Wallpaper or painting walls in a residential area: what do experts advise you to choose?

The answer to the question of what is better, wallpaper or painting the walls, is ambiguous. Different types of coating have their pros and cons. When choosing, you should take into account the condition of the walls, the design and purpose of the room. If the walls have not been leveled before, it is always more profitable to cover them with wallpaper. Otherwise, it all depends on taste.

Wallpapering

Wallpaper is not only a background and wall decoration. To some extent, they also provide sound and heat insulation. The following types are distinguished:

• Paper: thin, triplex.
• Fabric (textile).
• Vinyl: on paper, on non-woven base.
• Non-woven: paper based, polymer based.
• For painting: non-woven, acrylic coated, thick paper.

Advantages and disadvantages

Wallpaper decoration has been considered a symbol of home comfort for many years.

Pros:

• Preparing walls for gluing is quite simple. It is not necessary to get rid of minor defects. They are not visible behind the wallpaper. In addition, they help hide unevenness.
• The wallpaper fabric is pleasant to the touch, soft, helps create an atmosphere of comfort, and is distinguished by a wide selection of colors.
• You can do the finishing yourself. It is enough to be careful and attentive.
• Paper wallpaper is environmentally friendly and completely safe for human health.They allow oxygen to pass through, allowing the walls to “breathe.” This reduces the risk of mold growing indoors.

Flaws:

• Wallpaper attracts dust and gets dirty easily. If there is no waterproof coating, you won't be able to clean them.
• Not resistant to mechanical damage, to the claws of pets, and can rub in the area of ​​switches and sockets.
• They are afraid of high humidity - they can wrinkle and peel off.
• Under the influence of ultraviolet light they lose their brightness.

Painting the walls

Water-based interior paints are produced for finishing residential premises. They do not contain harmful substances that can cause allergies or other health problems for residents of the house. To improve performance characteristics, the following is added to the paint:

• polyvinyl acetate (PVA);
• acrylic;
• latex;
• or silicone.

Advantages and disadvantages

Many people associate painting walls with a clean, beautiful room. But before making the final choice, you need to consider all the pros and cons.

Pros of painting walls:

• You can make any design, including creative ones. There is a huge selection of interior paint colors. They are arranged and any designs are created using stencils. Some hire professional artists. The design of the room is truly unique.
• Easy care. Painted walls can be easily wiped clean from dust. Such a surface is easily cleaned from drips, grease stains, felt-tip pen drawings and other contaminants.
• Quick damage repair. The coating is easy to touch up if some area suddenly gets worn out.

Minuses:

• Difficult preparation of walls for painting. An amateur will not be able to do the job efficiently. It is necessary to contact specialists.

Important! It should be remembered that even high-quality and expensive interior paint wears out over time. The walls should not be washed too often, otherwise they will become stained and require restoration.

What is the difference?

The emergence of a new type of interior water-based paints led to heated debates about what is better in residential areas, wallpaper or painting walls. The choice before the consumer is difficult. Practice confirms this. In the USA, walls are mostly painted, while in Russia they are covered with wallpaper.

Wallpaper is still the leader on the Russian market, and this is easy to explain:

• Wallpaper is sold with ready-made designs, and when using paint for the walls, you will have to resort to the services of an artist (which costs a lot of money).
• 3-D printing on wallpaper and a relief surface allow you to visually expand the space. You won't be able to get this effect when painting walls.
• The wallpaper, although slightly, absorbs noise from neighbors and helps retain heat in the apartment. The walls are pleasant to touch, they are warm, unlike painted ones.

But:

• Painted walls are much easier to clean from dust and other contaminants. Even the best washable wallpaper cannot be kept so clean.
• The painted surface can easily be redecorated.
• You can easily change the design of the room without tearing anything off.
• Pets do not damage the coating. Unlike wallpaper, the paint does not rustle, is hard, and therefore not interesting.

comparison table

The difference between painting and wallpapering walls is significant. To make your choice easier, we suggest comparing their advantages and disadvantages in the table:

The cost of wallpaper and interior paint is not much different.

On average, to glue a room 4 by 5 meters with a ceiling height of 2.7 meters, you will need 7-8 liters of paint or 7-8 rolls of wallpaper, 1 m wide. The final cost will be approximately the same if you choose materials from the same price segment.

Which is better to choose?

Wallpaper remains the most familiar option for most. It is much easier to prepare walls for them, and the gluing process itself is quite simple. You can remove the old coating yourself and, if necessary, cover up the cracks. Minor defects will be hidden behind thick wallpaper.

Even with a small budget and lack of proper skills, you can use wallpaper to freshen up a room.

However, there are cases when it is better to paint the walls:

• If the walls of the house are made of logs.
• You need to accurately match the color of furniture or home textiles.
• To obtain a volumetric color space in a room with complex architectural elements (modeling, columns, etc.).
• For applying creative designs.
• Wall decoration in the kitchen, bathroom, wet room.

Expert opinion

Experts are often asked what is more profitable and practical, wallpapering or painting walls. Opinions on this matter vary:

• Alexei: “If painting the walls is done with high quality, and not like in the entrance, then this will require large investments. The walls need to be leveled and puttied. In addition, the work includes gluing fiberglass, followed by puttying with a superfinish mixture, and sanding. Only after this the walls are painted.”
• Vitaly Gordeev: “It’s always cheaper to put up wallpaper – both in terms of materials and work! With a coarse texture, they hide unevenness. You can't do without leveling before painting, and don't forget about the smoothness of the base. The technology is as follows: concrete contact, putty, fiberglass mesh, shirt, scratch paper, paint.”
• Julia Stern: “Painting walls is more profitable in the long run. The coating is easy to renew after a couple of years, you can change shades. This is ideal for those who like to change their interior frequently: I repainted the walls, and the overall impression changed. No need to remove wallpaper or take out the trash. We add moldings to our projects: they are affordable and look solid!”
• Paul Kurilkin: “It’s more profitable - you need to look at the materials. The price of paint and wallpaper can vary greatly. Plus, you need to add the cost of glue and adjacent profiles to the wallpaper. Preparing walls for painting differs only in the presence of fiberglass and finishing layers. The price for painting and gluing itself is approximately the same. One more thing needs to be taken into account. When repairing wallpaper, you will have to re-glue the entire wall, and most likely, the new batch of material will not fit into the calibration of the old one. In addition, wallpaper changes its tones over time during use. Taking into account the prospect of repairs, painting will cost 30-40% less.”
• Roman Volkov: “It just seems like painting the walls is cheap and easy. What does it cost to prepare the walls? And good paint doesn’t cost a penny. The cheapest options are paper wallpaper and a simple water-based emulsion. The service life of both is 3-5 years. The big minus is that they are afraid of water. The middle price segment includes non-woven wallpaper, acrylic and latex paints. They can last up to 10 years, are easier to maintain, and withstand washing better. The most expensive are vinyl wallpapers and paints with silicone. They wash well with water, mask unevenness and are dense. But not everyone can afford it.”

Questions and answers

What looks more aesthetically pleasing, wallpaper or paint?

A large assortment of wallpapers and coloring mixtures allows you to create an aesthetic design for every taste. Painting the walls looks stricter and more elegant. It is best suited for rooms with a minimalist interior, as well as rooms with stucco. Wallpaper brings comfort and warmth to your home. Experts believe that this is the best choice for a bedroom and children's room.

What other options can you consider?

People who hesitate between painting walls and wallpaper can consider an alternative - decorative plaster, liquid wallpaper or paintable wallpaper.

Focusing on European countries, Russians are increasingly wondering what is better, wallpaper or painting for walls. Many expert reviews are devoted to this topic. In fact, the choice between them is individual. You need to proceed from your situation, weighing all the pros and cons. We advise you to contact specialists who will assess the condition of the walls in the house, calculate the amount of materials, and the cost of gluing and painting. After this, making a choice will not be difficult.