Choosing washable wallpaper

The name "washable wallpaper" refers to all wall coverings that can be washed or wiped down during use. It is these coatings that are best suited for finishing the kitchen and bathroom in the event that traditional methods - tiling and painting walls - are rejected for some reason.

The performance and design are determined not only by the finish of the washable wallpaper, but also by their substrate, so in the future we will consider them as a whole. But first, let's figure out how different types of substrates and films differ.

Substrates and coatings of moisture-resistant wallpaper

As a finishing washable coating is used:

• Vinyl, also known as polyvinyl chloride or PVC.
• Foamed vinyl.
• Acrylic.
• Fiberglass.

As a substrate responsible for adhesion to the wall, strength and texture, the following is used:

• Paper.
• Interlining.
• Fiberglass – This backing is inherently water resistant, so it is often used without a top coat.
• Self-adhesive layer - in this case, there is no substrate as such, and the adhesive is applied directly to the water-repellent film.

From this list alone, it is clear that the consumer properties of washable wallpaper for the bedroom, corridor, bathroom, etc. vary greatly. Add to this a wide range of prices, which, by the way, depend not only on the material, but also on the design and brand - and it becomes clear why choosing the best is so difficult.

But there is also good news: each type of wallpaper has become an object of production for a reason. It has a unique set of characteristics: price / simplicity-difficulty of pasting / moisture resistance / strength / design / fashion and is designed for a specific niche.

Actually, the task of the buyer is to characterize the niche, find the defining criterion and choose an excellent finishing material that is ideal for a particular case - for example, the wallpaper for the kitchen is washable and inexpensive or for the nursery - more expensive, but environmentally friendly and with a pleasant texture.

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Types of washable wallpaper and their characteristics

Paper backed vinyl

Paper based vinyl wallpapers are inexpensive models with a glossy or semi-gloss finish. Glued end to end. When gluing, it is important not to overmoisten them - the strength of the substrate is reduced. They are picky about the quality of the plaster: all the bumps, shells and sagging will not only be visible, but emphasized. On a well-prepared wall, they look neat.

Decorativeness is entirely dependent on the pattern. In a monophonic version, they are not so expressive as to attract attention.

Contaminants are easily wiped off with a well-wrung cloth. Sometimes manufacturers indicate the admissibility of more intensive cleaning - to find out, you need to pay attention to the labeling. They do not resist abrasion well and tend to "bully" at the joints if they often lean against the wall, as happens in the hallway.

If you choose wallpaper for the kitchen on the basis of washable and cheap, then vinyl on paper is one of the best options.

Vinyl wallpaper on non-woven

Interlining as a base is a non-woven material with a loose structure, quite durable. The price range is medium and higher, up to the premium level. Well masks minor irregularities of the wall.

When pasting, glue is not applied to the wallpaper, but to the wall. In the case of heavy and thick canvases, both the wall and the substrate are coated with glue. Glue butt.

Vinyl coating on interlining can be unusually decorative: it imitates silk-screen printing or mother-of-pearl, it can be smooth, slightly matte or embossed. An interesting texture makes the material very, very attractive even in a single-color version.

Drawings are expressive, follow the trend of fashion. It is more profitable for large manufacturers to produce fashionable novelties than outdated models - the costs are the same, but the demand is completely different. For small-scale industries, the technology for making vinyl wallpaper on non-woven is too complicated.

Please note: serious brands produce collections in different colors and even in different styles, and the models are perfectly combined with each other. This makes it possible to design an apartment in a single palette, and at the same time the interior of the rooms will differ in architectural style or in the predominant, base color. You can go the other way - choose models with different textures, but from the same collection: with silk-screen printing for the bedroom and living room, embossed - for the hallway and smooth washable wallpaper for the kitchen from the catalog.

Photographically accurate printing can be applied to the surface of the PVC layer. The quality printing creates a truly delightful wall mural that is washable and durable, giving you the tangible impression of being in a misty forest or on a Parisian boulevard. By the way, one of the advantages of good designer photo wallpaper is the ability to create perspective, to move the wall away so that it begins to dissolve into an illusory landscape. An example is the interior with washable photo wallpapers for the kitchen in the photo of a design project in a modern style.

Moisture resistance depends on the thickness of the vinyl coating and the density of the base. Below in the article are markings that indicate the method of cleaning - from wiping with a slightly damp cloth to the admissibility of using a sponge and detergents.

Self-adhesive PVC film

PVC film without a substrate, with an adhesive layer applied, is one of the varieties of moisture-resistant finishing materials. Available in glossy or semi-glossy. It is extremely sensitive to the quality of the surface - it must be even and not crumbling.

Sensitive to high temperatures - at the stove or near heating appliances, it can flake off the wall.

Inexpensive. You can find very successful drawings, although usually cool designers bypass the budget segment.

Moisture resistance is high. It is allowed to clean with a sponge with soapy water and more active detergents. When washing, it is necessary to be careful at the joints and it is advisable to check the resistance of the paint to detergent in an inconspicuous place. Perfectly suitable for cleaning wallpaper in the bathroom (photo) or toilet.

Foamed PVC on paper and non-woven

Let's combine two substrates in one chapter, since we will mainly talk about the foam finish layer.

The choice of substrate is a choice between price and durability of the coating. The problem is how to glue washable vinyl foam wallpaper? After all, they are quite heavy! It is necessary to coat both the canvas and the wall - for better adhesion. In this situation, the backing paper does not behave in the best way, it is more rigid and the adhesion is lower.Keep in mind: those funds that can be saved on the cost of paper wallpaper will be partially spent on more expensive glue.

Interlining, unlike paper, absorbs glue well, and the canvas adheres to the wall more firmly - both during the sticker process and in operation.

Foamed polyvinyl chloride as a finishing layer has an important feature: despite the significant thickness of the layer, it breathes. Of course, the pores are microscopic, but they are there, and this is enough to treat the material as environmentally friendly.

The volume texture of foamed vinyl gives the necessary volume of imitation of a natural finish. Washable stone or brick effect wallpaper is an example - they are easy to use to create an accent wall in the kitchen or living room. Agree, this is much easier than laying brick blocks or ceramic tiles “under the brick”.

Classic patterns, including the trendy damask pattern, become more expressive when they take on a 3D effect thanks to the 3D texture of the wallpaper. Such decorative wallpapers washable for the hallway are very good - it is pleasant to lean against them, touch them. Soft, warm, they make a small corridor cozy, filled with a special charm.

Acrylic wallpaper

Covering paper or non-woven wallpaper with a layer of acrylic is a completely different approach to increasing moisture resistance and simplifying their care. We can say that moisture resistance in this case is secondary, and in the first place - decorative virtues.

Acrylic wallpaper tolerates cleaning with a slightly damp cloth, but it is very rare to find markings that allow the use of a sponge and strong detergents. For this reason, they are not recommended for use in the bathroom. In the kitchen, they decorate the dining area. And in the hallway, nursery or living room will look just great. Partly because they are easy to keep clean, and in no small part because of the spectacular design.

Acrylic is a polymer that is devoid of the characteristic "plastic" sheen. As a thin finishing film, it slightly distorts the texture of the substrate, and in a thicker layer it can create a noble effect of velor, fine grain, or repeat the embossed relief of the substrate.

If, according to the designer's intention, matte surfaces are needed that are easy to care for, then you need to choose washable acrylic wallpaper for the walls - the catalog contains magnificent samples for the bedroom, living room and hallway.

A few words about breathability. It is believed that acrylic does not let air through, but this is true only for continuous films. There is a method of point application of acrylic on the substrate, while the texture is enriched and pores invisible to the eye are formed. Such wallpapers are considered environmentally friendly, they are recommended even for the bedroom and nursery.

There is a very wide range in prices, ranging from average to the price tags of designer models.

If you want the walls to "breathe" and to be able to periodically carry out a light wet cleaning, then it makes sense to choose acrylic wallpapers in the right price range.

fiberglass wallpaper

Strictly speaking, fiberglass wallpapers are not washable by default. If they are intended for painting, then the degree of moisture resistance will determine the paintwork. But lately, designers have paid close attention to them and saw a huge potential in the material.

Glass fiber is given very interesting textures, from matting to complex ornaments. In addition, they are increasingly offered already painted.We can safely say about this category of fiberglass wallpaper - they resist water very well, wash with cleaning products and are recommended for finishing dry and wet rooms.

There are different opinions as to whether glass wall paper is easy to glue. They are heavy, you need special glue, you need to coat both the wall and the canvas. On the other hand, the fiberglass sheets are wide and the work progresses quickly. There are few joints, and it is easy to combine them - the material is slightly corrugated and therefore elastic. And, by the way, you can pick up glue, which is enough to cover only the wall - this greatly simplifies the process.

It remains to find out how much the washable wallpaper made of fiberglass costs. They are relatively inexpensive: they are at the bottom of the price of vinyl-non-woven and acrylic, or slightly higher.

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Recommendations for choosing wallpaper for different rooms

It is unlikely that anyone sets out to decorate the entire apartment with washable wallpaper, but in fact this often happens. This is due to the fact that manufacturers strive to give the surface of all finishing materials at least some moisture resistance. At least, so that you can wipe off light dirt or carry out seasonal wet cleaning of the walls.

When choosing washable wallpapers from catalogs and photos, it is useful to initially imagine which ones can be used for the bathroom and which ones are acceptable for decorating a children's room.

The wettest room in the house is the bathroom. You can paste over walls that are not directly adjacent to the bath or shower. Wallpaper for the bathroom is chosen only washable, colored fiberglass and PVC film with an adhesive layer are suitable.

Self-adhesive vinyl films are acceptable in the kitchen in the apron area, but they cannot be used over the stove, especially over the gas stove. For the rest of the walls, we suggest choosing washable vinyl wallpaper for the kitchen from the catalog: cheaper - on a paper backing, more expensive, but more luxurious - on non-woven. Foamed ones will work too and will look very cool. Glass fiber is only allowed in the dining area, as it is difficult to wipe off grease stains from them.

The top washable wallpaper for the corridor is opened by fiberglass - they are the most durable and very effective. Next come vinyl foam and non-woven. Washable acrylic wallpapers for the corridor compete with them (photo). The top is closed with paper-based vinyl - they are usually not expressive enough, and the price gain, given the small size of the hallway and corridor, is unlikely to be significant.

For the living room, we advise you to choose vinyl-non-woven or acrylic canvases that are suitable in terms of design / price ratio.

The bedroom and the nursery have special requirements for finishing - it must be breathable. Here you can recommend glass and acrylic.

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Permissible intensity of wet cleaning

What washing method is allowed for different types of wallpaper? Each roll has a standard marking that states the following:

• One wavy line indicates that a wrung out soft sponge or cloth can be used.
• Two waves one under the other - you can use mild detergents.
• Three waves - it is permissible to use strong detergents.
• One wave and brush - you can rub with a brush and use alkaline detergents.
• Three waves and a brush - especially resistant to abrasion and aggressive environments, can be washed and cleaned in any way.

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Washable wallpaper - practical and stylish

Modern models of washable wallpaper for walls from fashion catalogs are developed with the participation of famous designers and architects. This is a developed fashion industry aimed at meeting the need for beauty, saving effort and money.

Some samples are so magnificent that they can unrecognizably transform the interior of the house. Expensive? Don't worry, one accent wall won't break the budget, but it will determine the whole design.

Choose washable wallpapers according to our recommendations. Create an attractive, cozy and inexpensive home interior.

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