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Renovating a bathroom is not a cheap pleasure, but there are finishing materials that allow you to put the room in order quickly, while spending a small amount. For example, walls can be decorated with wallpaper. What wallpaper for the bathroom can be used – in the article.
Wallpaper in the bathroom – the pros and cons
Until now, it is believed that in the bathroom the best option is ceramic tiles. But this method of finishing requires significant funds, a large amount of work. Therefore, the minimum period for which such a finish is designed is 10 years. It happens that the tiles do not change for 20 years or more. Not everyone is happy with this stability. The fashion for decoration and finishing materials is changing rapidly, and we all want our home to be stylish and beautiful.
In addition, there is one more nuance that should be taken into account by the owners of apartments in new buildings: ceramic tiles are very hard. In newly built houses, when the building shrinks, this can lead to cracks.
These reasons and the fact that the tile looks too “cold” make you think about what else, besides tiles, you can finish the walls in the bathroom. One of the most budget options is wallpaper for the bathroom. They cost many times cheaper than tiles (even the most expensive options), they are glued quickly. All this allows you to change the finish once a year or even more often. Tired, or the wallpaper has lost its attractiveness – replaced.
This solution also has disadvantages. The first is that you will have to choose special wallpapers that can feel fine in rooms with high humidity. The second – in areas of direct contact with water, walls are usually finished with other materials that are more resistant to moisture. Most often, tiles are laid in these areas, and wallpaper is glued in the rest. But there is another way out – to protect the wallpaper with transparent glass or plastic.
To wallpaper for the bathroom last longer, it is worth gluing them on a special glue. Wet room formulations contain antibacterial additives that prevent the development of mold and fungus.
Types of wallpaper for the bathroom
Not all wallpapers can be used in wet areas. For example, paper or paper-based bathrooms are not suitable. You can stick them on, but they will quickly lose their attractiveness, after taking a bath or a hot shower they will absorb moisture. Therefore, although paper wallpapers are inexpensive, they should not be used in the bathroom. The exception is moisture-resistant washable wallpaper. But this is an economy option that is suitable, for example, for a country or garden house.
Flizelinovye
Non-woven is often called wallpaper with a non-woven base, on which various coatings are applied (most often vinyl or paper is applied to the non-woven). But in this case, we are talking specifically about non-woven wallpaper on non-woven base. They are not afraid of moisture, so they can be used in wet rooms. This type of “clothes” for the walls is:
- For painting. In this case, the canvases are white, they can be repainted up to 8 times (depending on the density of the interlining).
- With pattern and color. Not suitable for painting, but have an interesting texture.
A few examples of non-woven non-woven wallpaper
The advantages of such “purely non-woven” canvases are the ability of the material to pass air and steam. They say that such walls “breathe”, due to which there is a natural regulation of humidity (due to the operation of the ventilation system). When searching for this kind of finishing materials, in the search line, ask “non-woven wallpaper on non-woven base”, otherwise the output will mainly consist of vinyl wallpaper on non-woven base, and their qualities and appearance are completely different.
Non-woven wallpaper for the bathroom is glued to a flat, clean base using a special glue with high adhesive power. Glue is applied only to the walls, the canvases are rolled out dry, carefully smoothed.
Interlining itself is a fairly dense material that practically does not stretch. So that there are no problems when sticking, the preparation of the walls must be at a high level – dry canvases do not stretch and do not “sit down”, so it is difficult to hide the flaws. And this is one of the drawbacks.
Vinyl
Non-woven vinyl wallpapers are suitable for the bathroom. Vinyl is also produced on a paper basis, but this option is not suitable for wet rooms, since paper is hygroscopic and usually such a finish quickly lags behind the walls.
Vinyl wallpaper is a thin film of polyvinyl chloride applied to a non-woven base. Vinyl film has a thickness of tenths of a millimeter, but it is so strong and dense, but it is quite difficult to damage it, so you can even wash it with a brush and detergents. In addition, it does not allow moisture to pass through in any form. On the one hand, this is good – moisture does not penetrate the walls. On the other hand, not very well, because the ventilation in the bathroom should work very well, since the atmosphere cannot normalize naturally. If you choose to use vinyl wallpaper for your bathroom, it is advisable to install an exhaust fan to provide forced humidity control.
Vinyl wallpaper for the bathroom can be of several types – vinyl can be applied in several ways. There is a thin vinyl, under it the walls must be prepared carefully, since all the bumps will be visible. Especially if the color chosen is light and the texture is smooth. There is a denser and thicker vinyl that hides surface imperfections better, there is foamed vinyl, which, due to the textured surface, can hide imperfections. Surface preparation in this case may not be so perfect. But, regardless of the thickness of the film, large irregularities are unacceptable, since the non-woven base does not stretch well.
Vinyl wallpapers are glued in the same way as non-woven ones: the wall is smeared with glue, and the canvases themselves are glued dry. But the glue used is different, with even higher adhesive power, since the weight of one roll is even greater (due to the weight of the PVC film).
Wall-papers
If you like painted walls in the bathroom, you can use paintable glass wallpaper. They are a fabric woven from fiberglass, which are intertwined in a special way, due to which a pattern is formed. The range of drawings is not so great, but due to the fact that these canvases can be repainted up to 20-30 times, you can quickly change the design of the bathroom.
Fiberglass wallpapers for the bathroom have a long service life, are not afraid of moisture, allow air to pass through, do not rot, are made from natural raw materials, and do not support combustion. The canvases have a certain texture, due to which they can be glued to imperfect walls. In general, a good option. There are few shortcomings. First, they cost more than the same vinyl wallpaper. But they can be repainted, which allows you to quickly change the boring style. The second disadvantage is that it is difficult to glue them. You have to make sure not to “level” the relief, use a special glue. The third drawback is that you still need to buy paint and paint the glass wall paper several times to get a uniform color. This also raises the cost of this type of finish.
Self-adhesive wallpaper
In stores, there is a self-adhesive film for sale that can be used in the bathroom. It is glued to a flat, clean base. In this case, the preparation of the walls must be perfect: the film is very thin and it cannot hide any flaws, but only emphasizes all the irregularities. The properties of this finishing material are determined by the properties of vinyl: the film is durable, dense, does not allow water, steam, air to pass through. Walls pasted over with this material can be brushed with non-abrasive detergents. PVC does not let water through in any form and well-functioning ventilation is necessary to remove high humidity.
Bathroom stickers can be matte or glossy. On a glossy surface, traces of water and soap are more visible, but care is easier: all dirt is easily removed from a smooth surface. On a matte film, deposits are less visible, but due to the porosity of the surface, it is more difficult to remove them. Another nuance: the glossy surface due to the reflection of light makes a small room visually more spacious. But in bright light, a large amount of glare has a strong effect on the eyes. They get tired faster.
Before gluing, the surface must be cleaned of dust, degreased. After that, cut the film into strips of the desired length. Gradually separating the protective substrate, glue the PVC film, expelling air from under the film with a plastic spatula.
Liquid wallpaper
Another very interesting option for decorating the walls in the bathroom is liquid wallpaper. By the nature of the application, this material is more reminiscent of plaster, since in its finished form it is a paste-like mass that is applied to the walls with spatulas or similar tools. The main advantage of this type of finishing materials is undemanding to the base. Since the layer can be up to 1 cm, even fairly large irregularities can be leveled. But, since the composition cannot be called cheap, many people prefer to pre-level with cheaper mixtures (leveling plaster or putty), and finish leveling with liquid wallpaper.
Liquid wallpaper is sold in the form of a dry powder, which is diluted with water in certain proportions, or in the form of a ready-to-use paste. The composition includes cellulose fibers, mineral components, textile fibers, coloring pigments. All this is mixed with a binder component (glue), diluted with water. The resulting paste is applied to the walls.
Selection of glue
In order for the wallpaper for the bathroom to hold well, so that mold and fungi do not start on them, you need to choose the right glue. It is chosen depending on the type of wallpaper: for vinyl – its own composition, for non-woven – its own. But at the same time, it is necessary to ensure that bactericidal additives are included in the glue.
For greater reliability, it is desirable to treat the prepared surface with a primer that has a bactericidal effect. In addition to the fact that the primer prevents the development of harmful microorganisms, it evens out the absorbency of the walls, reducing the consumption of glue, and prevents the formation of bubbles.