Wall decoration in the bathroom: types of material

Gusevsky Andrey Anatolyevich

Types of wall decoration in the bathroom

A feature of the climate of bathrooms is the presence of an increased level of humidity and temperature differences. This places special demands on the wall covering material, which must be moisture resistant, easy to maintain, and no harmful fumes in high temperature conditions.
Wall decoration in the bathroom involves a selection of many materials.

Types of material for the bathroom

There are a number of commonly used coatings that decorate the walls of the bathroom. The entire range, suitable for covering the walls of bathrooms, has pros and cons when choosing a price category, installation and operation.
Most commonly used:

  • ceramic tile;
  • porcelain tile;
  • plastic panels;
  • self-adhesive film;
  • wallpaper;
  • waterproof paint.

To the question of how to decorate the walls in the bathroom, everyone is looking for an answer individually, based on their own ideas of the type of room and priorities in the materials.

Ceramic tile

Tiles for many years remain a favorite among other finishes due to the properties of durability, environmental friendliness, resistance to moisture and aggressive environments. Creates a unique design of the premises due to the variety of textures and colors.
The disadvantages of tiles include the complexity of laying, to create a high-quality surface, you must have skills. The most difficult is to lay out a row using part of the tile according to the required size.
Styling Features:

  • A careful calculation of the required amount, taking into account a possible battle or marriage. Buying the missing number is difficult due to differences in color shades of different parties.
  • Absolute readiness to work before starting to conduct a continuous process of a single perimeter of the area.
  • Installation layout marking with chalk.
  • Compliance with the necessary requirements for smooth surfaces, with a deviation of a level exceeding 4-5 mm per 1 square meter, is used to smooth the surface of the plaster.
  • Soaking ceramics before laying.
  • The use of mounting crosses for cross-gaps.
  • The use of mastic or special glue as a binder.

Tip: When buying, you need to choose a tile with a sign indicating resistance to reagents. If you need to expand the visual space, the choice is stopped on a large tile.

Ceramic Tile
Ceramic Tile

Porcelain Tiles

New high-strength material, has the qualities of wear resistance, the lack of reaction to detergents, aggressive environments, moisture, which can withstand high temperatures.
Strength corresponds to natural stones. The use of porcelain tiles allows you to finish the walls and floor with one material due to its strength.
The disadvantages of the material include the complexity of laying, low thermal conductivity and the high price of the material.

Ceramic Magnet Finish
Ceramic Magnet Finish

Tip: Particular attention should be paid to the selection of glue for porcelain and pay due attention to the study of instructions for use.

Plastic panels

Wall plastic panels quite often finish the walls in the bathroom. They are characterized by ease of installation, in which there is no need to level the surfaces.
Finishing the whole bathroom takes no more than a day. Repair work is not accompanied by dust and dirt, as is the case with tile laying.
It has the properties of resistance to temperature fluctuations, water. Easy to clean.
Does not lose appearance. Fairly low-budget finish.
Installation Nuances:

  • The panels are attached to a wooden crate, mounted to the wall. Pre-wooden parts are treated with stain, the walls are treated with an antifungal solution.
    It is possible to use plastic bars of the crate as an alternative to wood, amenable to decay in a humid environment.
  • Joints of panels must be lubricated with sealant or other insulating compound to prevent water from entering under the panels.
  • Strong heating of the panels is advisable to avoid, a heated towel rail and the surface of the plastic should be ten centimeters behind each other.

Tip: When decorating the walls of new buildings, it is better to use wall plastic panels that have advantages over ceramic tiles for houses that will shrink.

Self-adhesive film

Easy way to protect the walls. The film is distinguished by its resistance to moisture, ease of gluing and low cost.
A variety of colors allows you to choose an imitation for natural materials, such as wood. A layer of antifungal drug must be applied under the self-adhesive film.
When gluing, glue is additionally used, the joints are coated with sealant.
The disadvantage of self-adhesive film is the fragility and the inability to apply it to the place of direct contact with water. Suitable for combination finishes in conjunction with other materials, such as panels.

Tip: When buying, you need to choose a film with a smooth surface, which will make it possible to simplify the care of the coating.

Wallpaper

The advantage of using it is the ability to frequently change the wallpaper to update the interior. You can use vinyl wallpaper, silk screen printing.
When buying, you need to look for the “brush” icon on the packaging, which indicates the possibility of wet cleaning. The glue is used special, not swelling under the influence of moisture, suitable for vinyl wallpaper.
All joints are additionally treated with PVA glue.

  • The downside of the finish is the property of the wallpaper to change shape under the influence of temperature changes. That is why the bathroom, the wall decoration of which is covered with wallpaper, is rare.
  • An option, also rarely used, is the application of liquid wallpaper on the wall. This is a type of plaster that has a water base.
    It is applied to a deeply penetrating primer to improve adhesion. The base is allowed to dry, at the time of laying the liquid wallpaper, the wall should be dry.

The surface is coated with a colorless varnish to increase the water-repellent property. Repair work is difficult to carry out, to obtain information you must first preview the video on the Internet - networks or seek help from a specialist.

Tip: You need to buy vinyl wallpaper for the bathroom with the manufacturer's marks on the implementation of a certain anti-fungicidal treatment that prevents the formation of mold and fungi. If you want to decorate the bathroom with wallpaper, it is better to apply a liquid type.

Wallpaper decoration
Wallpaper decoration

Waterproof paint

Paint as a decoration for bathrooms has been used for a long time, it is valued for durability, environmental cleanliness, the possibility of unimpeded updating of the coating, low cost. The paint is used waterproof water-based acrylic or latex.
The work does not differ in complexity, they can be done with your own hands, but they require a certain awareness of the process for the employee. Before starting the decoration, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with the photo of the painting.
Painting Details:

  • The surface must be pre-cleaned, chalk coatings washed off to a concrete base. An antimicrobial agent is applied to prevent the spread of the fungus.
  • A moisture resistant primer is laid under the paint layer, several passes are made. Each time, the surfaces must be allowed to dry before applying the next coat.
  • The surface on which the paint is applied must be dry. How to paint can be read on the can, which is accompanied by detailed instructions.
  • Wear-resistant coating can only be obtained by applying paint in several layers.

Tip: It is undesirable to use oil paints that are not used due to the rapid loss of properties in humid air with temperature fluctuations.

All listed types of design of bathrooms are used often. When choosing the most suitable coating, the dimensions of the room, the minimum level of humidity, and the price of decoration are evaluated.
Sometimes a successful design decision is a combination of materials, during the implementation of which attention is paid to joints for which additional processing with adhesives or sealant is performed.
Much less often, alternative methods of solving interior decoration in the bathroom are used. It is decorated with mosaics, glass blocks, wood, laminate, wall painting by an artist - decorator.
Any repair gives a flight for imagination, realizing which, you can get a unique bathroom decoration.

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