Types of wallpaper and their characteristics, features of choice

Wallpaper is the building material that can be found in both residential and non-residential premises. Wallpaper on the walls is glued by wealthy and less wealthy people, residents of country houses and owners of urban square meters. Therefore, it is very important to navigate this type of product. We will try to understand this issue in detail.

Perfect for technical rooms and rooms with minimal design requirements. At its cost they are cheaper than analogues, since they are made from cheap raw materials - paper... Available in single and double layers, smooth or rough.

They also have significant disadvantages. These include a short period of use, damage when moisture gets in, which means that they cannot be glued in rooms with high humidity - in bathrooms, kitchens and swimming pools. In addition, paper wallpaper deteriorates under the influence of ultraviolet radiation and absorbs foreign odors.

They contain cellulose and various fibers. This composition gives the product high strength, moisture resistance, environmental safety. They, like paper wallpaper, can "breathe", which means that mold will not form under them. Non-woven wallpaper hide uneven surfaces, to glue them, it is enough to apply glue only to the walls or ceiling; it is not necessary to apply it to the rolls themselves.

Such wallpaper is made either from cellulose or from non-woven fabric. The top layer of these wallpapers consists of foamed vinyl, so they can be used for painting. Wallpaper can be smooth, with a certain relief, including silk-screen printing.

The advantages of vinyl wallpaper include moisture resistance - they can be glued without fear in bathrooms and kitchens. If they get dirty, they can be washed with a regular cloth and soapy water. Vinyl is UV resistant, so it won't turn yellow when exposed to sunlight. Minor irregularities do not even need to be plastered - the embossed wallpaper will mask everything themselves. Modern models can be repainted nine or more times.

These wallpapers are less popular, their top layer consists of acrylic, so they can let air through. By themselves, they are thin, fragile and, unfortunately, short-lived.

For expensive interiors, designers recommend choosing natural wallpaper. As a rule, they are made on the basis of paper or non-woven, and the top layer is made from bamboo, straw or reed. In special cases, jute, cork or seaweed are used.

Wallpaper made from natural materials, in addition to being environmentally friendly, also creates an exclusive interior.For durability, natural wallpaper is covered with special compounds.

Natural wallpaper has its drawbacks. - fear of moisture, undemocratic cost, damage caused by ultraviolet radiation. The gluing process is difficult, seams and joints can form, which are noticeable even from afar. Caring for such wallpaper is done only with dry napkins and a vacuum cleaner.

Fiberglass wallpaper has increased durability. They are made by weaving, they contain glass threads - an environmentally friendly material. Often glass wallpapers are found in non-residential premises, since later they are painted in the desired color range. Moreover painting can be done over ten times... Glass fiber has a service life of about forty years. They do not ignite, they are not inhabited by spores of fungi and various microorganisms. A significant disadvantage is the meager assortment of patterns.

Textile wallpapers are made from silk, linen or cotton. In rare cases - from jute, velor or synthetic material, while the base of such wallpaper can be either paper or non-woven. Even at the manufacturing stage, wallpaper rolls are treated with special agents against antistatic electricity and mold.

The advantages of textile wallpaper can be called environmental safety, resistance to ultraviolet radiation, noise suppression properties, as well as thermal insulation. In addition, such wallpapers will ennoble any interior. Wide wallpapers allow you to reduce or completely get rid of joints and seams. The disadvantages are the high price, the difficulty of installation and the inability to repel dust, dirt and foreign odors.

Vandal-proof metal wallpaper is easy to clean, UV-resistant, perfect for hi-tech interiors. Aluminum foil is a good sound absorber, so that extraneous noise from the street or entrance will not enter the room. Metal visually expands the spacebecause it reflects sunlight and artificial lighting. Of the minuses, experts note the high cost and the mandatory leveling of the surface with sheets of drywall, otherwise the foil will not stick evenly.

Liquid wallpaper would be more correctly attributed to decorative plaster, but, unlike plaster, there is no sand in the composition of liquid wallpaper, but only paper, dyes and fibers, which give the product an attractive look.

Liquid wallpaper must be prepared, because in the hardware store they are sold in the form of dry mixtures. Since this is not really a wallpaper, after their application, no joints are formed. The relief is created thanks to special fibers. Liquid wallpaper can level the surface of any walls, no dust remains on them, they are environmentally friendly, which means they can be glued even in children's rooms. Remember that they dry up to two days, their service life is usually eight years. They are not suitable for rooms with high humidity.

Photowall-paper was popular at the end of the last century, but even now the fashion for them does not pass. Most often they can be found in a building store in the form of self-adhesive rolls. They need to be glued only on a leveled surface, otherwise the pattern may not match.

Volumetric 3D wallpapers can be standard, panoramic and fluorescent. Recently, LED wallpapers have also appeared on the market. The latter two varieties, in contrast to the first, have reflective effects.

These wallpapers are recommended to be pasted in living rooms and halls. They are made on the basis of non-woven or paper, and beads are used as decor.

It is easy to stick the wallpaper onto a pre-leveled and plastered surface. This also has a positive effect on the service life of the roll wallpaper. Decorative plaster, in contrast to wallpaper, can also be applied to unaligned walls, while the cost of installation flies out a pretty penny and you will have to sweat a lot over decorative plaster, and maybe even turn to specialists. But the installation of wallpaper strips is within the power of even inexperienced people.

For laying parquet boards on the walls, a frame will need to be erected. In some cases, it is necessary to lay this building material on the ceiling, but here you cannot do without a special tool - a router, a screwdriver, a puncher. Installation will take a lot of time and effort, while the room will be covered in dust and shavings.

Paint, in contrast to wallpaper, can have a specific, difficult-to-erase odor. By the way, some types of paints are not at all suitable for residential premises. They can cause allergic reactions and asthma attacks. Some paint becomes unusable under the influence of moisture and ultraviolet radiation., which means that in the future there will be another repainting of the walls.

According to its physical properties and characteristics, wallpapers are ordinary, waterproof and washable. The first group, as a rule, includes cheap representatives of this segment - paper and acrylic. You can take care of them only with a dry napkin and a brush, any efforts at the same time lead to damage to their appearance.

Caring for washable wallpaper involves the use of rags, brushes and mild household chemicals, but super-washable ones are neutral even to aggressive cleaning agents. On labels, this indicator is marked with special icons.

Sunlight resistance is another metric to look out for... If you plan to paste over pantries or technical rooms, where there is practically no sun, then you can not look at it. But for those rooms where the sun's rays can render the wallpaper cloth unusable, this is very important.

Indicated on the label and such an indicator as the fit of the picture. Most often this applies to photowall-paper and wallpaper, where the pattern is divided into sectors. If the adjustment is not performed, the rhythm will be disturbed, this can lead to additional consumption.

Wallpaper can be made from natural and non-natural ingredients. Natural materials are paper, bamboo, textiles. And unnatural ones are fiberglass, vinyl, beads.

In order not to repeat ourselves, let us dwell on some of the technological features of the production of wall coverings.

Paper-based wallpaper has been used for decades. These eco-friendly canvases have undergone a number of technological changes during their existence. If in the Soviet years they had to be pasted through newspapers, pre-brewing the cluster, then now they are glued to regular wallpaper glue, just like acrylics.

Glass wallpaper is one of the new products on the construction market. As noted earlier, they have a meager pattern - this is a rhombus, a matting and a herringbone. In office premises, glass wallpaper with lattice and diamond is most often glued. They are made by weaving. Glass threads create various patterns, which are "attached" to the base using special equipment.

Chalk wallpapers were invented especially for painting. It's no secret that young children often use wallpaper strips like an easel.After that, some types of wallpaper cannot be restored to their original form, which means that they will have to be re-glued. But the manufacturers went to meet the young parents and developed special wallpapers that you can paint on.

Chalk or marker wallpapers are presented on the market in the form of a self-adhesive film. It can be glued to any surface, including furniture or paint, and re-glued at any time, without leaving any adhesive residue. The surface is cleaned with a simple rag, this operation can be performed more than one thousand times. The dimensions of the canvas are selected according to your needs.

Linkrust wallpapers have been known to the world for over a hundred years. A layer of plastic is applied to the paper base, which very much resembles stucco molding. By the way, fabric can also be used as a base. Such wallpapers were often pasted in expensive hotels, cafes and royal residences. Amazing fact that even after a hundred years, this building material serves faithfully. Thanks to the unique production technology, it is a very durable building material. It is suitable for expensive and luxurious interiors. It can be repainted.

Stretch wallpapers are made like stretch ceilings, from PVC film - these are seamed copies, and from polyester fabric - this is, accordingly, seamless. The service life, according to manufacturers, can be several decades. Unfortunately, this material is highly flammable.

The pluses include the fact that the base does not need to be primed and putty. They are easy to care for and have good thermal insulation and noise reduction properties. Luminaires are easily mounted in them.

Wallpaper by its texture can be divided into several types.

Such wallpapers, in comparison with ordinary smooth specimens, look more advantageous indoors. These include acrylic, fiberglass, linkrust, vinyl wallpaper and silk-screen printing. They are heavy and medium in weight.

These wallpapers are produced on paper, non-woven and natural bases. They can be with large, medium and small relief. By the way, linkrust refers to a mega-large relief.

These wallpapers are produced by cold or hot method. Some manufacturers resort to foaming and stenciling.

It is generally accepted that the standard dimensions for domestic rolls are a length of 10 meters and a width of 50 cm. These indicators may differ slightly, both up and down.

Meter wallpapers were previously used abroad, but now they occupy their own niche in the domestic market. They were developed for painting and to reduce the number of seams.

The main feature of such a building material as wallpaper is that they can have different colors and imitate other building materials. So, in particular, wallpaper can imitate brick. They go well with a variety of styles, including loft, retro and hi-tech.

In the bathroom or in the kitchen, it is not necessary to select expensive tiles, you can opt for the wallpaper segment, besides, modern models not only suit any design project, but also have a number of advantages. These include moisture resistance and long service life.

Often, upon completion of the repair, the impression remains that something is missing. For example, a combination of wallpaper was used - the upper part of the wall was glued with one, and the lower one with others. This transition needs to be decorated with something. Engineers of the construction market especially for this case came up with moldings, corners, curbs.

Stucco moldings or ceiling skirting boards are designed to transform the upper part of the room, this is especially important in those rooms with high ceilings, because gluing wallpaper strips of this length is an impossible task for many. The joints and gaps between the ceiling and the wall are perfectly covered by the skirting board. But remember that a stepladder may be needed to secure it.

The cover for the switch is most often used in styles loft and retro... It can be made from metal or plastic materials and take many forms. Decorate and rosettes. This is most often done in rooms with small children, who may accidentally stick their fingers into the power source.

Unique design makes any room stand out from the rest. But you need to approach this with a pragmatic look, you need to remember that some colors and types of wallpaper can darken the room. For example, black wallpaper, which is often glued in expensive offices and youth bedrooms, without proper lighting and furniture with metal or chrome stakes, is a depressing picture.

Monochromatic wallpapers are not at all suitable for giving a zest to the interior; it is more correct to turn your attention to textured, photo wallpaper or canvases consisting of two colors.

Marble wallpaper can be glued in non-residential premises - at enterprises, in retail outlets. Having a repeating ornament, they visually expand the space. In most cases, there is no need to adjust the pattern, which means that wallpaper strips are installed quickly and efficiently, even by non-specialists.

For the corridor, wallpaper is selected that imitates boards. Such building materials are cheaper than their counterparts, they do not need to be processed, they are easy to care for and easy to install. The texture resembles natural wood from a distance, but does not reduce the space. And this is very important in small hallways.

Often, zoning occurs by combining wallpaper. So, for example, you can separate the working area from the dining room in the kitchen, or highlight the wall in the living room on which the TV weighs. Thanks to this simple technique, certain tasks are achieved, in particular, focusing on a smaller wall.

Mirrored wallpapers that expand the space look great in any room - in city apartments, country houses, and office centers. If you use them for pasting a small hallway, then you can save on lighting.

From a design point of view, photomurals can beat not only a teenage room, but also a living room, where classics prevail, and a modern kitchen in style hi-tech.

Buyers around the world have appreciated the 3D volumetric wallpaper. As noted earlier, they can be stereoscopic, fluorescent and holographic. They not only transform the room, but also add additional lighting, some of them glow in the dark. Thanks to this, you can bring to life, for example, a nursery with a night sky.

Decorative sequins are perfect for children's rooms where girls live. This design can be used not only in infancy, but also in adolescence, which means that you can stick them with an eye on for several years - it is very beneficial.

It would seem that it could be easier to go and buy wallpaper rolls in an apartment? But as they say, it was not there. First of all, it is necessary to take into account the height of the ceiling, the room in which the installation and lighting will be carried out. Do not stick black wallpaper strips in dark rooms, as well as wallpaper with a large pattern in small rooms.

Wallpaper canvases can visually expand the space in length, if they are located horizontally and in height - if vertically. This must be taken into account in non-standard rooms. Wallpaper that increases space is not marked in any way, this is just a design find, but it allows you to beat any room.

It is advisable to know in advance what furniture will be at home, what decorative inserts and interior features are planned in the future. And with this in mind, select building material.

Experts recommend choosing cold shades for rooms facing south, and warm ones to the north. This harmonious combination allows you to balance the situation in which there is an excess of sunlight in some rooms, and in others - a lack.

It is advisable to buy moisture-resistant wallpaper sheets for rooms with high humidity - for bathrooms and kitchens. Chalk wallpapers - for children. "Breathable" non-woven fabrics are perfect for halls and bedrooms, they are not contraindicated for allergy sufferers.

Fabric and fiberglass can be used in small rooms and offices. Natural wallpaper gets dirty easily. Remember that they are very difficult to care for. Liquid wallpaper fits well on uneven walls, since they are decorative plaster, which means they can level the surface themselves.

The best world and domestic manufacturers produce a huge number of all kinds of collections, and if you are well-versed in this matter, you can pick up good copies at bargain prices. After all, it's not a secret for anyone that as soon as a novelty appears on the market, the previous collections lose value. If you do not chase new products, but consider only high-quality materials, then such a repair will not cost a pretty penny.

For tips on choosing wallpaper, see the following video.

In most hardware stores, you can find wallpaper produced in the countries of the former Soviet Union. Russia is represented in the rating by companies "Palette", "Saratov Wallpaper" and "Moscow Wallpaper Factory". The accumulated experience, the best European technologies and savings on logistics allowed these manufacturers to gain a foothold at the top of the rating.

Ukrainian and Belarusian manufacturers have the same advantages. Among the leaders are companies Versailles, Gomeloboi and Slavic Wallpaper. These firms produce a huge number of all kinds of collections on non-woven and paper basis.Like many enterprises of the former USSR, they had to re-profile in the 90s of the last century, but the peak of the recession was passed, and today they take their rightful place in the ranking.

American manufacturers are known all over the world, they release technological innovations due to the fact that they fruitfully cooperate with the countries of the European and Asian markets. Such involvement in all market segments allows them to offer new collections to buyers' judgment every year, not only in their own market, but also in the world.

Belgium takes a special place in the ranking. The thing is that Belgian manufacturers focus on durability, environmental safety and high quality of their products. At the same time, their products have a democratic cost, which, even taking into account all the logistics operations and markups, remains quite attractive.

There are several manufacturing plants in Belgium, each of which exports its products to other countries. Among such manufacturers, the "oldies" stand out - Bekaert Textiles, Hookedonwalls and Decoprint N. V. From the "youth" can be noted Calcutta and Khroma - they are presented on the market not only by wallpaper on a non-woven and paper base, but also by natural coverings.

Korean, Japanese and Chinese manufacturers produce not only oriental canvases, but also the European collection. Thanks to this approach, they combine low cost and high quality. It is worth noting the fact that it is Korean manufacturers who are conquering the world and domestic markets. Among these manufacturers, one can distinguish LG, Artdeco and Shinhan.

By the way, these manufacturers have been known in their country for more than a decade, so they have gained some experience and knowledge that they embody in new collections. This is confirmed by numerous reviews of satisfied customers, who say a lot of kind words in their defense.

Japan, Germany, Belgium, the United States of America and South Korea over the past decades have released a huge number of collections that are perfectly combined with the style of minimalism, hi-tech, retro, Provence. The list is endless. But it should be said that domestic manufacturers, interacting with world leaders in the wallpaper segment, were able to reach unprecedented heights and rightfully occupy their positions in the rating.

Stylish wallpaper looks great even in a one-room apartment and in studio apartments. They allow you to zone the work area, while highlighting the dining area or living room.

Fabric wallpaper looks great in the interior, their luxurious look is suitable for bedrooms not only in country cottages, but also in city apartments.

In the children's room, you can stick chalk wallpapers or with dandelions, with cars - depending on the gender of the child.

Chic black wallpaper will go well with a lot of lamps and light furniture.

For youth rooms, experts recommend sticking photowall-paper. They are easy to find in hardware stores or order from special firms.