Selecting Wallpaper

When you’ve decided on wall-papering your home, the next step of course is to choose which wallpaper you want. The retail cost of a roll of wallpaper can range from $18 to $250 per roll. However, the price of wallpaper doesn’t necessarily reflect the product\’s durability. Some of the more expensive wallpapers are fairly delicate and therefore must be treated with care to avoid damaging them.

Types of Wallpaper

Vinyl Coated Paper

The most common type of wallpaper, which is also the least expensive, are machine printed and have a protective vinyl coating. This wallpaper has paper substrate where the decorative surface has been coated with acrylic type vinyl or polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Heavy-duty wallpapers have more vinyl and are more expensive. They can be scrubbed, and they resist stains well, making them ideal for use in the kitchen, bathroom and basement.

You can have a choice of either the above machine-printed wallpaper, or wallpaper created by hand, which of course will cost more. There are also hand-crafted textured wallpapers which are more durable and are made to simulate the look of metal, cement, glass or leather. Consider having a professional hang your wallpaper for you especially if they cost a lot.

Coated Fabric

This type of wallpaper has a fabric substrate coated with liquid vinyl or acrylic as an underlayer. The decorative layer is printed on this coating. This wallpaper is not suited for use in humid rooms such as bathrooms or walls that are exposed to moisture, or in a kitchen where there is grease. So use this wallpaper in area with a good ventilation, like a living room.

Paper Backed Vinyl/Solid Sheet Vinyl

This wallpaper has a paper or pulp substrate laminated to a solid decorative vinyl surface. It is considered very durable since the decorative surface is a solid sheet of vinyl and can be scrubbed and peels off easily from the wall when you want to remove it. It can be used in high humidity areas, since it resists moisture and is stain and grease resistant.

Fabric Backed Vinyl

This wallpaper has a fabric substrate laminated to a solid layer of vinyl. There are two types of wallpaper in this category:

Solid Vinyl – which is a layer of paper or fabric laminated to a vinyl film. It is generally considered more durable than fabric-backed or paper-backed vinyls because the applied vinyl solid and not liquid. If you’re looking for wallpaper that cleans easily and last for a long time, this is the type of wallpaper you should use.

Paper – This type of wallpaper refers to wallpaper with a paper substrate/ground combination upon which the decorative layer is printed. True papers are not coated, but some may have a coating applied to seal in the inks. Because this type of wallpaper varies widely, check the label for attributes of the pattern/brand you want to purchase.

Get some inspiration from magazines and other homes for designs that suit your taste. Take into consideration the furniture in the room, and what kind of look you want to achieve. Gather samples of upholstery and carpet from the room where you want to hang the wallpaper when you head out to hunting for your wallpaper, as this will help you match and colour coordinate the current furniture in your home to the new wallpaper.

Custom made wallpaper can be done in the instance you like a design but are not particularly fond of the colour. This of course can be done for a fee (usually about $40). Look at sample photos of the wallpaper of your choice in a room, as it may differ in look once its been applied to the walls. Once satisfied, make your purchase.