A large selection of a wide variety of types of wallpaper is often confusing. Finishing material differs not only in color and texture, but also has completely different properties and performance. Vinyl and non-woven wallpapers, which have replaced paper ones, are of particular interest to the buyer and the greatest number of questions. We will try to understand the difference between these two types of finishing material and find out which wallpaper is better: vinyl or non-woven.
Consider both types of wallpaper separately and determine their most significant differences, pros and cons, and then compare them with each other and find out which material is more preferable for finishing an apartment.
Non-woven wallpaper
Interlining is a material consisting of fibrous cellulose impregnated with various bonding compounds and synthetic additives. Sometimes interlining is called improved paper. Due to the ordered arrangement of compressed fibers, the non-woven fabric is a bit like a fabric.
Advantages of non-woven fabric:
- air and vapor permeability of the material, allowing the walls to "breathe" and maintain a favorable microclimate in the room;
- sufficient strength and density, resistance to deformation and stretching, making the material ideal for apartments in new buildings, the walls of which will shrink after a while;
- exceptional ease of gluing, which is ensured by the fact that the glue must be applied to the wall, and not to the canvas;
- the ability of the material to reinforce microcracks on the walls, preventing them from spreading and growing;
- the possibility of reusable painting, even if there is no corresponding mark on the roll about it - the paint makes this type of material more resistant to external influences;
- during the next repair, non-woven wallpaper can be left on the wall without breaking off, and new canvases can be glued directly on them;
- long service life - up to 10 years.
Minuses:
- insufficient variety of colors, textures and design solutions;
- high price;
- low resistance to mechanical stress;
- the need for careful alignment of the walls;
- wet cleaning is unacceptable.
The truth about the dangers of non-woven wallpaper
Recently, more and more often you can hear that non-woven wallpaper harmful to human health. This information is distributed by competing manufacturers, as well as deceived buyers who, under the guise of non-woven wallpaper material, have acquired a low-quality fake.
Real interlining is made from natural materials, it does not have an unpleasant odor and is comparable to paper in terms of “harmfulness”. Non-woven wallpaper can only be harmful to health if they are fake and unsafe materials were used in their manufacture. That is why experts recommend purchasing products of well-known brands in specialized stores and checking the quality certificate when buying. In addition, you need to carefully consider the choice of wallpaper glue. Harmful additives may be contained in it.
Vinyl wallpapers
So called vinyl wallpapers They are a two-layer material, where the bottom layer or base is interlining or paper, the top one is a PVC film. The top vinyl layer determines the properties, pros and cons of this type of material.
Depending on the manufacturing technology and appearance, there are several types of vinyl-coated material:
- structural wallpaper, the top layer of which is foamed vinyl - they cannot be washed, but can be wiped with a damp cloth, so they are not very suitable for the kitchen;
- compact vinyl - imitates various natural materials;
- heavy vinyl - has an additional vinyl layer, has high strength;
- silk screen printing - has a smooth texture and beautiful shine, suitable for carefully leveled surfaces;
- washable vinyl wallpaper with chemical embossing - perfectly tolerate cleaning with aggressive agents, ideal for bathrooms and kitchens.
Vinyl wallpaper on non-woven base often confused with ordinary non-woven, but in fact there is little in common between them: they are united only by the method of gluing.
Pros of vinyl wallpaper:
- a huge variety of colors, patterns and textures;
- the ability to hide irregularities and surface defects;
- moisture resistance, the possibility of wet cleaning and use in rooms with high humidity, such as a kitchen;
- incombustibility;
- resistance to ultraviolet radiation, as well as to mechanical damage;
- impregnation with an antifungal composition eliminates the appearance of mold;
- the vinyl layer does not absorb dust;
- non-woven fabric is easy to glue, the adhesive is applied only to the wall;
- some varieties can be dyed;
- service life - 10 years.
Minuses:
- vinyl is impervious to air and vapor material;
- some wallpapers may have an unpleasant odor;
- cheap material can release substances harmful to health.
Tip: if the unpleasant smell after wallpapering does not disappear for a long time, ammonia will help get rid of it quickly. Add a small amount of ammonia to the water and wipe the pasted wall, remembering to open the windows at this time.
What is the best wallpaper?
Summing up, we can say that both types of material have an approximately equal number of pros and cons, so it cannot be said that one of them is better and the other is worse. The right decision would be to choose wallpaper depending on the purpose of the room in which they will be pasted.
- From the point of view of environmental friendliness and safety for the bedroom and children's room, it is better to choose non-woven wallpaper material.
- Washable vinyl material is ideal for the kitchen.
- It is desirable to paste over the corridor and hallway with a vinyl-coated material in order to avoid damage to the surfaces and to be able to eliminate dirt.
- In the living room or hall, a colorful vinyl canvas will look very impressive. In order to combine business with pleasure, we recommend using a combination of two types of finishing material in this room: choose “breathing” non-woven wallpaper as a base or background, and as an accent - vinyl material on paper or non-woven base with an interesting expressive pattern.
