant defects. Form a dense elastic film that repels liquid. Wash, versatile in application.

This is only part of the interior paints. Their choice is even wider. We list common advantages for all.

Surface preparation

Wallpaper and paint require an even base. Cracks, dents and bulges will not be completely covered by the finish. The only exception is foamed vinyl. Embossed soft canvas hides flaws. In other cases, preparatory work will be required. In the "full cycle" they are carried out in several stages.

1. Dismantling the old finish. The expired clearance is deleted. Not a single fragment should remain. Everything is carefully removed, cleaned.
2. Alignment of the base. It is necessary to determine the degree of curvature of the planes. Depending on the result, a decision is made on the degree of complexity of the upcoming work. With slight distortions, the base only gets stuck. The “littered” walls must be leveled. If the plane leaves more than 50 mm, drywall is used. In other cases, level with plaster.
3. Putting a finishing layer of putty. She will close the remaining small bumps. After drying, the material is sanded. It turns out a white, absolutely flat surface.
4. Padding. The primer is necessary to improve the adhesion of the base and decoration, the solution of some special problems. For example, a solution with an antiseptic or fungicide will prevent the development of fungus, mold in wet rooms.

Main works

A well-prepared base is the key to the quality of the new finish. Sticking canvases is quite simple. The material is cut into strips of the right size. If you need to fit the picture, this is taken into account when cutting. Choose glue and glue the panels exactly according to the manufacturer's instructions. Each decor requires the right approach. For example, non-woven fabric is laid on a greased base. Thick vinyl is slightly soaked with a glue mixture, only then it is applied to the wall treated by it.

The coloring compositions are applied to the surface with a roller or brush. It depends on the consistency of the liquid mixture. To get a good result, it is important to follow the manufacturer's recommendations. He explains how you can breed a product, what it should be density, etc. If you plan to apply several layers, the previous one must be allowed to completely dry.

After all these works, the walls are ready for further decoration. It doesn’t matter if it is supposed to paint or glue wallpaper, only in this way you can get a prepared base. If it was initially relatively flat, some operations are skipped. But puttying, priming are required in any case.

Which is cheaper: paint the walls or wallpaper

It is impossible to unequivocally answer this question. The cost consists of the price of the material, the cost of preparatory work, painting or gluing. Preparation in both cases is approximately the same, therefore, its price is also similar. The cost of basic work is also comparable. A significant difference may be in the price of decor.

Much depends on its quality. Cheaply you can buy only paper panels and a water emulsion. They will not last long. Expensive design is more durable. On average, the cost of materials of the same price category in both cases is approximately the same. This is on condition that the canvases do not need adjustment. If it is necessary, then the cost increases. It is safe to say that the final price of both types of decor is about the same.

Conclusions

To summarize and find out which finish is better:

• Their operational characteristics are approximately the same. Among the varieties of decor is moisture resistant, durable, environmentally friendly, etc.
• The complexity of the installation is also similar. Preparation of the base for both finishes is similar. The sticker process is perhaps a little more difficult to color. Work skills are desirable in both cases.
• The cost varies greatly, depending on the chosen decor. If we compare the prices for the services of craftsmen, then painting will be on average a little cheaper.