Decorative liquid wallpaper: how to use

Gusevsky Andrey Anatolyevich

Contrast pattern made using liquid wallpaper

Among the whole variety of finishing materials, liquid wallpapers occupy a stable position in popularity among consumers. This is explained quite simply - the ratio of qualitative characteristics is unlikely to be found in any other material, well, and we will talk more about all the nuances in this article.

What is liquid wallpaper

Types and colors of liquid wallpaper

The most important and probably a significant plus for many is not even the beauty of liquid wallpaper, but their complete environmental friendliness. In the composition of this material there are no active chemicals that can at least somehow harm health. That is why liquid wallpaper is recommended for use in bedrooms and even children's rooms.

Liquid wallpaper is sold in dry form, in sealed bags, and for work it is enough to simply dilute them with water and mix thoroughly. Mix the solution exclusively with your hands, as any tool can damage soft cellulose.

Structure

Thanks to the liquid wallpaper, you can meet the sunset every day on a tropical beach without leaving your apartment

The main composition of liquid wallpaper:

• Cellulose Flakes.
• Glue identical to PVA.
• Coloring pigment, most often based on acrylic.

In addition to the basic composition, specific additives can be present in liquid wallpaper that improve the qualitative characteristics of the material:

• Fibers of natural silk.
• Stone dust.
• Spangles.
• Nacre.

All these components do not affect the quality of the coating, but are able to give it beauty and personality.

Interesting! All additional decorative components can be added to the liquid wallpaper yourself, as well as the coloring pigment, the main thing is not to overdo it, and then the coating can turn out to be truly individual.

Benefits

Even a simple drawing on the wall can significantly change the perception of the room

So:

• Liquid wallpaper is applied in a thick layer, so it is able to hide the unevenness of the walls and flaws in the initial finish.
• High vapor permeability of the material does not allow moisture to accumulate under the surface, which means that it prevents the formation of fungus and mold.
• Application of wallpaper in liquid form does not subsequently prevent the coating from cracking, even with natural shrinkage of the walls and the material itself.
• The absence of seams gives the coating a special elegance.
• A wide variety of colors and textures allows not only to combine liquid decorative wallpapers, but also to create intricate drawings from them.
• The ease of application allows you to do the repair yourself, even if you did not have the relevant experience before.
• The density of the material creates additional sound and heat insulation.
• In case of damage, it is not necessary to change the entire coating, it is enough to restore the desired area, and there will not be a trace of interference at the defect site.

Advice! When buying liquid wallpaper, you should always take 1-2 bags in excess of the required amount. They will be useful if the coating is damaged and restoration is needed. If you do not do this right away, then later on you may not find a suitable shade.

disadvantages

The right selection of colors is one of the most important aspects of quality repair

So:

• Some types of liquid wallpaper can burn out under the influence of ultraviolet radiation.
• They have low resistance to abrasion, so they are not advised to glue in rooms with high traffic.
• Paper and cotton as part of liquid wallpaper perfectly absorb odors, which are then very difficult to remove.
• Low moisture resistance.

To remove these shortcomings, some experts go to the trick and cover the wallpaper with an additional layer of varnish. After drying, such a coating becomes completely resistant to abrasion and ceases to absorb odors, but in this case you will have to sacrifice several positive qualities. Namely, vapor permeability and the possibility of restoration of wallpaper in case of damage.

Important! To cover the wallpaper, you can use only waterborne or acrylic based varnishes, since any chemical and nitro varnishes can destroy the integrity of the coating and completely dissolve the coloring pigment.

Types of liquid wallpaper

3D stencil drawing

Dealing with the question of how liquid wallpaper looks, you understand that this is a very diverse material, and we are not talking about colors or density, but about the structure itself. The fact is that liquid wallpaper can vary in composition, and the quality and durability of the coating directly depends on this.

Silk wallpaper

Pronounced silk fibers

As the name implies, the main component of this material is natural silk fibers, which create a specific pattern on the surface. Such wallpapers are rightfully considered the most durable and durable, since silk is a very resistant material resistant to abrasion and fading, and besides, they have a reduced ability to absorb odors.

Many consumers are often scared away by the price of silk wallpaper, but given all the positive nuances, it turns out that it is fully compensated by durability and stability. In addition, liquid silk wallpaper does not need to be covered with an additional layer of varnish, which significantly reduces the total cost of repairs.

Paper

Paper Liquid Wallpaper

Paper or cellulose wallpapers are inferior to silk in quality and durability, but they are also much cheaper. Of course, paper is more susceptible to all kinds of influences and less resistant to damage, but its pliability during restoration can be considered an indisputable advantage of this material.

It is enough to simply wipe the damaged area with a wet sponge and then apply a new layer of wallpaper to the damaged area.

Cotton

Cotton wallpaper

It is believed that this is the most environmentally friendly material among all types of liquid wallpaper, but in fact this is a common misconception, since paper and silk are natural materials that, like cotton, do not contain chemicals. Most likely, the myth of the unique purity of cotton wallpaper was invented by sellers who need to advertise and sell material with low stability and quality.

Cotton of most types of wallpaper is subject to abrasion, moreover, it will be difficult to repair damage without leaving any traces during restoration. As for the cost of cotton material, it differs little from a paper colleague, which means that it is undesirable to choose this type of finish.

Silk cellulose

Silk fiber paper wallpaper

The most common and purchased type of liquid wallpaper is the one pictured. They have increased resistance to abrasion and impact, but at the same time they are cheaper than 100% silk. The threads here act not only as a decorative element, but also as an additional binder. As you know, silk fiber is very difficult to tear, so the coating is durable.

In addition, this material has the highest vapor permeability among competitors and at the same time does not absorb moisture. Unfortunately, even this feature does not allow such wallpaper to be washed with water, and even wiping with a damp cloth can destroy the integrity of the coating.

As can be seen from the above, different types of wallpaper have excellent quality characteristics, and therefore, they should be selected specifically for each room, taking into account individual characteristics. To clearly deal with this issue, we give two tables.

Table 1:

Table 2:

Application of liquid wallpaper

The combined pattern of liquid wallpaper

Now that we have figured out the question, liquid wallpaper, what is it, you can proceed to applying them to the wall, and the first stage is preparing the surface. As mentioned above, liquid wallpaper can hide most of the flaws on the surface, but for reliable adhesion, the wall must be thoroughly cleaned and all the remnants of the old finish removed from it and after that it can be primed (see Primer for liquid wallpaper - why is it needed).

Advice! The primer for liquid wallpaper should be deep penetration and preferably on an acrylic basis.

Well, and for working with liquid wallpaper, we need the following tools and devices:

• Capacity of sufficient volume for breeding wallpaper.
• Plastic trowel, preferably with a transparent sole, to see the entire application process.
• Step-ladder.
• Small spatula for working with internal corners.

When everything you need is in stock, you can go to work. The entire instruction for applying liquid wallpaper consists of several stages:

• The dry mixture is poured into the container and with the gradual addition of water is mixed by hand until the desired consistency is reached.
• After mixing, let the mixture brew for 10-15 minutes, then mix again.
• Put the finished solution with your hands on the trowel and rub it into the surface with light movements until a smooth finish is achieved.
• About every 3-5 approaches, we wet the trowel in water so that the wallpaper does not stick to the tool and completely transfers to the wall.
• Having reached the corners, we take a spatula and put the solution in the corners, trying to ensure that the entire coating is uniform.

Everything, the wallpaper is pasted, and now they need to be allowed to dry thoroughly. This can take several days, depending on the temperature and humidity level in the room.

A complex pattern created using multi-colored liquid wallpaper

In addition to a uniform coating of liquid wallpaper, you can create drawings. The process is not complicated, but it requires a lot of time, since each color needs to be allowed to dry, and you can get acquainted with the technology for creating drawings in more detail by watching the video.