Wallpapers vs. Paint

If you decided to change something in your house, but you don’t want to spend huge sums of money, there is a great way out. There is no need to change furniture, you can simply recolor the walls and add some accents. And a question may arise: “How to choose color of walls? What is it better to prefer wallpapers or paint?” as for me, both variants are good, it depends on your personal needs and preferences.

For example if you or someone in your family is allergic, you should pay attention that paint is available in low or no Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and in non-toxic form. Vinyl wallpapers are also a source of VOCs as well as pre-pasted wallpaper. So, it is also better to choose non-toxic wallpaper or those that are not pre-pasted.

There is another example, if you live only with your husband, choosing paint or wallpapers you can rely only on aesthetics.

But if you have children or pets, you should think about regular cleaning issues. Pets like to lie along the wall. And even if your dog or cat is very clean, from time to time it will leave spots. Children like to hold the wall just for fun, or when they need additional support. Also you should remember that kids like painting on walls and throw a ball against the wall. Making a choice you may prefer vinyl wallpaper or “scrubbable” paint. You should take into account that wallpaper is actually paper and it is more difficult to clean them and more easily to damage. If you really want to have wallpaper, you can cover a lower part of the wall with deadboard and higher part with wallpaper. Or you can choose wallpapers for rooms where children and pets spend less time.

If your choice is based only on aesthetics, both paint and wallpapers are great. All you need to do is to make sure that products have good quality, that is very easy to find out reading wallpaper and paint complaints. Here are main features:

Paint. There are thousands of colors available; also you can mix them and get custom colors. Thanks to paint finishes your wall can look consider matter or flag, eggshell, satin, semi-gloss, and high gloss. As a rule, two main types of paint are used: water-based latex paint and oil-based paint. The first one if perfect for smooth surfaces, it is easy to clean and apply. The second one is more suitable for metal and iron, also it is more durable. Using variety of faux painting techniques allows get bagging, color washing dragging, frottage, ragging, and sponging, stenciling, crackling, and aging effects.

Wallpapers. There is a huge choice of designs on the market and it is really difficult to choose the one. You can get floral, stripes, children’s designs, and a wide range of other patterns. Some wallpapers even look like a faux finish paint treatment. The choice of materials is also great: paper, vinyl, fabric, foil, cork, and others are sold in rolls. And the last thing is that wallpapers are suitable for cracked, uneven or walls that are not exactly at a right angle with the floor.

It’s up to you what choice to make, just pay special attention on quality of products you buy.