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What you need to know about wallpapers for wall

What you need to know about wallpapers

This article was helped to prepare and write by experts of the online wallpaper store in Kiev – who have vast experience in selling high-quality wallpaper for walls. In this article will consider the main aspects when choosing a wallpaper. Indeed, in the creation of a unique image of the interior, they play one of the most important roles. Wallpaper is the mood with which your home will meet you.

Why Choose Wallpaper?

In many ways, the popularity of wallpaper is due to the relatively low cost of many types and the ease of working with canvases. For example, in order to decorate walls with decorative plaster or ceramic tiles, in addition to the materials themselves, it is necessary to take into account the financial costs of the work of the corresponding qualified craftsmen. It is quite possible to glue the wallpaper yourself, even without having special skills.

Modern canvases have a high density, which not only ensures their durability, resistance to various kinds of influences, but also is able to hide wall defects, which is completely impossible in the case of painting or plastering.

A significant plus, testifying to the choice of wallpaper for wall decoration, is a huge variety of textures and colors of paintings, thanks to which you can create a unique design by combining types.

Tips for Choosing Wallpaper: Know their Composition

Wallpaper consists of a base and cover. The base is a layer in contact with the wall and impregnated with glue. It can be paper, fabric and artificial. Coating is what is applied to the substrate. Here, manufacturers are not used to restricting themselves; they use: paper, fibers of vegetable, animal, mineral and artificial origin, metal, polymers, varnishes, paints, and combinations thereof.

If the wallpaper is of high quality, each roll always has an equal number of meters, there are no factory defects, the pattern and color scheme are no different. In any case, when buying wallpaper, you need to check that the rolls of one article have one lot number, otherwise there may be discrepancies in color. Already at home, having expanded the wallpaper, you need to see if there is a visible marriage on them.

Paper wallpaper

The oldest type of wallpaper, but still in demand. He finds his fans thanks to the cheapness of paintings. Here the name speaks for itself – paper wallpapers are made on the basis of cellulose with an admixture of glue, which, by the way, is absolutely harmless. This type of material does not differ in durability – the canvases are exposed to moisture, ultraviolet radiation, quickly get dirty and torn, but they have a wide range of colors and patterns.

The inability of paper canvases to resist moisture suggests that you need to avoid sticking them in bathrooms, kitchens, hallways. As for living rooms and bedrooms, here they can decorate the walls, presenting in all their glory, and they have a lot of variations in performance: from bright canvases with children’s themes to classic designs. Often in rooms, paper wallpapers are combined with a more durable material, placing them on the upper planes of the walls in order to avoid abrasion and dirt.

Non-woven wallpaper

Non-woven – what is it? It is a material that was originally used in the textile industry. Non-woven fabric makes the fabric much stronger, in addition, it allows you to give clothes the necessary shape, which, for example, is very important in the manufacture of collars and lapels of a jacket. In the building materials market, non-woven fabric has been used for only a little over ten years. Non-woven fabric is based on paper and fabric fibers, which are bonded with an astringent chemical composition. All these components are pressed, after which a rather durable material is obtained.
The basis of non-woven fabric (70%) is cellulose – the same one that makes up our usual paper. Cellulose fibers are arranged in a special way, impregnated with a small amount (30%) of binders. The components are pressed – this is how a non-woven fabric is obtained. How is it different from plain paper? Greater density, wear resistance and strength.

Consequently, wallpapers containing non-woven materials differ from paper ones in that they will last a long time and will not tear so easily. At the same time, they are more fire resistant and are not afraid of water. The non-woven fabric itself is good for air permeability.

Non-woven wallpapers look great in any room, regardless of their purpose. You can safely choose them for repair:

  • kitchens;
  • bedrooms;
  • hallway and corridor;
  • living room;
  • children’s room.

Non-woven wallpaper – they are very durable and resistant to many adverse factors. They are made on the basis of cellulose and textile fibers and a special paste, which is the main background structure. Such wallpapers can be damp cleaned, they retain heat well and provide good sound insulation.

Textile wallpaper

If among all the wallpapers you need to choose the most comfortable and luxurious ones, then textile ones, or, as they are also called, fabric ones, immediately come to mind. This coating has its own history, because in the times of classicism, baroque and empire, the walls in the houses of wealthy people were decorated with fabric. Time has passed, now fabric has been replaced by fabric wallpaper, but this pleasure is still not the cheapest, although affordable for many.

Textile wallpapers are suitable for almost any type of interior, but look best with upholstered furniture and carpets, making the room very cozy. Such wallpapers are made on the basis of fabric or flesilin, but any fabric can be used, incl. natural and synthetic.

As for the shortcomings, it’s worth mentioning the price right away. The fabric contained in the color of the fabric is a protective fabric used with a special linen material. In addition, the more natural threads in the material, the faster it fade in the sun, and has an uneven color. These wallpapers require only dry, very careful cleaning. And one more nuance – when gluing, you need to be extremely careful so that the glue does not get on the wallpaper.

Types of textile wallpaper

Linen wallpaper

This is a classic option among textile wallpapers, and the most inexpensive. The finished surface is obtained by laminating with mixed threads. The result is a surface with sometimes slightly different shades of threads, but this gives it a natural look and the effect that the walls are covered with fabric.

Linen wallpapers have good performance properties: a high degree of heat and sound insulation, imperviousness to sunlight, and a lower ability to attract dust compared to others. They are great for children’s rooms, offices and other rooms with normal humidity levels.

Silk wallpaper

Despite the name, there is only a part of silk in silk wallpaper, the rest is viscose, which can significantly reduce the cost of the material. The finished surface is, frankly speaking, luxurious. Such wallpapers are widely used in bedrooms, offices, made in Provence or Empire style.

As for the properties, they all remain the same as the general properties for textile wallpapers.

Jute wallpaper

Jute is an Indian plant that is used to make fabric and rope, it is characteristic in appearance, with a wonderful texture. So the wallpaper is obtained with a pronounced texture, and they can easily hide small flaws in the walls, and some types can also be painted in the desired color.

Jute wallpapers are not the most demanding and difficult to care for among all textile ones, so they will not cause serious problems. Such material will perfectly complement the interior in country or eco style, besides, it does not fade and is distinguished by good wear resistance.

Felt wallpaper

One of the most preferred types of textile wallpaper in terms of characteristics: they practically do not fade, they keep sound and heat well. They are made by applying felt or its synthetic analogue to a paper base – most often, it is propylene. Of course, if you use unnatural material, then environmental friendliness decreases, but the price becomes more acceptable, and it will also be easier to care for – such wallpaper can even be washed, for example, with a washing vacuum cleaner.

In any case, felt wallpaper looks dignified on the wall – a feeling of being drawn into a single piece of fabric. In general, outwardly felt wallpaper very much resembles velour, but since they strongly collect odors on themselves, they are suitable for rooms that are devoid of them: a bedroom, a living room, etc.

Velour wallpaper

The production of velour wallpaper is one of the most technologically advanced. Here, the paper base is first coated with polyvinyl chloride paint, on which a pattern of special glue paint is applied. And until all this has dried, the canvas passes through a special installation that sprays particles of textile, and they, due to the characteristic electrostatic attraction of this material, settle on the base in a vertical position. Then the resulting fabric is dried and a material is obtained that completely imitates expensive fabrics, resembling tapestry, velvet, etc.

The result is a very beautiful and unusual, especially under lighting, coating, which, by the way, does not have a particularly low price. The stunning appearance of velour wallpaper, unfortunately, is not supported by the same excellent performance properties: they are very poorly protected from the influence of mechanical influences, and their care is quite problematic.

Therefore, it is better to use them only in the bedroom, and then subject to very careful care, otherwise they will soon lose all their external data.

It is better to refuse wet cleaning, since there is still a paper base there. But they can be easily vacuumed with a flat brush attachment.

Jacquard wallpaper

Jacquard wallpaper is a whole class of textile wallpaper, numbering about 250 items. Their height is quite non-standard – about 270 cm, which allows you to literally wrap the whole room in fabric in several steps, and this will reduce the number of seams to a minimum. In addition, in the production of jacquard wallpaper, a special base is used, which does not allow the glue to soak, pass into the wallpaper layer and spoil the pattern.

Vinyl wallpapers

It can be divided into three types – “silkscreen”, foamed vinyl and its kind of “bulk vinyl” (with deep embossing), washable vinyl. The iridescent, silky and pearlescent effect of “silk-screen printing” is created with the help of the smallest notches-patterns reflecting light. Thanks to the foam coating, vinyl wallpapers for walls can have almost sculptural expressiveness of relief.

Vinyl can imitate ceramic tiles, leather, suede, natural fabrics, wood, there are drawings under marble, granite, plaster and other finishing materials. Washable vinyl has high moisture resistance and is designed for kitchens and bathrooms.

Kitchens, hallways, bathrooms – these are the best places for them, because vinyl does not allow air and moisture to pass through. The advantage of vinyl wallpaper – in the “boundless” wealth of choice.

Fiberglass Wallpaper

This wallpaper is a kind of woven base made of fiberglass made from quartz sand, soda, dolomite and lime. The material is obtained in various densities and structures, with beautiful textures, reliefs and ornaments.

Cullets have a number of valuable qualities: decorativeness and the ability to correct small flaws in the walls. Before gluing fiberglass wallpaper, it is recommended to cover the wall surface with a neutral latex primer. Latex paint is also introduced into the glue, which is close to the shade of the topcoat, it can also be used to prime the wall and wallpaper.

Liquid wallpaper

Like any other material, liquid wallpaper has its own application technology and its advantages. It is very important to remember that the relevance of such material for repair today, lies primarily in practicality and reliability. These wallpapers are very simple both in installation and in operation, and thanks to a very different gamut of colors, you can create comfort and beauty at home without any problems. Consider the quality of the material, and, of course, how much such material is beneficial to use.

The cost of such wallpaper is small. Compared to ordinary wallpaper, liquid is much better. They differ in interesting design, durability and cost.

How to choose a liquid wallpaper

Speaking about how to choose such a material for yourself, it is important to consider the following several points:

  • Pay attention to how reliable and safe this material is. It is very important that the liquid wallpaper is of excellent quality, that they contain high-quality components;
  • It is also very important that during installation and operation of such wallpaper there should be no problems. Thus, the repair will be a real pleasure for you;
  • Look at the reviews about such material in order to understand how profitable it is to use it for the home, and whether it is worth it at all.

What kind of wallpaper can hide the unevenness of the walls?

Often, various defects remain on the surface of the wall. These can be chips, cracks, remnants of previous types of wallpaper or paint. Of course, you can carry out puttying and priming work and get rid of imperfections on the surface. However, sometimes it is possible to mask defects with a new canvas. Wallpaper works best for this purpose:

  • non-woven;
  • glass wallpaper;
  • vinyl;
  • liquid.

The first three types hide defects due to their density and layering. The latter (liquid) have a special structure – they are applied to the walls as a putty, thus making it possible to “close up” small cracks on the surface.

Paper wallpapers are the worst at masking defects. A thin canvas strongly shines through the wall, highlighting all the flaws.

Tip: You can hide defects on the wall by gluing wall wallpapers with a bright and large print. An abstract pattern will become a bright accent in the room, and thereby distract attention from the problematic surface of the wall.

How to choose the right wallpaper by color?

The selection of wallpaper for a room is an important step in any renovation. And it is important to pay attention to both the functional features of the material and its appearance. After all, the shade of the walls should match the rest of the color palette in the room.

What color of wallpaper should I choose?

  1. If the room is small, the best solution is light (white, beige, light gray) wallpaper. They visually enlarge the space and make the room brighter.
  2. The selection of the color of the wallpaper also depends on the room. So, for example, for the kitchen, white, beige are often chosen as the main or additional colors, among the bright ones – red (awakens the appetite). In the bedroom, it is better to stay on calm muted colors (blue, dusty pink, mint). In the living room, you can glue both calm and brighter (yellow, blue, green) wallpapers.
  3. Particular attention should be paid to the children’s room. In the play area, you can glue brighter canvases that will give you activity and good mood. But near the bed, stop on wallpaper in calmer shades that will help your child fall asleep faster.
  4. If you decide to combine several shades on the wall, be sure to check if they are compatible with each other.
  5. Choosing decorative wallpaper for your printed walls? Note that the smaller the room, the smaller the pattern should be.

Important! When considering wallpaper in a store, it is important to take into account that under different lighting conditions, after gluing, they may slightly change their shade. For the best effect, it is better to view the roll in sunlight.

Wallpaper symbols – What do they mean?

Wallpaper symbols present a mystery for most people. It’s important to understand how to interpret them in order to care for your high-quality wallcoverings properly.

There are various methods of safe cleaning that might be indicated by symbols on the wallpaper. If the wallpaper is not marked by any of the subsequent symbols, it is not advisable to clean the wallpaper using any method.

Wallpaper Symbols Guide
Wallpaper symbols guide – What do they mean?
Wallpaper Symbol For Spongeable

Spongeable

This symbol indicates that the wallpaper can be lightly cleaned using a sponge. This type of wallpaper is not recommended to be used in places where it is likely to get wet or in areas with high humidity, as it is susceptible to damage when exposed to water.

wallpaper symbol for washable

Washable

This symbol means that the wallpaper is relatively durable and can be gently cleaned without damaging the wallpaper. It is still vulnerable to water.

extra washable wallpaper symbol

Super washable or extra washable

This symbol indicates that the wallpaper is durable enough to withstand rigorous cleaning without sustaining damaged. This type of wallpaper may be placed in areas that are likely to get damp. This type of wallpaper can withstand exposure to small amounts of water.

scrubbable wallpaper symbol

Scrubbable

This is the symbol found on the most durable wallpapers, allowing them to be scrubbed clean without incurring noticeable damage. If you need heavy-duty wallcoverings, this is your best choice.
These symbols indicate where in a home or business it is safest to hang the wallcovering, according to the natural light patterns.

Good light fastness wallpaper symbol

Good Light Fastness

This symbol means the wallpaper will not bleach easily even with prolonged exposure to sunlight. It is the type of wallpaper recommended for areas of property that routinely get exposed to sunlight.

moderate light fastness symbol

Moderate Light Fastness

This symbol denotes that the wallpaper is only somewhat resistant to bleaching when placed in direct sunlight. It will bleach faster than those designed and marked “Good Light Fastness”. Wallcoverings without any symbol indication or marking regarding sun-bleaching characteristics should not be placed in areas that are often exposed to sunlight.
These symbols offer valuable information about how best to install the wallcovering.

adhesive to wallpaper symbol

Adhesive to Wallcovering

This symbol means you should apply the adhesive on the wallcovering instead of the wall (applying glue to the wallpaper).

ready pasted wallpaper symbol

Ready Pasted

This symbol means that the adhesive has already been applied to this wallcovering. You only need to immerse the desired length of wallcovering in water to activate the paste before applying it to you wall.

strippable wallpaper symbol

Strippable

This symbol means that both the top and back layers of the wallpaper will come off the wall if you decide to redecorate. Selecting a wallpaper with this symbol may make it easier to redecorate in the future.

wet removable wallpaper symbol

Wet Removable

This symbol means you have to apply liquid wallpaper stripper or warm soapy water to remove this type of wallpaper.

peelable wallpaper symbol

Peel-able

This symbol indicates that the top layer of this wallcovering will peel off should you decide to redecorate (removing wallpaper in layers).

offset match wallpaper symbol

Offset Match

This symbol, which can be found beside some measurement of distance, only indicates the vertical offset of the pattern.

straight match wallpaper symbol

Straight Match

This symbol, which can be found beside a measurement of distance, only indicates the start of each time a vertical pattern is repeated on the wallpaper.

free match wallpaper symbol

Free Match

This symbol means the wallcovering has no repeating pattern match and can be hung in any direction to achieve the desired final look.

direction of hanging instruction symbol

Direction of Hanging

This symbol serves as a guide pointing toward the direction this particular wallcovering should be hung (gluing canvases in the direction of the arrow).

reverse drop wallpaper symbol

Reverse Alternate Layout

This symbol means that the wallpaper should be hung in alternate directions to achieve the desired final look.

What should be on the manufacturer’s label

Before buying the selected wallpaper in the store, experts at rulon.net.ua recommend paying attention to the label. High-quality wallpaper factories necessarily release wallpaper in the label, which indicated full information about the product. First of all, when choosing a wallpaper, you need to pay attention to the following data:

  • information about the manufacturer (brand name, city, feedback address);
  • serial number of the item;
  • type of wallpaper (for example, washable wallpaper or paintable canvases);
  • roll dimensions;
  • direction of the drawing;
  • additional information on special processing;
  • method of applying glue;
  • lightfastness indicator.

3 Comments

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  • Thank you very much, I really liked your advice on wallpapering on the wall. But it seems to me in earnest if I never glued wallpaper, it would be better to turn to specialists than to deal with this issue myself, and then to wish ((

  • A very useful article, really interesting and useful to know this information before buying wallpaper. It was especially interesting to know which wallpaper helps to hide irregularities on the walls, and it is also useful to know the symbols that are on the wallpaper rolls. Thanks.

  • How to calculate correctly how many rolls of wallpaper are needed for pasting the walls of a room with an area of 17 square meters? Can you help me calculate the number of rolls?

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