Compact vinyl for the kitchen. Vinyl wallpapers: types and characteristics

The kitchen is a room of cross-country ability and heavy use.  Even with hoods, odors, fats, splashes of water, in large quantities are observed day after day. No matter how clean the hostess is, only a properly selected wall covering will help to maintain a neat appearance of the kitchen not for the first month after repair, but for several years. Despite the mass of modern finishing materials that take into account the specifics of use, vinyl wallpaper for the kitchen, which appeared in the last century, remains the most popular.

What was and how it became

Vinyl is an artificial material derived from polyesters, polyvinyl chloride. Wallpaper began to be produced on its base back in the post-war period, when there were plenty of chemical raw materials, but it was intense with natural ones. Looked like imported samples, seen units, but the derivative of the Country of Soviets is well remembered by the older generation. The wallpaper was hard, with the simplest texture, and more like an oilcloth. And what torment it was worth to paste over the walls with them, is another story. Moreover, a persistent, specific smell settled in the rooms, very reluctantly weathered. Therefore, not many people decided to use vinyl wallpapers for the kitchen, sending them to bathrooms and hallways.

Today, vinyl wallpaper is a combination of many positive characteristics,  thanks to which they successfully hold the palm, and are not going to give it to plastic panels, MDF and structural plasters.

  • Durable - vinyl is not afraid of mechanical damage, it is almost impossible to scratch it, accidentally hitting the leg of a chair or even a fork, clamped in the cam of a small natural scientist crawling throughout the apartment. Water is not scary for him, even handle it from a hose, moisture rolls down without penetrating inside, like fat and dirt.
  • Long-lasting - the surface does not fade, does not wear out, does not become clogged due to increased humidity and temperature. Since vinyl wallpapers for the kitchen are washable and designed for wet cleaning, and if necessary they can withstand even a small abrasive, it will not be difficult to return them to their original appearance. However, do not use "heavy artillery", knowing our hostesses, they will ruin any surface if they set the task to achieve a mirror shine. Scheduled general cleaning by means of a sponge and soap solution, and the wall as after a fresh repair.
  • Eco-friendly - modern PVC is made in compliance with safety standards from quality, proven raw materials. Wallpaper does not have an unpleasant odor and does not emit toxic substances into the environment. The kitchen will not be an analogue of a chemical laboratory in which it is safe to walk only in a respirator.
  • Easy to use - due to the two-layer structure consisting of an inner paper layer (non-woven) and an outer vinyl, the wallpaper does not deform. They can be folded "accordion" without the formation of creases, which is necessary when the master is alone, and the height is large. The non-woven fabric adheres quickly to the walls, air bubbles are quickly removed by lightly smoothing, and not by racing over the entire surface, as a result of which seven sweats from the master and half the paint from the canvas. Washable vinyl wallpaper and glue is washed off without consequences.
  • Undemanding to the surface - the structure of vinyl wallpaper is embossed, regardless of variety and pattern, due to the production method. This texture allows you to paste wallpaper on rough, unplastered with a finish layer of the wall with small irregularities and defects.
  • Decorative - there are so many types, colors and textures on sale that it’s unrealistic to list, and it’s difficult to choose, eyes run wide. Vinyl wallpaper in the kitchen can decorate even Khrushchev.

Varieties of Wall Vinyl

Washable vinyl wallpapers are available in several varieties, they differ in density, structure and appearance.


  • Structural - foamed, without embossing. During heat treatment, vinyl foams and hardens, resulting in a friable, embossed surface. Such vinyl wallpaper is good to compensate for shoals of plasterers when you do not want to spend money on putty and finishing.
  • For painting - a variety of foamed, but differ in composition and structure. Designed for coloring, therefore available in white or neutral tones. It is the most for creative natures, fertile ground for the flight of design fantasies. If painted with a smooth roller, a two-color surface is obtained, since the potholes do not stain. When using a roller with a pile, you can highlight the base with one color, and with a contrasting canvas.
  • Hot stamping - until the foam mass has frozen, a predetermined texture and pattern are stamped on it. In this way, compact vinyl and heavy vinyl are produced. This is a massive, dense wallpaper that repeats the surface of brickwork, wild stone, decorative plasters, such as bark beetles or marbles.
  • Inhibited ones are a type of embossing, but not with heating, but with chemical reagents. As a result, the surface is not only convex, but also very durable, nothing is scary for these vinyl wallpapers, they, like heavy ones, can be glued directly to concrete and they will hold.
  • Silkscreen printing - flat vinyl wallpapers, the surface seems to roll out, while embossing the textile pattern. The most beautiful type of vinyl wallpaper, both tactile and visually repeating the structure of silk. They look stylish and expensive, which is not surprising, given the frantic cost per roll. Such valuable vinyl wallpaper for the kitchen is rarely chosen, since the average family simply can not pull their cost, and the place is more likely to be this masterpiece in the hall or bedroom.
  • Solid vinyl - have a triple paper backing, and polyvinyl chloride is pre-evaporated before application to the base. It turns out a sturdy surface, completely safe, since the chemistry has been removed. Unlike other types, they are fire resistant and can stick on a stove and gas column.

Choose carefully

In the kitchen, where regular changes in temperature, humidity and constant crush, vinyl washable wallpaper is the place. But they should be selected carefully.

  • Heavy vinyl and compact vinyl are thick, and kitchens are usually small, in addition, deep grooves on the surface will quickly clog, and it will be almost impossible to clear the deposits from there, only if the relief is cut. Here and washing with an abrasive is powerless.
  • Silk-screen printing is expensive and too chic; against its background, a budget kitchen set will finally fade for a couple with a corner. And the silk surface is washed worse than other species.
  • By exclusion, the choice falls on the structural, inhibited and solid, the latter will be the best choice for the kitchen. They are available in a huge color and pattern range, a light relief will hide the flaws, but will not become an obstacle to cleanliness. And embossing can withstand fire and water, and copper pipes, if necessary, not to mention the sun's rays and cunning households. The only drawback is the higher cost, but to reduce the cost of repairs, you can combine them with inhibited ones by choosing a similar design. Over the sink and cooking zone, glue the solid ones, and make the main canvas structural.

disadvantages

As with everything, vinyl wallpapers are characterized not only by virtues, but also by some disadvantages.

  • Poor permeability. Cheap vinyl practically does not let air through, creating an unfavorable microclimate. Wallpaper category a little higher, but “breathe”. However, our grandmothers managed to paste over the closets, called kitchens in high-rise buildings, with ordinary oilcloth, and even varnished it. What permeability is there, and nothing, and they themselves were constantly spinning, and raised children, and looked after their grandchildren.
  • Docking. When gluing walls, you can not use overlap, the seam does not stick well and is very striking. If the walls were plastered with not sober shabashniks and the flow rate is several centimeters between levels, it is better to refuse washing vinyl wallpapers. And if there is an irresistible desire to make the kitchen unique, you will first have to level the walls with the starting putty, it has an acceptable layer of up to 5 cm and is lighter than cement mortar.

Taste matters

The bulk of manufacturers are trying to produce the most attractive, “rich” vinyl, interspersed with gilding and silver. In a large hall, with refined upholstered furniture, such a coating will look organic, but we are talking about the kitchen. Hence:

  • we hold the imagination and give way to sanity - neutral shades, no lurid patterns;
  • before buying, we think over the general concept of repair, take into account the approximate color of the furniture, or the exact one if there isn’t enough for a new one;
  • we take into account the angle of incidence of the light and the brightness of the lighting, the roll on the display stand can be rotated in your hands, sometimes plain-looking wallpapers with proper lighting begin to “play”, and catchy and attractive in a roll are lost on the wall;
  • don’t buy a picture that should coincide at the joints, it will add difficulties when gluing, and a large number of scraps will pull extra money out of the wallet.

Glue professionally

Even as home masters, it’s really possible to organize gluing vinyl washable wallpapers at the professional level. To do this, it is enough to follow a few recommendations.

  • Training. The better prepared the wall, the easier it is to glue the wallpaper. The old layer is completely removed, it is more efficient to peel it off with a damp, and moisten it from the spray gun or roller. Large cracks and potholes are cleared, all exfoliating particles must be removed. After stripping, they should be putty, at least the most significant ones. If you plant dry putty with a primer, you get a cheap analogue of an expensive finished mass. Before gluing, the walls must be covered with a primer with an antibacterial additive. It will reduce the consumption of glue, increase adhesion to the surface and prevent mold. The soil dries quickly, but it is better to process the walls a day before gluing.
  • Materials and tools. Vinyl wallpaper needs special glue, convenient if the composition is colored. Now it gets divorced and swells immediately, without forming lumps. It makes sense to dilute the glue in two different containers, thicker for wallpaper and thinner for walls. Although the instructions write only on the wall, non-woven should also be coated with a thin layer, it is easier to adjust the canvas on the wall, and it grips harder. It is easier to spread with a roller or a wide paint brush, using a trough for paint with ribs from excess. A rag for pasture of air and smoothing has sunk into oblivion, today craftsmen use rubber rollers and special scrapers. They can be perfectly wielded in the corner, and they are effective over a large area, and even pressure ensures a tight fit of the canvas to the wall. Scrapers are made of plastic material, they are flexible, but not able to damage the surface. A professional tool significantly speeds up the process and improves its quality, and the scraper costs slightly, given that it can be used repeatedly.
  • If you work alone, the cut is smeared with glue and is folded “accordion”, glue side inward. Vinyl does not get wet, does not tear and does not deform. In place, the folded sheet straightens and gradually adheres from top to bottom. Vinyl is glued back-to-back, without overlaps, only about 0.5 cm can be made into corners. The process starts from the corner so that the light falls at the seams, and not against them. So that the seams are perfectly even, you should not trust only the eye and plasters, it is more correct to use the construction level. Working with him is not difficult, and the result will exceed all expectations. Indeed, when docked, a skew by a couple of millimeters in the beginning, by the end will result in a “tooth” of a few centimeters.

Washable vinyl wallpaper is a great choice for any kitchen.  They will not lose their appearance years after the repair, it is no harder to care for them than for oilcloth, and they look much more advantageous than plastic panels and similar cladding. Although vinyl costs more than a conventional paper car wash, it benefits from meter width (standard size), strength and durability. The process of pasting is scary for many, because vinyl wallpaper is considered to be “capricious”. But these rumors are not true. On the contrary, it’s even easier to work with them, they do not creep out, get wet a little, do not get dirty with glue, do not go bubbles at the slightest draft. Decorative, practicality, simplicity, all the advantages in one material.

Photo gallery

Video

The choice of wallpaper is a very important decision in the process of any repair. Someone likes to glue "for centuries" and chooses materials that can retain a spectacular look for 8-10 years, someone, on the contrary, prefers to change the appearance of the walls every 2-3 years.

The necessary price-quality ratio, interesting color and all kinds of patterns, moisture resistance, the ability to survive scratches, bumps and children's drawings - ideal wallpapers should correspond to all these qualities. For this reason, representatives of various walks of life are increasingly choosing vinyl wallcoverings.

This type of wallpaper has a beautiful, rich pattern.

The main advantages of vinyl wallpaper

Vinyl wallpaper is a special kind of wall covering in the form of rolls with a base made of cheap paper or a more expensive and prestigious non-woven. Above is a layer of polyvinyl chloride (popularly - vinyl) of different thickness, structure and volume.

The huge mass of vinyl wallcoverings has many subspecies, but all of them have common advantages, thanks to which customers loved it.

  • Strength.
    Unlike inexpensive and popular paper wallpapers, vinyl coating has 2 layers: paper / non-woven + vinyl film, so they are much stronger. To tear a piece of such a roll, for example, when gluing is almost impossible.
  • Durability.
      Wallpaper with a vinyl layer - the champions of durability: this coating can stay on the walls for up to 10 years, preserving the original color and freshness of colors even with wet cleaning. The only problem is that bright vinyl patterns can simply get bored.
  • Moisture resistant.
      Depending on the type of vinyl wallpaper in the interior, they can be wiped with a wet cloth, thoroughly washed and even rubbed with a brush or sponge. It is only necessary to choose the necessary marking - and the walls will be able to survive the cleaning of any intensity.
  • Universality.
      Perhaps the main plus of this coating - vinyl wallpaper in the interior can be selected for any style. A vinyl layer is able to imitate velvet, fabric, textured plaster, stone, brick, bamboo, wood and other materials. In addition, the choice of colors and all kinds of patterns on vinyl is simply amazing - such a wealth of colors can not be found among paper, non-woven or textile wallpapers.

This allows you to choose a two-layer wall covering for houses and apartments, decorated in any style: strict classics, elegant retro, cozy country, laconic hi-tech, industrial loft and others.

Wallpaper with a washable layer can be used for pasting a bathroom

The disadvantages of vinyl wallpaper

For all its advantages, polyvinyl chloride building materials have a number of disadvantages, which, however, can always be fixed.

  • Toxicity.
      Although various “control purchases” and studies on the dangers of polyvinyl chloride have already been done a lot, the debate about whether vinyl wallpapers are harmful does not subside.
      Indeed, low-quality chemical material, when combined with wallpaper glue, can emit formaldehyde vapors up to 4 years, but only a cheap wallpaper cloth of dubious quality sins this. If you choose the "clothes" for your walls correctly and scrupulously, this trouble can be avoided.
  • Air tightness.
      Another complaint about fashion wallpaper is the inability to let air through. Heavy vinyl covers the wall very tightly, leaving it unable to breathe, but it creates a moist environment - a convenient place for the growth of fungi and harmful microorganisms. Solving this problem is also realistic if you choose non-woven vinyl wallpaper - modern material, unlike paper, allows air to flow through much more freely.
  • Problem repair.
    In the absence of experience gluing heavy two-layer wallpaper, noticeable difficulties may arise. So, vinyl wallpaper on a paper basis when dried can shrink, as a result of which noticeable gaps appear between the glued stripes. You need to glue the vinyl strictly end-to-end (by no means overlap!), Which does not always work perfectly, especially with a complex pattern on the canvas and uneven walls.
      The solution is in non-woven vinyl wallpaper. Such canvases weigh less, it is more convenient to hold them in the hands during repair, and glue needs to be smeared on the wall, and not on the roll, which also facilitates the work process.
  • Price.
      The high cost of vinyl rolls is one of the reasons why people choose more affordable paper rolls. However, the large price tag is successfully filled with a long service life and resistance to mechanical stress, dirt and wet cleaning.

Air tightness is a minus of this type of wall-paper. And moisture resistance is a plus

Varieties of Vinyl Wallpaper

On the network you can find many different classifications of vinyl canvas, but there are only 5 main types of such wallpapers.

Structural with a layer of foamed vinyl

Such a coating has a voluminous loose structure of various colors and patterns, often with sparkles that are interspersed in the upper layer of the lush canvas.

This variety is ideal for rooms with uneven walls. If there are cracks, bulges and small pits on the surface, the volumetric coating will smooth out all the irregularities and create an interesting play of light on the foamed surface. Such vinyl is also used for pasting surfaces of wood, plywood, fiberboard. In addition, fashionable vinyl wallpaper for painting is also a foamed canvas.

To paint vinyl wallpapers with caution, for starters, be sure to check with a specialist in the store whether this type is suitable for coloring. For structural vinyl wallpaper for painting, water-based paint and a roller are usually advised, before the process - a primer in two layers. The color of the walls can be changed as often as you want, until the foam relief begins to smooth on the wallpaper.

Hot stamping vinyl wallpaper. This group distinguishes between heavy and compact vinyl.

Heavy vinyl is the most dense canvas of interesting deep shades and patterns. Such wallpapers well hide the unevenness of the walls, but they are rather difficult to glue, and a thick two-layer coating hardly passes air and can be the cause of fungus on the walls.

Compact vinyl is just a dream for designers: it is the rolls with this canvas that are made as an imitation of various surfaces: textiles, wood, brick, they are very durable, withstand almost any mechanical stress and retain their spectacular appearance for many years.

Sometimes hot embossed wallpaper includes vinyl with chemical embossing. This fabric is particularly resistant to ultraviolet radiation, practically does not fade in direct sunlight and is in excellent contact with moisture without damage.

Wallpaper of this type consists, in fact, of three layers

Screen printing is the most beautiful kind of vinyl

Such vinyl wallpapers are always on a paper basis, silk threads are woven into the top layer, which create a unique noble effect. “Silk” wallpaper can be smooth and embossed, very saturated in color; it always looks luxurious and expensive on the walls. These wallpapers are very durable, resistant to water and abrasion, can retain their bright shade and shine for up to 8-10 years. This coating looks best on the walls in the corridors, both narrow and wide, bedrooms and large living rooms.

Washable vinyl wallpaper (or polyplen)

A washable coating is a great way to decorate walls in a kitchen, bathroom, or nursery, where regular cleaning is necessary or the walls often come in contact with liquid. Wallpaper can have a smooth and foamed surface, several layers are applied over the base: polyvinyl chloride, plasticizers, stabilizers, pigments and other various additives.

Solid or evaporated vinyl

This variety is gaining increasing popularity today - it is such wallpaper vinyl that is recognized as hypoallergenic and environmentally friendly. The canvas is based on three layers of paper and evaporated polyvinyl chloride, from which all harmful substances that can subsequently evaporate are removed.

Wallpaper on the basis of a solid vinyl layer has a certificate of quality of the European independent environmental impact assessment, which means that they can be safely used to repair children's bedrooms and one-room apartments in which the kids live.

Wallpapers with a layer of polyvinyl chloride often have very bright, cheerful colors

How to choose a vinyl wallpaper?

When choosing materials for repair, it is often difficult for us to decide which vinyl wallpaper is better. First you need to decide exactly where you want to make spectacular walls from a fashionable coating.

For the bathroom and kitchen, the choice is clear - it's polypoly. Washable vinyl wallpapers are best chosen according to the marking icon, usually this is a marine symbol: one wave - a waterproof cloth, you can wipe it with a damp cloth; two and three are washable; wave and comb - wash the vinyl with a brush (sponge).

If you like plain walls, plan to change the color of the wallpaper as often as possible, or repair a nursery where a small artist lives, it is better to buy foamed embossed rolls for painting.

Covering for bedrooms is worth choosing "breathable", and this is vinyl wallpaper on a non-woven. The paper base does not allow air to pass through well, so silkscreen and heavy vinyl are best left for corridors and halls.

Important:

The safest vinyl wallpaper on the non-woven is a canvas with perforation, and small holes should be "punched" through and through, in both layers. It is quite easy to find them - just browse through the store you liked the light rolls - micropores are very visible.

To decide which vinyl wallpaper is better, you can navigate by smell. Be sure to sniff at the selected canvas - the roll should in no case smell like acetone. Another dangerous signal is if the top layer is oily to the touch. Proper vinyl must be dry, such as structural.

When planning a repair, many people ask themselves another question - is it better to choose non-woven or vinyl wallpapers for the interior? Each of these varieties has its own advantages: vinyl is very durable, has a rich selection of colors and patterns, and is easy to clean. But the non-woven fabric is also durable, it allows the walls to breathe, it is used for painting - up to 12 layers of paint can be applied to the glued surface. Non-woven wallpaper is also very easy to glue: the solution needs to be applied only to the wall, air bubbles do not form under the light canvas. After drying, the wallpaper does not change shape, so they are recommended for repair in "freshly built" houses, which usually shrink. The choice of vinyl or non-woven wallpaper to purchase for repair depends on the type of room. Flizelin does not tolerate moisture well, so in the bathroom or in the kitchen, preference should be given to smooth vinyl.

Vinyl wallpaper is a huge selection of wall coverings of different structures, colors and even compositions. Buying the perfect decoration for each of the rooms in your home will not be difficult, you just need to carefully study the features of each type of vinyl and select the right one.

The wealth of design options for vinyl wallpaper allows you to easily select the kitchens necessary for any design

When our wishes coincide with offers

It is no coincidence that everything new is well forgotten old. Washable vinyl kitchen wallpapers were first released immediately after World War II, in 1947. But the real boom of their use came precisely at our time, when everyone suddenly felt the advantages of such an innovative material for construction as vinyl.

PVC is used everywhere today - on roofs, windows, including wallpaper, giving them indispensable qualities specifically for use in the kitchen.

Someone jokingly, or maybe seriously, in one television show about health, called the most "dirty" room in any apartment - a bathroom. Paradox! And this place, in essence, is called for perfect cleanliness.

Many, of course, disagree with this opinion. At least our whole attitude towards the bathroom rebels against this opinion.

Now, if this "medical authority" were called as the dirtiest place - the kitchen, here, perhaps, there would have been less objection. Indeed, the constant crush of people, even in outer clothing and shoes, the constant washing of dirty vegetables, waste, cooking, in the end, do not contribute to cleanliness.

And what is surprising - we carry out a major cleaning in the kitchen almost every day, in any case, more often than in any other room in the apartment.

And here the vinyl wallpaper for the kitchen, which have such irreplaceable properties as:

  • durability - such wallpapers consist of two layers: the lower one is non-woven (in a simple way, paper), which provides and facilitates the sticker of wallpaper, and the upper one is polyvinyl chloride;
  • reliability - the top layer of this PVC plastic film provides such reliability that you had only dreamed of before;
  • durability - again thanks to the characteristics of polymeric materials;
  • environmental friendliness - and here vinyl will give other materials “one hundred points ahead”;
  • the possibility of wet cleaning - which for many years was only the dream of all zealous lovers of comfort and hearth;
  • magnificent design qualities - and this is a tribute to modern technologies, which, in fact, allowed us to look at washable vinyl wallpapers as a masterpiece of "finishing art".

Even in this minimized form, washable vinyl wallpaper for the kitchen allows you to feel their beautiful design qualities

The whole range of vinyl wallpapers marketed can be divided into two large groups:

  • without embossing - such wallpapers are usually quite dense, which allows you to successfully hide the unevenness of the walls. Such wallpapers are made using vinyl foaming technology, which in itself attracts with its non-standard. The interior created by such wallpaper, already at first glance, refers to many exclusive.
  • embossed, also called vinyl hot embossed wallpaper.

The range of technology for embossing on vinyl wallpaper is so wide that the created samples can also be divided into four large groups:

  • compact vinyl - wallpapers for the kitchen compact vinyl imitate on the wall, the so-called heavy materials - stone, tile, three-dimensional plaster, even textiles. Such wallpapers allow you to perfectly hide the unevenness of the preparation of the wall. Moreover, this is one of their main advantages - you are freed from the time and resources spent on preparing the wall.
  • heavy vinyl - as a continuation of the benefits of compact vinyl. The uniqueness, elevated to the rank of a cult - this is what the landlady strives for, who decided to use wallpaper from the "heavy vinyl" in the kitchen.
  • silkscreen printing is just such a type of wallpaper and can be called the brainchild of modern progress in finishing building materials, it can also be called a “name day of the heart” for any housewife. An incredible amount of design solutions of the highest quality, for the most demanding tastes - this is the main feature of this group. But here we have to say sacramental - beauty requires sacrifice. Such wallpapers require perfect wall preparation, these wallpapers, like a capricious beauty, are occupied only with their beauty, they will not even take care of the “others”, they will not hide the unevenness of the walls.
  • wallpaper with chemical embossing or, in scientific terms, inhibition. Perhaps, these wallpapers are ideal for the kitchen - they do not deteriorate at all under the influence of direct sunlight and even allow themselves to be washed using detergents.

Helpful advice! Yes, do not be surprised at many vinyl wallpapers, but they are often also called washable, they allow washing with detergents.

But, frankly, you should not do this:

  • avoid the use of detergents whenever possible;
  • avoid the use of aggressive detergents containing chlorine and acids, use, if necessary, only certified and extremely mild;
  • avoid, in any case, the use of too active detergents.

Important! Do not even test vinyl wallpapers for resistance to aggressive washing - photos of such wallpapers before washing and after you can be very disappointing.

More Opportunities - More Self-Requirements

  • What else turns out to be a good vinyl wallpaper is that it can satisfy the tastes of the most demanding customers, with a wide variety of preferences and inclinations. And inveterate philosophers will find a reason to gossip about the vicissitudes of using such beauty accessible to all.
  • After all, even in this widest designer range of vinyl wallpapers there is a danger - the danger of tastelessness and amateurism. Choose wallpapers that will exactly match the design of the kitchen as a whole. Do not use too colored wallpaper, with gilding. Do not turn your kitchen into a branch of a cafe across the road.
  • Yes, the more opportunities we are given, the more scrupulous and more demanding we must make choices.

Skillful matching of the edges of adjacent sheets and their accurate processing will make the joints completely invisible

  • To paraphrase Woland from The Master and Margarita, we say: “Taste and a sense of proportion should be the law of anyone who wants to use vinyl wallpaper in their kitchen.” The situation may be a little simplified if you are a happy owner of a kitchen of 80 square meters.
  • But if you only have a 3-by-4 room at your disposal, you should not “silk-screen” it, the price of which will draw on all the furniture of such a kitchen.

You might not want to sit in such a flowering garden all the time,
such a design is more suitable for a cafe, but as an original panel descending from above, this design is simply wonderful

  • Use familiar, neutral colors that always fit perfectly with the overall interior. It does not interfere, of course, to think through and calculate everything in advance. But such colors free you even from “these hectic steps into the future” - they will suit any furniture, lighting and kitchen equipment.

If you are a follower of traditional neutral tones and patterns, here kitchen vinyl wallpapers can help you.

Vinyl wallpaper, as they are commonly called, is a wall covering on a non-woven or paper basis. But why, then, vinyl, and is the name right?

Paper or non-woven is the bottom layer of this type of wallpaper, but the top is made of polyvinyl chloride, which is simplified and called vinyl. This is a coating with the inclusion of polymers and often it also includes special antifungal impregnations.

Next year, vinyl wallpapers will celebrate their seventieth anniversary, because it was just so many years ago that the first tube of vinyl wallpaper was presented.

Vinyl Wallpaper: Description

The top layer of such wallpapers is most often decorated with something - thematic illustrations, motifs, plots, or some kind of interesting embossing. Since all the innovations of light industry are involved in the manufacture of vinyl wallpapers, the coating is obtained at the same time as elegant, aesthetic, effective in appearance, and sufficiently durable and resistant to mechanical damage.

What is the difference between vinyl wallpaper and paper (video)

Performance Specifications: Vinyl Wallpaper

Polyvinyl chloride is not the basis of wallpaper, but only a decorative layer. The base is made of non-woven or paper.

PVC - polyvinyl chloride is a colorless plastic. Its operational properties are pretty good, the composition is water-repellent, it also repels grease and salts. From this material, by the way, artificial leather, a film, an edge for furniture are made.

Pros and Cons of Vinyl Wallpaper

The advantages of this type of wallpaper, of course, will take far from two or three points. And not about all the potential buyer knows.

Pros of vinyl wallpaper:

  • With these wallpapers you can glue virtually any surface - from concrete walls to drywall and plaster;
  • Embossed wallpaper due to its texture helps to hide small wall defects;
  • Vinyl wallpapers are applicable in a variety of rooms;
  • A rich palette of colors, drawings, plots;
  • Wallpaper format options - both standard sizes and wide, meter-long wallpapers;
  • The ability to choose a model, from fairly budget to luxury.

Of course, you can’t bring pros to the forefront and not touch the minuses that have vinyl wallpapers.

Cons of vinyl wallpaper:

  • They do not belong to the type of breathing wallpaper, but all because the top layer resists the influence of moisture, which interferes with the interaction with air (however, there are wallpapers made using technology with the creation of special micropores);
  • It is not always easy to glue the walls with vinyl wallpaper, and the point is not even in the process, but in compliance with all technologies and instructions;
  • Temperature changes and humidity differences are poorly tolerated.

The last point does not mean that you will quickly experience these disadvantages in practice. But if you want, for example, to ventilate the room in frosty weather, and in the meantime the room will be above 22, then cases of wallpaper deformation are not excluded.

Are vinyl wallpapers harmful to health: expert response

After reading the cons of vinyl wallpaper for walls, many will be surprised that it is not said about the harm of this material, about the environmental friendliness of the wallpaper. There is a well-established belief that vinyl wallpapers are not safe for humans. But few people know what is dangerous.

This myth is connected with a simple judgment: the top layer of polyvinyl chloride is the brainchild of chemical production, and chemistry is a priori harmful to health.

But the obvious harm lies only in the fact that the wallpaper does not “breathe”. But the toxic fumes of formaldehyde, which really affect the development of allergies in humans, have nothing to do with high-quality vinyl wallpaper.

It is not necessary to purchase expensive imports, the same wallpaper from the domestic manufacturer Mayakprint is not inferior to foreign counterparts.

Vinyl wallpapers: looking for a safe option (video)

Vinyl wallpapers: customer reviews

The same reviews have considerable advantages when choosing wallpapers: for example, people advise each other how to distinguish real high-quality vinyl wallpapers from fakes.

Reviews - how to choose a wallpaper from vinyl:

  • Be sure to read the information on the label;
  • Do not purchase wallpaper with a pronounced smell;
  • Unwind the roll at home, but do not cut immediately, but check for marriage.

Well, of course, familiarize yourself in advance with the possible notation that says how to glue it, how much the wallpaper dries, etc.

Designations on vinyl wall-paper

The designations on the labels are a whole alphabet, and with a separate material you need to give a complete decoding of all the badges. But you can limit yourself to a list of the most met.

Decoding icons:

  • Unit line.  These wallpapers will be resistant to moisture.
  • Two lines. This already speaks of increased stability.
  • Three lines. Accordingly, high stability.
  • Shaded semicircle of the sun. Speaks of sufficient light fastness.
  • Unfilled semicircle of the sun with a cross inside. Talks about relative light fastness.
  • Hollow circle of the sun. Sign of good light fastness.
  • The hollow circle of the sun with a cross inside. High light fastness.
  • Two hollow dots as a colon. Very high light fastness.
  • Arrow / Fraction / Zero. The figure does not need to be customized.
  • Two multidirectional arrows and fraction.  Indefinite drawing.

Of course, there are a number of signs that indicate how to use glue, which one, and whether it is already applied to the surface.

How to choose a vinyl wallpaper (video)

Types of Vinyl Wallpaper

Vinyl wallpapers differ in type of coating.

Wallpaper has four main types of coating:

  • Foamed vinyl. They are distinguished by a clear, very pronounced relief. This is a light wallpaper, it’s easy to work with, it’s easy to shoot. The porous surface makes this type of wallpaper permeable, but wetting them in this regard is not worth it.
  • Thick (smooth vinyl).  It is a durable washable coating. The color of such a coating in the sun does not fade. Such wallpapers are often glued in rooms with high humidity.
  • Hard vinyl. Very dense, besides water-permeable material, often resembling decorative plaster, tile or textile coating.
  • Screen printing.  The surface of such vinyl wallpaper resembles silk, thanks to the hot stamping method. The effectiveness of such wallpapers has made them extremely popular in recent years.

Solid wallpaper is sometimes called compact vinyl.

Compact vinyl wallpaper: what is their feature

Firstly, this wallpaper is perfect for the kitchen or bathroom, that is, rooms with high humidity. Secondly, they allow you to create in the room a certain imitation of a more expensive or original coating - natural stone, decorative plaster, expensive textiles.

It is interesting that, externally, the effect is so great that only upon close examination can one discover the so-called substitution. Only unlike the same stone or textile, it is very easy to care for them, which increases the service life of such wallpaper.

Vinyl wallpaper in the interior

Modern design has transformed wallpaper from a typical coating into virtually unlimited possibilities. Walls are visually shifted, rooms are wider and taller, zoned, styles are clearly tracked. And vinyl wallpaper this, no doubt, concerns.

Examples of transforming the interior using vinyl wallpaper:

  • Records. Such a print can originally beat the name of vinyl, and is suitable for a young man’s room or, for example, a studio apartment.
  • Yellow wallpaper with flowers. This is a sunny interior, if the flowers are small - the Provence style, large stylized flowers in pronounced computer graphics - eclecticism, pop art, etc.
  • Sky with clouds. For a spacious nursery is a very good option.
  • Strip. This is a classic. Moreover, it is not necessary to cover all four walls in the room with such wallpaper, just the central one is enough.
  • White.  Ideal for scandy style or small living room.

If you choose a wallpaper with a drawing in retro style or vintage plaque, you can recreate the interior of a bygone era of stylish thirties or fifties.

Wallpaper vinyl in the design of the walls (video)

Vinyl wallpaper is a material that presents the opportunity to make your home not typical, not faceless, but thin, sophisticated, interesting and unique. Get high-quality goods, follow the instructions when sticking, follow the rules of care.

Successful repair!

Design of vinyl wallpaper (photo)