Wall Paper

WALLS AND WINDOW TREATMENTS 3(1+2)
Lesson 6 : Interior Wall Covering

Wall Paper

Wallpaper is a kind of material used to cover and decorate the interior walls of homes, offices, and other buildings. It is usually sold in rolls and is put onto a wall using wallpaper paste. Wallpapers can come plain, textured or with patterned graphics. Some effects include texture, paint it yourself wall paper, custom wall paper that has been printed with a pattern of choice, a natural feel, leather look, timber look and much more. It is unmatched in the aesthetic value among the less expensive alternatives. It adds warmth, character and beauty and can be used to create an astonishing variety of effects. It’s also no longer difficult to remove with the new removal system remove wall in long strips.

Different Kinds of Wallpapers for a Variety of Effects

Most people think of wallpaper as a flat vinyl surface with a printed pattern or image on it, but there are a huge variety of wall coverings on the market and each one gives its own unique look to the room.

  1. Paper backed wallpapers: are the most common. Traditionally, the design was printed directly on the substrate, and the paper was hung as-is. Today, this type of wallpaper is rare.
  2. With vinyl coated wallpaper, the design is printed on the paper and then sealed with acrylic. This allows greater resistance to dirt, oil, and moisture. Vinyl coated wallpaper works well in kitchens and bathrooms.

  3. Solid sheet vinyl wallpaper: also known as paper backed vinyl, is made by laminating a solid sheet of decorative vinyl to the paper backing. A variation of this is called "in-register" paper backed vinyl. An embossed (raised) design echoes the printed pattern. These types of wallpaper are very resistant to moisture, but will not hold up to hard scrubbing. They also can be hard to remove, because they're not very porous.

  4. Fabric backed wallpapers: Fabric is another common backing material. Woven fabric backings are very durable, and they are typically used in commercial applications. Scrim and drill cloth are the most commonly used woven backings. Scrim is the most lightweight, while drill cloth are progressively sturdier. Non-woven fabric backings are created from a mixture of cellulose and textile fibers, pigments, stabilizers, and binders. This type of substrate is very stable, allowing the installer to apply paste directly to the wall with a roller and hang the wallpaper dry.

  5. Ingrain or Woodchip Wallpaper: These pressed woodchips are very inexpensive and give your wall a degree of grain texture but are designed to be painted over as well. Woodchip paper is a good way to disguise walls with smaller blemishes, but it can prove very difficult to remove as the wood grains tend to adhere to the wall very firmly.

  6. Vinyl Wall coverings: The most common and best known types of wallpaper are printed wallpaper and vinyl wall coverings. These come in a huge variety of colors and patterns and create visual interest in the printed images alone. They’re typically easy to apply and easy to remove.

  7. Embossed or Relief Wall coverings: This type of wallpaper is designed to give texture to your walls, or ceiling, which is very beneficial if you have uneven or cracking older walls and you want to hide the damage. Some textured wallpaper is made specifically for faux finishing and decorative painting techniques to be applied later.

  8. Foil Wallpaper: This paper has a metallic backing and it is simply stunning in the right environment as its very luxurious looking. The problem is it’s much like wearing satin and every little imperfection is easily visible. So great care should be taken when hanging this paper and in making sure your walls are perfect when the process begins

Advantages of using wallpaper in interiors

Perhaps, the most obvious one is it is availability in huge variety of decorating options. These are available in hundreds of patterns, colours, and design. It is possible to make a surface to look like wood, bricks, metal or straw simply with wallpaper. Some homeowners choose to put wallpaper on half of their walls with a border at the chair-rail length, thus giving them another way to decorate with wallpaper. For rooms where the walls are prone to get dirty, wallpaper is a great option. Most of today’s wallpapers are coated so that they wipe clean from common household marks. Besides being easy to clean, the patterns on the paper will help hide dirt and smudges. This makes wall covering more durable than some paints, which fade over repeated scrubbings Finally, wallpaper can hide blemishes in the wall’s plaster far better than a coat of paint.

Disadvantages of using wallpaper

It is difficult to keep the dirt off the wallpaper is a daunting task. Wallpapers get easily stained and those that are stain proof are costlier. If the wallpaper is exposed to sunlight, over time, your wallpaper will fade and ultimately loose all its colors and this calls for careful selection. In humid conditions, the glue may loosen and can actually cause the wallpaper to peel from the wall. It is also easily soiled and damaged. There is also possibility of tearing in edges and over time it can be nearly impossible to match the colour or pattern of the wallpaper when it needs replacement. This can be overcome only by keeping a few spare rolls.

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Last modified: Thursday, 8 December 2011, 1:10 PM