The kitchen is perhaps the most functional room in the house. Everyday cooking, meals, preparations for the winter, laundry and other household chores - work is constantly “boiling” here. Therefore, the repair of the kitchen premises must be approached both from the aesthetic and from the practical side.
Of course, the decoration of the kitchen walls deserves more attention. After all, it must be resistant to moisture, temperature, mechanical damage, and also please all households with its appearance.
Therefore, in our article we will talk about what is better in the kitchen wallpaper or paint? And what wallpaper is better to choose for the kitchen?
Painting or wallpapering: we weigh the pros and cons
Starting to decorate the kitchen walls, willy-nilly, you start to think: “Which is better - paint the walls or paste them with wallpaper?” There is no single answer to this question.
Someone thinks that painting is a more rational solution for the kitchen, someone, on the contrary, makes a choice in favor of wallpaper. But to make it easier for you to decide, we will compare these two types of finishes.
- The choice of paint colors is limitless. Plus, if you have artistic skills, you can decorate the kitchen walls with original paintings with your own hands.
As for wallpaper, today manufacturers offer just a huge selection of colors, patterns and textures - a very extensive field for fantasy!
- If you compare the cost of high-quality paint and good wallpaper, then the price will be about the same. But this is only for the finishing material itself! It should be added that it is much easier and cheaper to prepare walls for wallpaper than for painting. Properly selected wallpaper can hide defects and small wall irregularities.
While painting, on the contrary, will highlight all the flaws. Therefore, before painting, it is necessary to carefully prepare the kitchen walls: level with plaster, putty and sand. And this, as you understand, additional money and time costs.
- From a practical point of view, painting the walls is a more profitable solution. The paint does not collect dust, is very easy to clean, resistant to moisture and, if necessary, you can quickly repaint the walls in a different color. Most of all, the option of such a finish is suitable for rooms with a high level of humidity.
Note! Although painted walls are easier to clean, if you put a stain on them about a year after painting, and then try to remove it, then you will be in for an unpleasant surprise. The cleaned stain will stand out strongly against the general background, so you will have to wash all the walls.
However, in our modern time, it is not difficult to find wallpaper coatings with the same properties. For example, paintable vinyl models are resistant to moisture, fading, odor and dust absorption, easy to clean and repaint in any color! At the same time, they can be both without texture and with a charming three-dimensional pattern.
Thus, we compared the two types of wall finishes according to the most important criteria. Well, it's up to you to choose, based on your needs and preferences.
Wallpaper for the kitchen
If with painting the walls, everything is less clear (since the choice of paint is not so great), then with wallpapering everything is much more complicated. What wallpaper is better to glue in the kitchen? And how to choose among such a huge range? We will now try to answer these questions.
What to consider when choosing
As mentioned above, the kitchen is the most functional room. That is why it is most susceptible to spoilage: when cooking, drops of water, fat, oil fall on the walls; wall coverings often endure accidental hits with kitchen utensils; there is a constant change in temperature. And if you choose the wrong material for finishing, you will soon have to make a new repair.
Therefore, answering the question of which wallpaper is better to glue in the kitchen, I would like to first of all draw your attention to the following nuances:
- Wall covering for the kitchen should be moisture resistant and washable, as you will have to carry out regular wet cleaning.
- Density is an important indicator of the quality of wallpaper. It depends on her how long they last.
Attention! The higher the density of the wallpaper, the smaller the pores in them, in which dirt quickly accumulates.
- In addition, wallpaper for the kitchen must be resistant to fading in the sun. Otherwise, it will quickly turn pale or turn yellow, which will adversely affect the aesthetics of the room.
- Also do not forget about vapor permeability. If the wallpaper has good vapor permeability, then the walls will dry out quickly, which will have a good effect on the microclimate of the kitchen.
Advice! When choosing a wall covering, always pay attention to the labeling of the goods. For example, the icon "wave with a brush" indicates the resistance of the material to mechanical damage. You can find out what icons are and what they mean by looking at the photo below.
Varieties of wallpaper
I must admit, the assortment of modern wallpapers is breathtaking - any fantasy can be brought to life without any problems! But what is the best wallpaper for the kitchen?
After all, an ordinary person has little idea about the types of wallpaper and their differences, so it can easily be “lost”.
Let's look at the types of wallpaper and at the same time answer the questions which wallpaper is ideal for the kitchen, and which wallpaper is better not to glue to the kitchen.
- Paper. This option for pasting the kitchen can be discarded immediately. Don't be tempted by the low cost! A little later, it will cost you another penny because of its impracticality and fragility.
Have you chosen paper cover? You can immediately start preparing for a new repair J.
- Paper with water-repellent impregnation. Already better, but not yet. Of course, they are quite suitable for the kitchen, but they will last no more than 3-4 years. And besides, such a coating quickly fades in the sun, like ordinary paper.
- Paper with a minimum layer of vinyl. The smooth surface, the decent look (usually with kitchen themed prints), plus the vinyl makes them resistant to moisture, but even that doesn't make them ideal for kitchen wall cladding.
They are very thin, so before sticking them, you will have to properly prepare the walls. Otherwise, any crack, dent, or other defects will be very noticeable under such wallpaper.
- (from linen, silk, cotton) and natural wallpaper(from bamboo, leaves, exotic herbs and veneer of noble tree species). Of course, in the kitchen, such a finish will look spectacular! But, since these wallpapers intensively absorb odors, smoke, fumes, this is not the best solution for a place where something is constantly being prepared.
- Vinyl on non-woven base. They are not afraid of moisture, fading, mechanical stress, the formation of fungi.
They are easily glued (instructions for gluing are available on each roll), do not wrinkle, do not deform when glue is applied to them, and do not swell. Plus, they are able to successfully hide the flaws of the walls. Perhaps this is the best wallpaper for the kitchen.
Advice! The most important thing here is to choose vinyl wallpaper with a good density. You can determine it by squeezing the unfolded roll with your hands: if the material is easily wrinkled, then its density is low, and it will not work for the kitchen.
- Vinyl for painting. No less suitable option for the kitchen, which allows you to often change the situation. They have the same properties as ordinary vinyl wallpaper, plus they can be repainted up to 7 times.
Finally
So, we have considered the most popular types of coatings for kitchen walls today. And what kind of wallpaper is better to stick in the kitchen - it's up to you to decide. If you have decided on the material, but cannot find a suitable color solution, then the video material on the topic “what color of wallpaper is best for the kitchen” will help you in this difficult task!
