How to make walls in the kitchen: make a choice

Gusevsky Andrey Anatolyevich

The photo shows an example of a kitchen apron in a modern kitchen, tiled in the form of brickwork

The kitchen is the place in the house where every housewife spends a substantial part of her day. The whole family gathers here for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Therefore, it is so important to pay special attention to repair here.

In order for your kitchen to always please you and your family, it is necessary to carry out high-quality repairs in it, and in this article we will talk about how to make walls in the kitchen, and try to choose the most optimal finishing materials, based on any budget laid on the finishing work.

How to choose the right material

The stone is a rather heavy finishing material for the walls, it can easily be replaced by artificial stone, which will create real masonry on the walls of the kitchen

In order to determine which walls to make in the kitchen, it is necessary to clearly understand the selection criteria. The kitchen is a complex room, picking up materials for which it is not easy even for a professional builder, especially if the design concept provides for all sorts of delights.

But no matter how difficult it is, the task is quite feasible, and we will begin to solve it by defining the main selection criteria, which must be met by the materials:

• Resistance to constant temperature changes. Even if your kitchen is equipped with a powerful extractor fan, environmental fluctuations are inevitable, and finishing materials must withstand them steadily, while maintaining not only decorative qualities, but also technical ones.
• Moisture resistant. Humidity itself is a constant companion of the kitchen, but if most of the materials successfully cope with its low level, then regular washing, which not everyone will inevitably survive. The finish should be washable, and not just with a damp cloth, but with plenty of water.
• Resistance to chemicals. Even with the most accurate housewife, the walls become dirty over time, and not every day there is an opportunity to wipe or wash them. Sooner or later, grease or oil stains will appear on the walls, which can only be removed with chemical detergents.
• Resistant to odors. Basically, this problem is present in natural wood materials. They perfectly absorb odors and constantly accumulate them. From such a mixture, over time, the walls begin to exude a unique aroma, and it will be extremely difficult to etch it.
• Vapor permeability. The ability to let off steam from under its surface, quality is relevant not only for the kitchen, but here it should be at maximum height. The steam accumulating due to a constant change in temperature gradually develops into condensate, and it, in turn, becomes mold and fungus.

So, we figured out the properties of the materials, but this did not bring us closer to the answer to the question which walls are better to make in the kitchen.

The thing is that there are a lot of options, and this can be clearly seen by reading other articles on our website. We will not do the enumeration, and conditionally divide the materials that suit us into two groups, but first things first, but for now, we suggest you watch the video in this article, which shows interesting design solutions, and the materials, but we continue.

Natural materials

You see the option of how to make the walls of the kitchen beautifully using natural material - lining

Choosing what to make walls in the kitchen, many pay attention to natural materials. It is believed that they are maximally resistant to any influences, and they are not afraid of either humidity or constant changes in the microclimate.

In fact, this is a fallacy, and often, naturalness is even a minus, not a plus, especially if the conversation is about a tree. The tree has a huge set of disadvantages, but it does not lose its popularity from this, and finishing specialists have to go to tricks and sophistication in order to increase quality characteristics and extend their service life.

And if we started the section with a conversation about wooden coatings, then the first thing that comes to mind is:

Lining

Lining as a finishing material is good in that it is a natural material and can be of different colors, which allows you to combine the interior of the kitchen and its design

In order not to be unfounded, start with a short list of shortcomings:

• Low resistance to moisture. Over time, the lining absorbs moisture for so much that it begins to warp. It is already impossible to stop the swelling process in this situation.
• From prolonged contact with water, blue spots may begin to appear on the surface of the lining. This is the initial process of decay.
• Pure wood not only absorbs odors, but also holds them for a very long time. Of course, you can etch them, but this is a very complex and time-consuming process.

These are far from all the disadvantages, but many of them are enough to draw attention to other materials.

In fact, all of these problems are easily fixed. It is enough to treat the lining with impregnation and cover it with a layer of varnish, and that's all, the wood has come close to stone in quality, but what remains of its natural environmental friendliness? Nothing. And if this aspect is no longer discussed, then why not consider artificial materials with imitation of wood texture?

Moreover, they will be higher in quality and durability, and it is unnecessary to further process them.

Natural wallpaper

Photos show an example of a kitchen in a chalet style, with walls decorated with natural wallpaper, emphasizing furniture

Of varieties natural wallpaper a lot, but the most famous and popular are undoubtedly non-woven. Non-woven fabric is a fabric processed in a special way. In the production of such wallpapers only natural materials are used, but this is their main drawback.

Non-woven wallpaper you can’t wash, and they do not tolerate contact with detergents, but they look very impressive Another thing is cork. Wallpaper made of this material is much more resistant than non-woven, although the price is much higher.

In principle, metal wallpaper can also be attributed to natural, but this is a completely different story.

Interesting! Almost all non-woven wallpapers have a vinyl base, which keeps them on the wall. On the quality of the coating, this is reflected only for the better, but again, where is the praised environmental friendliness.

Simply put, choosing the better to make the walls in the kitchen, we would recommend that you abandon the use of natural wallpaper. They are not intended for such premises, although some manufacturers claim the opposite.

Tile

The tile in the interior of the kitchen looks not only aesthetically and noble, it is also practical for such a room

Tile, or rather tile, has been used in decoration for a very long time (seeHow to tile on a wall) She is not afraid of even prolonged contact with water, easily tolerates interaction with solvents and chemicals, does not lose her qualities over time and maintains her original appearance.

All this makes the tile, almost an ideal finishing material. So why is it not used everywhere, especially when you take into account the huge range of designer designs in the modern market?

It is difficult to answer this question.Many are scared away by the price and the certain complexity of laying, while others do not like it for its constantly cold surface. In any case, with tiles you can not finish all the walls completely, but sew it only on the apron (seeApron for the kitchen: consider some trim options), as many have done for many years.

Advice! Tile is a very heavy material, so if you have lightweight partitions installed in your kitchen, it is better to refuse it. In the early years, nothing terrible will happen, but over time, constant tension will begin to make itself felt and the tile adhesive will simply fall off.

Brick siding

An example of clinker siding above the working surface of a kitchen unit

In fact, this is one of the varieties of tile that differs from it in the way of installation. Tiles are simply segments with a decorative surface, while the siding has special brackets for fixing on the guide rails.

Using this material, before you make the walls in the kitchen, you have to build a crate frame. The process is not simple and requires certain knowledge and skills, but such a finish will last for many decades, and it will not have to be redone or restored. Rather, the walls of the house will become worthless than clinker siding.

Another advantage of this material is a wide variety of appearance. Clinker siding can imitate natural stone, or brickwork, so if the interior of your kitchen involves non-standard solutions, then it is simply better not to find material.

So, we figured out what walls can be made in the kitchen from natural materials. Of course, this is not a complete list, but it fully reflects all the advantages and disadvantages of a particular finishing material. And we go further, and move on to artificial materials, and even if you are not interested in this topic, we strongly recommend that you read the article to the end, and assure you, to the last line, you will radically change your mind.

Artificial materials for decoration

Artificial brickwork in the interior of the kitchen, looks like a natural material, but much easier and more practical

Today, more and more people, choosing what to make walls for the kitchen, prefer artificial materials. They are more unpretentious in care, and serve much longer, without losing the appearance and quality characteristics.

Moreover, if your budget has strict limits, then the question of what to do in the kitchen with walls is even more acute for you. Natural materials are expensive, and given that it is not always high quality and durable, there is no choice at all.

There are a lot of artificial materials, and almost all of them are easy to assemble with your own hands, which also affects the final cost of repair. But our article is not a finishing instruction, so just focus on small descriptions.

Pvc panels

Plastic panels for decorating kitchen walls, this is a cheap and practical option

Choose from what walls to make kitchens, but the budget does not allow itself expensive options? Then pvc panels are exactly what you need. They are simple and unpretentious in leaving, they can be washed even with running water and with the strongest means.

They do not deform over time and do not lose their appearance under the influence of ultraviolet radiation. If not for the relatively low decorative qualities, this material could be safely called the ideal option.

A variety of design solutions on pvc panels striking the imagination, they can be both monotonous and imitate natural materials. Want a stone wall? No problem. Ever dreamed of wood trim, but not enough money for it? You are welcome.

Unfortunately, the imitation on pvc cannot be called extremely reliable, and the fact that your walls are actually sheathed with plastic is visible to the naked eye.

MDF panels

MDF panels on the walls of the kitchen look like wood trim, but much cheaper and more convenient to care for

Another budget option is how best to make the walls in the kitchen. MDF is pressed sawdust mixed with special glue. In fact, this material could be attributed to natural, but it is primarily a decorative imitation, and only then sawdust.

If you compare mdf with pvc panels, and they are in almost the same price category, then in terms of quality and durability, plastic will certainly win, but in terms of the reliability of imitation, the palm remains for mdf. The drawing is applied to it by large format printing, thanks to which it is possible to emphasize even the most insignificant nuances of the texture pattern.

MDF panels also have a significant drawback, namely, they are easily damaged by mechanical stress. Any sharp object will leave an indelible scar on the finish, which will be impossible to mask.

Vinyl wallpapers

Vinyl wallpapers for the kitchen, this is the best option, as they are easy to wash, and they tolerate temperature extremes

As we mentioned above, wallpaper is one of the easiest and most convenient ways to decorate walls, apart from, of course, painting.

And since the topic of our article is repair in the kitchen than making walls, I would like to talk specifically about vinyl. These wallpapers are the most persistent of all presented on the modern market. Plastic is plastic, it is hard to compete with it in stability and durability.

Such wallpapers can not only be wiped with a damp cloth, but also washed with plenty of water. They are not deformed by temperature changes, and are resistant to ultraviolet radiation.

A few years ago, vinyl wallpaper had a significant minus, which made it impossible to use them in some rooms - this is the lack of vapor permeability. Dense plastic reliably retained all moisture under its surface, preventing it from evaporating.

Today, manufacturers have solved this problem by making microperforation on the wallpaper, that is, by applying tiny holes to the surface that are invisible to the eye. The issue of vapor permeability fell off by itself, and vinyl wallpapers became possible to glue not only in the kitchen, but also in the bathroom.

And in conclusion

Altering the walls in the kitchen can be done by several finishing materials at once, it just takes a little more effort and time

Well, that's basically all that we wanted to tell you as part of this article. We hope you have already decided what to make the walls in the kitchen, and have chosen the most suitable option for yourself.

If not, and you are still in doubt, then you can read a separate article about each material presented here. An article on our website where features and quality specifications are described in more detail.