Wall decoration in an apartment, options for which must be selected for each room individually, must take them into account functional purpose. When making a choice in favor of one material or another, you must pay attention not only to appearance, but also on other important characteristics. In addition, you want to make the interior of each room special, different from the others, but you should remember that their design should resonate with each other and create overall harmony throughout the entire apartment.

Today the market is literally “flooded” with building materials, and it is quite difficult to settle on just one. Therefore, it is worth figuring out which one is better to choose for a particular room.

Criteria for choosing wall finishes

So, when creating a room decoration project and choosing wall decoration, you need to consider the following factors:

• Environmental safety of the material. It should not release toxic substances into environment during its operation.
• The finishing should not become an allergen for people living in the apartment, especially in cases where some of them have a predisposition to such reactions.
• Technology of installation (application) of finishing material. This is especially important to consider when repair costs are limited, since the work of the craftsmen may cost even more than the cost of the material itself. Therefore, in such circumstances, it is advisable to choose a finish that you can handle yourself.
• One of the most important criteria is the technical and operational characteristics of the cladding, such as hygroscopicity, abrasion, resistance to temperature changes, available methods of caring for the finish, and others. Each room requires a special approach:

— For example, when choosing cladding for the walls of a bathroom, toilet or combined bathroom, as well as a kitchen, you should pay attention to its resistance to moisture, the appearance of mold colonies, and the possibility of regular wet cleaning.

- For adult bedroom and children's rooms, you need to choose environmentally friendly, breathable wall coverings that do not attract dust.

— The walls of the hallway, corridor and living room require finishing with a more durable, wear-resistant material, since they are passageways or most often visited rooms.

• And, of course, the aesthetic side of the issue. It is recommended to think through the design of the rooms in such a way that they complement each other and are united by one interior style.

The color scheme is also important. For example, for a bedroom it is better to choose calm pastel colors, and for rooms where there is no natural light, light-colored finishes.

Despite a large assortment finishing materials in the construction markets, the most popular finishes remain such as traditional wallpaper, plaster and paint, wooden lining and ceramic tiles. Among the claddings that have come into fashion relatively recently are laminated or plastic lining, as well as artificial stone.

Wallpaper - traditional decoration of apartment walls

Wallpaper can be called the most used option for wall decoration, as it is suitable for almost all rooms and has an affordable price. Therefore, we can safely say that in 85–90% of cases the walls of modern apartments are covered with them.

The advantages of this material over other finishes include the following:

• A large assortment of wallpaper types allows you to choose them for any room, according to aesthetic design, material of manufacture, and also cost. For example, paper or liquid wallpaper is the most affordable option. Other types, such as vinyl, non-woven, textile, as well as canvases made from natural materials, are more expensive finishes. True, in some cases, despite the high price, wallpaper can have not only positive, but also negative qualities.
• The ease of gluing canvases to walls allows you to do the work yourself and save quite a decent amount.

Wallpaper classification

Wallpaper is classified according to different qualities, which will determine which option to choose for a particular room. Such criteria include moisture resistance, surface and pattern structure, as well as material density.

In terms of performance

Resistant to moisture and regular cleaning

Based on this quality, wallpaper is divided into ordinary, moisture-resistant, moisture-resistant and waterproof (washable).

• Regular wallpaper. These include paper options that do not tolerate moisture and begin to warp when it increases in the room. You can remove dust from them only with a vacuum cleaner. They are glued only in dry rooms, where any strong fumes are unlikely.
• Moisture-resistant wallpaper. This can be paper wallpaper with a moisture-resistant coating. They can be wiped with a soft damp cloth, but they cannot be washed. This material is also not used for finishing kitchens or bathrooms, as it will not withstand high humidity and numerous cleanings.
• Washable wallpaper They tolerate wet cleaning with a sponge and detergents well, so they can be used to decorate a kitchen or toilet. It is not recommended to use them in the bathroom.
• Waterproof wallpaper When properly glued to the wall, they can withstand increased moisture and wet cleaning, since they have a coating that does not allow water to pass through to the base on which it is applied.

Surface texture and wallpaper colors

Wallpapers differ in the texture of the top layer. They can be smooth, with a pattern applied to the surface, with deep or shallow relief obtained as a result of embossing the coating of the canvas.

Wallpaper is produced in a single-color version, with a chaotic pattern that does not require adjustment of the sheets, as well as with a clear ornament located at a certain step (rapport). When purchasing the latter, you need to know that the design of adjacent paintings will have to be adjusted, so they must be purchased with a reserve.

Table of wallpaper types according to different criteria:

Wallpaper type	Surface structure	Number of layers	Strength	Moisture resistance
Paper	Smooth and embossed	Single-layer and double-layer	Fragile	Non-moisture resistant
Vinyl	Embossed	Double layer	Durable	Waterproof (washable)
Non-woven	Smooth or embossed	Double layer	Durable	Moisture resistant (washable)
Textile	Relief, embossed	Multilayer	Durable	Non-moisture resistant
Metal	Embossed	Multilayer	Durable	Moisture resistant

Prices for non-woven wallpaper

non-woven wallpaper

Material Density

Based on this quality, wallpapers are divided into light and heavy. The light ones include paper and non-woven options, the heavy ones include vinyl, fabric, as well as canvases made from natural materials. Those that have a density of 110 g/m² or more are considered heavy, and they are quite difficult to work with, especially in cases where there are irregularities on the wall surface. Thin paper wallpapers are no less difficult to glue, as they quickly get wet and can tear when smoothing them on the wall. Therefore, the best option for a craftsman without experience is to choose wallpaper of medium thickness.

Wallpaper durability

Depending on the type of wallpaper, they can last from 4 to 10 years, but subject to certain conditions:

• The correct technology for gluing canvases to the wall, for which the surface should be well prepared, leveled and thoroughly primed.

• When purchasing wallpaper, you should pay attention to the pictograms located on the packaging, which will indicate how this type of material is correctly glued and what characteristics it has.

• After pasting the wallpaper, it must be dried properly. This process is carried out with doors and windows closed, without drafts, the room temperature should be approximately +25 degrees. Do not use heaters or fans to speed up drying, as the work may be ruined and will have to be done from the very beginning. Properly dried finish will last long term without repair.
• It is very important to choose the appropriate adhesive composition for a certain type of wallpaper - this is also one of the factors that ensures the reliability and long-term operation of wall cladding.

Now that general information information about this material is received, it is worth considering each type of wallpaper in more detail.

According to the material of manufacture

Paper wallpaper

Although manufacturers have developed and produced completely new types of wallpaper, paper ones still remain in demand. This is apparently explained by the fact that it is an environmentally friendly, “breathable” material and is excellent for finishing residential premises with normal level humidity. Modern options paper wallpaper They are quite varied in color and ornamental design, so some high-quality samples cannot be distinguished from more expensive material. The service life of this type of finish is from 4 to 10 years, depending on the production technology and their sticking on the wall. Imported wallpapers are considered more durable - they are less sensitive to ultraviolet rays, so they retain their original appearance longer.

The main disadvantages of this type of finish include low strength, a rather complicated process of sticking to the wall, and the impossibility of using wet cleaning on them. Therefore, they are not recommended for use in hallways and corridors, as well as on the lower part of the walls in children's rooms, since they will not last long in these areas of the apartment.

It should be noted that the paper version of the canvas can consist of one or two layers. Some wallpapers are designed for painting and can withstand up to 15 layers of paint, while others are impregnated with a moisture-repellent composition. True, wallpaper with similar qualities has a higher price.

This photo shows paper wallpaper in light, delicate colors, which can be used to decorate the walls of a bedroom, nursery or even living room, if they fit the chosen interior style. Here you can clearly see that wallpaper of similar colors can add light to a room, making it visually larger, as well as giving it neatness. Such finishing will have a positive effect on the mood of the apartment residents, creating a favorable microclimate.

Another option for using paper wallpaper with a deeper color is perfect for decorating the walls of a room in the “English” style. This material is more restrained in shades and has become a good background for pieces of furniture with light upholstery, and also harmonizes well with the color natural wood. Such wallpapers give the room coziness, but at the same time, they seem to compress the space, so it is better to use them in rooms whose windows face the south, which is why there is too much sunlight.

Non-woven wallpaper

Non-woven fabric is made from cellulose, which makes up 70% of the total volume of the material, and the remaining 30% is occupied by binders. This material is highly durable and wear-resistant, and is also breathable.

Non-woven wallpaper can be divided into three types:

- those that are made entirely of non-woven fabric;

- non-woven fabrics;

- a top layer of non-woven fabric, which is applied to a paper base.

The first type consists of several layers, and all of them, except the outer one, are even and smooth. The top coating is most often embossed and plain. As a rule, it is designed for repeated staining.

The second version of wallpaper is non-woven based and may have an outer layer of paper, textile or vinyl.

The third type of canvas is covered with a foamed or regular layer of non-woven fabric. Such wallpapers are decorated with embossed reliefs; they look aesthetically pleasing on the wall, are amenable to wet cleaning and have a long service life.

Pure non-woven wallpaper or made in combination with paper can be called an environmentally friendly, “breathable” finishing material, so it can be used for any room.

In addition, non-woven wallpaper can hide small defects formed on the wall, and due to its elasticity, the material will not tear at corners, as well as when cracks on surfaces expand.

Non-woven fabrics are perfect for decorating a kitchen, so quite often they have a pattern kitchen utensils, picturesque vegetables, fruits or plants. In the interior shown in the photo, wallpaper with images of decorative plates, which were previously used as decoration for walls and kitchen shelves, was used. The wallpaper goes well with the selected color and style of curtains, as well as with the furniture installed in the kitchen dining area.

In this case, wallpaper is used to decorate the walls of an office or living room. If you look closely at this interior, you can see that every detail is important in the design of the room, and together they create the intended style. Furniture items, window frames, indoor plant- everything is in perfect harmony with the color scheme, as well as the ornamental pattern of the selected wallpaper. Calm shades of all elements of the composition contribute to a balanced mood and create a favorable atmosphere for both relaxation and work.

Vinyl wallpapers

Vinyl wallpapers, which relatively recently appeared on the construction market, are very popular. The canvases consist of two layers - the bottom (paper, non-woven or textile) and the top, consisting of polyvinyl chloride, embossed with a specific pattern with the corresponding color design.

Most of all, users liked one of the types of these wallpapers, called “silk-screen printing,” because upper layer imitates silk threads, not only with its structure, but also with its characteristic shine.

Vinyl wallpaper has amazing decorative properties, resistance to ultraviolet rays, mechanical stress and pronounced moisture resistance.

The disadvantages of the finishing material include the difficulty of gluing it. You can also note the peculiar smell that comes from the canvases during their installation and at the beginning of use, but some time later it completely disappears. Be that as it may, vinyl wallpaper cannot be called environmentally friendly, in addition, they do not allow air to pass through well, so it is not recommended to glue them in rooms with high humidity, otherwise mold may form under them. They are well suited for decorating living rooms, hallways and corridors, where surfaces must have durable protection.

Silk-screen printing is suitable for decorating halls in a palace style. If the canvases are properly glued to the walls, it will be difficult to distinguish them from natural silk. It is this effect that creates the rich decoration of surfaces, and all that remains is to select furniture made in the same style, as well as the necessary accessories - and the room will take on an unrecognizable appearance, striking in its splendor and gloss.

There are several other styles that this type of wallpaper will fit well into. These include such as “Provence” or “country”, since the floral patterns used in the design of the canvases are exactly what is typical for these design trends. If you wish, you can choose wallpaper made in calm or, conversely, light, bright colors - this factor will depend on what mood you plan to create in the room.

Textile wallpaper

Textile fabrics consist of two layers - a base consisting of paper or non-woven fabric, and an outer layer of interwoven fibers or finished natural fabric - this can be cotton, linen and silk, as well as a mixture of different materials.

Textile wallpaper has a number of advantages over other finishes, but it also has its disadvantages. To their positive qualities we can safely attribute the ability to absorb extraneous noise and retain heat inside the room. The fibers are processed special compounds, which make them inert to ultraviolet rays. Since natural raw materials are used for the production of linens, the finishing is an environmentally friendly material, and linen also has bactericidal properties.

Velor wallpapers have a velvet surface, which creates a special chic in the room, as their color looks deeper and more saturated.

This finishing is also made from synthetic threads, which are fixed to foam rubber - such material is used in those rooms where it is necessary to create good sound insulation. But it is still not recommended for use in residential premises.

The manufacturing process of textile wallpaper is quite complicated, which is why, and also because of the use of natural raw materials, they have a fairly high price.

This type of finishing cannot be called popular both because of its high cost and because of its ability to accumulate dust, which is detrimental to people who are predisposed to allergic reactions.

Do not use textile lining in the kitchen, as traces of fumes and odors from this room will inevitably remain on it. It is not suitable for a bedroom or children's room - there is no need for extra dust here. Wallpaper can be used in the living room if there is a desire to create a rich exclusive interior with deep shades.

Which wallpaper is best for the bedroom?

For this room, you should select the finish taking into account its specific features– it should be conducive to proper rest and be completely harmless. The nuances are in a special publication on our portal

Besides these very popular types I would like to mention others as well, which in some cases are irreplaceable.

Photo wallpaper

Photo wallpaper can be made from any of the materials mentioned above and are used quite often to create a certain accent in the room. This type of decoration can visually expand the space of a room, since almost all images printed on them have a 3D effect. This could be a city landscape, a natural area, or floral romantic motifs. Each of the options can transform the interior and set the desired style direction.

Liquid wallpaper

“Liquid wallpaper” is suitable for those who like to be creative and also want to save money on work that can be done by anyone, even an inexperienced craftsman. It is impossible to spoil this material, since if it was not possible to reproduce the intended design the first time, the process of applying the mass to the surface can be easily repeated by removing the applied layer of the composition from the wall and adding a little water to it.

Linkrust

Linkrust is wallpaper on a paper base, onto which a relief of vinyl chloride or lonoxin mastic mixed with wood flour or other filler is applied. This finish has the appearance of stucco and can disguise shallow flaws on the surface of the wall. Thanks to outer covering, the finish is easy to care for by wiping it with a damp cloth.

Jute wallpaper

Jute wallpapers are made on paper or tissue based- This natural material, which can significantly improve the microclimate in the apartment. This finish is perfect for the bedroom, nursery and living room; it is durable and strong, and also quite aesthetic, but it is not suitable for all styles. Therefore, if you decide to use a similar material to decorate the walls, then you should carefully think through the rest of the room’s design and select appropriate pieces of furniture for it. Wallpaper is made from natural raw materials, so their price is quite high.

Glass wallpaper

Fiberglass wallpaper is made from natural, environmentally friendly raw materials such as lime, quartz sand, dolomite and soda. Fiberglass sheets are not a favorable environment for the formation of mold and other microorganisms; they are vapor permeable and do not cause allergic reactions, and in addition, the material has dielectric properties. Thanks to all these qualities, this wallpaper can be used to decorate any room, including rooms with high humidity. Very often this type of wallpaper is designed for further painting.

Cork wallpaper

Cork - unique finish, capable of insulating and soundproofing a room, as well as creating a favorable microclimate for apartment residents, since it is environmentally friendly pure material, which has antibacterial properties. Cork wallpaper is resistant to mechanical stress. They have soft ocher shades, which “rest the eye”, so covering walls with them will be ideal option for the bedroom and children's room, as well as the hallway or living room. The price of cork finishing is quite high, but its durability and unique properties fully justify it.

How to glue wallpaper correctly?

If you choose this style of wall decoration, then you need to decide on the amount of wallpaper to paste. For this purpose, there is a special one on our portal. Well, the nuances of practical work with such finishing are covered in the publication.

Original finishing – decorative plaster

If the decoration of the walls of the apartment is planned to be exclusive, then it will be suitable for this purpose. decorative plaster, which can take a wide variety of forms. The work of applying this finish to the surface is a creative process and requires the master to have the skills of not only a plasterer, but also an artist.

Plaster is literally translated from Italian as “alabaster” or “gypsum”, since it is from these materials that it is most convenient to create reliefs of different depths. In addition, when hardening, these materials can be adjusted with cutters. Today, to reproduce three-dimensional drawings on the wall, different solutions are used, mainly the same ones that are used for ordinary leveling of surfaces. The mixtures are made from cement, lime and sand, sometimes fillers are added to them in the form of granules of different fractions - their role is played by stone chips, quartz sand or fibers of various origins (cellulose, fiberglass, etc.)

Plaster compositions are sold in finished form or compiled independently, they may already be mixed and packed in plastic buckets or they need to be sealed before starting work. Each master chooses for himself the option with which he is comfortable working.

Decorative plaster - types

Plaster mixtures are used to level walls, which is a traditional way to prepare surfaces for painting or wallpapering. In addition, there are types that are designed to create a decorative finishing coating on surfaces.

Plaster compositions are finely dispersed powder or ready-made mass, completely homogeneous or interspersed. Plaster is divided among itself according to two criteria - according to the base on which it is made, and according to its relief.

By binder mixtures can be of the following types:

• Mineral a composition for which the binder is cement or gypsum. This type of finishing is produced in a dry mixture, mixed before work. Mineral finish on cement based suitable for the bathroom or even facade work, as it withstands exposure to ultraviolet rays, high humidity and is an environmentally friendly material. Gypsum, as a rule, is intended for interior work, for rooms with normal humidity levels.
• Acrylic the plaster mixture is made on the basis acrylic resin, which provides it with elasticity, making it comfortable to work with. The plaster is sold packaged in plastic buckets; it does not need to be mixed or thinned.

This material has low vapor permeability and resistance to ultraviolet radiation, so the composition is limited in use - it is undesirable to decorate rooms with high humidity, as well as the facade of the building.

• Silicone the mixture is made on the basis of synthetic resins and can be used for both internal and external finishing works. The material is highly resistant to ultraviolet radiation, has moisture-repellent properties and does not attract dust.

This mixture is sold ready-made in plastic buckets.

• Silicate plaster produced on the basis liquid glass and therefore has high strength, resistance to external influences and the appearance of mold. The material can be used in rooms with any humidity conditions, and is one of the most reliable and durable coatings, operational life, which reaches 50 years or more.

Plaster can also be divided according to external aesthetics, or rather, according to the depth of the relief, which can protrude above the wall surface from two to 10 or more millimeters.

Prices for decorative plaster

decorative plaster

• Relief textured plaster is applied to the wall in different ways, depending on the desired result. A three-dimensional pattern can differ significantly, be evenly distributed over the entire surface, stand out as single fragments or consist of several elements, and also represent entire paintings with different themes.

The most common uniform textured patterns are such as “fur coat”, “lamb” and “bark beetle”, which are used for interior and external cladding walls

Such types of mixture uniformly distributed over the wall, such as roller mixture, which contains fillers of mineral origin of different fractions of 1 ÷ 2.5 mm, look quite aesthetically pleasing on the wall. With the help of these granules, the desired relief pattern appears on the surface.

• Venetian plaster. This type of finishing consists of several layers, and upon completion of the work does not have a pronounced relief, since it has an almost uniform texture. Visually, a wall finished using this technique resembles a surface lined with marble. The work of applying cladding requires special skills, since the process consists of several labor-intensive steps, each of which is important for reproducing the desired pattern. This plaster is used in interiors decorated in classical, antique or baroque styles.

Depending on the purpose, the wall surface can be made glossy or matte. A coloring pigment of the desired shade is added to the composition, which emphasizes the relief of thin, numerous layers, imitating the cut surface of a stone.

In addition to the visual effect of “stone finishing,” with proper selection of the right shades, Venetian plaster can look like cladding with precious metals. Most often, this option is used as a background for voluminous thematic panels.

There are several more techniques related to the “Venetian”:

— The “wet silk” technique is somewhat reminiscent of the “Venetian” technique, but has absolutely smooth surface, and the relief is imitated by strokes and differences in color shades.

- Another option for plaster finishing, which will become a real decoration of the walls of the room - “sea breeze”.

Any of the wall designs mentioned will last much longer than wallpaper, although it will have a look reminiscent of vinyl “silk-screen printing”.

Decorative plaster has a lot of advantages, which include the following:

• The ability to use this finish in rooms with different conditions. The main thing is to choose the right type of plaster composition.
• The solution can be applied to any material – to a cleaned and prepared surface.
• Plaster can mask wall defects.
• It is possible to create a variety of relief designs - it all depends on the imagination of the customers and the level of skill of the artist.
• Resistance to mechanical stress.
• Environmental safety, durability and practicality of the coating.

This decor option is good to use in a small room that you would like to visually expand. By using the effect of the horizon visible through a simulated open balcony door, it is possible not only to give the wall an exotic design, but also to create the impression of increasing space.

The decoration made using the technique looks rich on the walls Venetian plaster or "wet silk". Many apartment owners try to find wallpaper with a similar texture, but do not forget that the canvases pasted on the walls have joints that will inevitably negatively affect the overall picture. Moreover, even the most high quality wallpaper will last much less time than skillfully applied plaster. The right color scheme for walls and furniture accessories can transform a room ordinary apartment to the “apartments of a castle or palace.”

Decorative plaster – can you do it yourself?

It is possible, but, of course, if the owners have an “artistic streak.” If you want to use your creative abilities and independently decorate the walls of your apartment using one of the techniques, then you should read the corresponding article on our portal.

Decorative rock

Decorating walls with decorative stone is quite an expensive pleasure, both in terms of the price of the material itself and the work involved in covering the surfaces. This factor can be called the only drawback of such a finish, since its high performance characteristics allow it to be used in any room of the apartment.

You probably shouldn’t use this material in small rooms, as the stone can visually narrow and “heavien” the room. If you still plan to decorate the walls of a small apartment with stone, then it is best to perform “torn” masonry in combination with a plastered wall.

Used for finishing a natural stone or artificial, which, if desired, can be made at home using gypsum or cement mortar.

There is no need to buy artificial stone!

Read the instructions and prepare necessary materials, tools and accessories, even if you make a couple of unsuccessful first attempts - and it will work! How the process is carried out, which allows you to significantly save money, is described in detail in a special publication on our portal.

Natural stone has a very high price, which is explained by the complexity of its processing. An artificial version of the finishing material is more accessible. Moreover, if the mortar from which it is made is colored in bulk, then the “stone” is not afraid of abrasion, and when laid on the wall it is practically indistinguishable from natural cladding.

Artificial stone has a more diverse color scheme than the real one natural material, which expands the possibilities of room design. In construction markets you can find artificial stone that imitates rocks, limestone, round sea boulders, brick different color and others.

Artificial finishing is easier to paint than natural stone, so if you want to change the “mood” of the interior, you can simply apply paint to water based and change the color of the masonry.

Stone decorative cladding walls has its advantages, which also need to be evaluated:

• The finish is highly resistant to temperature changes.
• Both natural and artificial stone are non-flammable, so they are almost always used to cladding fireplaces or to imitate them.
• The material is abrasion-resistant, so it is well suited for decorating walls in hallways and hallways.

• Due to the environmental friendliness of this finish, it is also used for cladding the walls of bedrooms and living rooms.

Having decided to cover the walls of an apartment with any type of stone, you need to remember that you should not overuse it, otherwise the interior will be “heavier” and the room will turn into a “cave,” which can be unfavorable for the human psyche. Therefore, when using this material, it is necessary to observe moderation, and it would be better to combine it with one of the types of plaster.

Ceramic tile

Ceramic tiles are used for finishing rooms with high humidity and high levels of human traffic. In an apartment, such rooms include a kitchen, a bathroom, an entrance hall and a corridor.

It must be said that it is rare to find a hallway whose walls are lined with ceramic tiles, although they will come in handy there, especially in cases where pets live in the apartment - a dog or a cat.

Today, the construction market offers many varieties of ceramic tiles intended for wall decoration - these are glazed, unglazed, clinker and porcelain tiles.

• Glazed tiles- the most popular finishing option for walls, as it has a smooth glossy surface on which dust practically does not accumulate, which greatly simplifies its cleaning. This coating is available in tiles made using the double-firing method, which include cottoforte, majolica and faience, as well as single-firing materials - monocottura and monoporosa.

• Unglazed tiles has a matte surface and most often - deep red, brown, pastel purple or terracotta shades without additional patterns. However, some options are particularly luxurious due to the ornaments applied to them, which have a coating that usually imitates precious metals - gold or silver.

The most popular unglazed tile claddings are such style collections as cotto, gress porcellanato, red gress and others.

• Clinker tiles Suitable for both internal and external exterior finishing, since thanks to the high temperatures during its manufacture, it has excellent strength and resistance to any external influences.

In apartments, this facing material can be used to decorate the walls of balconies, loggias, hallways, as well as areas around real or imitation fireplaces. Clinker tiles can be unglazed or have a glossy finish, but the second finishing option is most often used for walls.

• Porcelain tiles It is made from components such as quartz, spar and coloring pigments, for which clay is a binder. The material is processed in special ovens at very high temperatures and under great pressure. The result is a non-porous monolith with high density and a beautiful pattern. The surface of porcelain stoneware can be polished, matte, smooth or embossed.

All types of ceramic tiles have different coefficients of moisture absorption, and are divided into groups according to it. So, the first of them includes products that absorb up to 3%, the second - up to 6%, and the third - up to 10% of moisture in 24 hours. Therefore, when purchasing finishing for a specific room, you need to pay attention to this characteristic Special attention– information about it is indicated on the packaging of the material.

For example, if you are planning to renovate a bathroom or a combined bathroom, you will need tiles that have the first moisture absorption group, and any of the groups will be suitable for the hallway.

According to the design, ceramic tiles can be plain or have a certain pattern on the surface. In addition, flexible mosaic products or those made in the form of decorative panels are produced.

Prices for alkyd paint

alkyd paint

Set ceramic finishing, assembled into a single composition, will become a real decoration of any room. Moreover, the color or ornamental solutions of this design option are very diverse, so you can choose it to suit any chosen interior style.

Ceramic tiles are one of the most popular finishing materials

If the reader chooses this finishing option, then we can help in some way. Special, and detailed instructions for cladding are in a special article on the portal

Painting walls

Today it is not so often possible to find painted walls in apartments, since a large number of new materials have appeared that do not require such labor-intensive preparation of surfaces that is necessary for painting. But still, some designers prefer this type of finishing, because it provides great opportunities for creativity.

Any paint will look good if the wall is perfectly leveled and smooth. To do this, you need to do a lot of work on puttying or covering the surface with plasterboard.

Construction stores offer colorful compositions made on different bases - oil, enamel, silicate and water-soluble.

Water based paints

For finishing walls in residential premises, aqueous solutions are most often used, which may already have desired color or require the addition of pigment to form the selected shade.

White paint is purchased if you plan to use several colors for painting. Then it’s easier to buy several colors for one package of coloring solution that will be useful for painting.

Water-based paints may have different binders, but their unifying qualities are the environmental friendliness of the solution, quick drying and almost complete absence of odor.

• Water-based paints can be called the most popular of all in this series because of their affordable price. They are made using polyvinyl acetate (PVA glue). The solution has good hiding power and adhesion to primed walls, so it is enough to apply two layers to obtain an evenly painted surface. This paint can be easily tinted to achieve the desired shade.

Water-based paints have an affordable price, and this has also become important factor their popularity.

However, you should also know the disadvantages so that they do not come as a surprise during operation:

— Instability to mechanical stress, so they are best used for painting the upper part of the wall;

— Paint will not hide the imperfections of the wall, so the surfaces should be well leveled before painting;

— Paint does not like moisture, which means that it cannot be used in “wet” rooms and should not be frequently subjected to wet cleaning.

• Water-dispersible silicone the compositions have higher strength characteristics, so they are not damaged by moisture, do not lose their original color and are able to mask cracks on the wall surface up to 1.5÷2 mm wide. After applying paint to the wall, it forms a smooth, vapor-permeable film on which dust does not accumulate. This composition can be used to paint walls in rooms with high humidity, such as the bathroom and kitchen.

The most important disadvantage silicone paint is its high price, but the service life of such finishing is much longer than other coatings.

• Acrylic water-dispersible paints have too good characteristics. They are easily applied to prepared surfaces and are able to mask cracks with a width of 0.5 to 1 mm, are UV resistant, vapor permeable and moisture resistant. Surfaces painted with these compounds are difficult to damage, and they are also amenable to wet cleaning with detergents. Disadvantages include lower coverage compared to silicone solutions.

The paint has an affordable price, so decorating the walls with it will not cost too much.

• Decorative textured paints make it possible to make the surface textured. They are made using acrylic water dispersion with the addition of coloring pigments, as well as fillers of different fractions. The latter will determine what kind of pattern you get on the wall. Mineral additives and quartz sand are used as fillers.

A distinctive feature of these paints is their thick consistency, so they can be applied with a spatula, roller or brush. The textured pattern on the wall will also depend on the tool used to apply the composition to the wall. For better adhesion of the paint to the surface material, the latter must be well treated with a primer and then dried.

Compositions are produced with additives that imitate the texture of suede or fabric on the wall, as well as mother-of-pearl stains. In order for the work to be successful, before starting it, you should carefully study the instructions for use included in the package.

Alkyd paints

Alkyd paints are made on the basis of alkyd resins and are similar in consistency to oil paints, but differ somewhat in their characteristics. This type of composition is resistant to moisture, elevated temperatures and ultraviolet radiation. Alkyd-based paint can be semi-matte, matte or glossy, so before purchasing it you need to decide what effect you want to achieve as a result. This type of composition has an affordable price, but it has a number of serious disadvantages:

— Low vapor permeability, that is, they cannot be called “breathable.”

— Paints are used mainly for metal and wooden surfaces - thanks to their components, they protect these materials from external influences.

— Alkyd paints are diluted with turpentine, gasoline or white spirit, which have a specific odor, so painting must be done in a ventilated area.

— The painted surface loses its color brightness over time, but not due to fading, but due to the property of the paint to acquire a yellowish tint.

Judging by the presented characteristics, we can conclude that these paints are not suitable for residential walls. They are more often used to tidy up pipes and heating radiators, but for this purpose you need to purchase heat-resistant alkyd compounds.

Silicate paints

Silicate paints are produced on the basis of “liquid glass”, so they have high specifications, which allow their use in rooms with high humidity. Silicate solutions have excellent vapor permeability, strength and resistance to any mechanical stress, so walls painted with them can be cleaned using detergents. In addition, the paints successfully resist the formation of mold and mildew, and thanks to all the above-mentioned qualities, they are perfect for the kitchen and bathroom.

It is also necessary to identify the “cons” of these compounds in order to avoid unpleasant consequences when using them:

— During the painting process, paints emit fumes harmful to human health, so work must be carried out in a ventilated room, that is, with doors and windows open, and the respiratory tract must be protected with a respirator. After drying, the paint is absolutely harmless.

— Silicate paints have poor adhesion to surfaces previously painted with paints on other bases. In addition, the silicate layer will not be covered with a composition on a different basis in the future. Therefore, in both cases the surface will have to be deep cleaned before painting.

— Tinting can only be done with mineral pigments, and their color range is not too wide.

Oil paint

Oil paints are made on the basis of natural and artificial drying oil. They are considered the most durable, since after drying the layer acquires excellent strength characteristics. Thickly grated formulations are produced and ready for use. Grated paints are a kind of concentrate that is diluted to the desired consistency before being applied to the wall. Oil formulations can be produced on hemp, linseed or sunflower drying oil - the latter provides the paint with faster drying compared to other bases. However, any of them takes much longer to dry than other types of coloring compounds.

With the advent of modern paints, the oil version is practically not used for wall decoration - it is more often used either for external household work, or for coating pipes and radiators, since it is quite durable and heat-resistant.

Enamel paint

Enamel paints are produced on the basis of varnishes. They can be polyurethane, alkyd, perchlorovinyl, melamine, nitro enamels and others. Such compositions are distinguished by their quick drying and the formation of a fairly durable and smooth layer on the wall, so they are suitable for the walls of different rooms.

When painted, enamel emits a characteristic unpleasant odor, so the room where the work is carried out must be well ventilated. Perhaps this was the main reason why such paints are rarely used for interior wall decoration.

So, paint is still among the “top” finishing materials for walls in an apartment. Water-based silicone and acrylic paints are well suited for painting the walls of corridors, hallways and kitchens. Surfaces painted with them can be washed, as they are quite resistant to abrasion and moisture. You should not use compounds that create relief on the surfaces in these rooms - such a surface will be difficult to clean from plaque and dirt.

Having trouble choosing paint?

The nuances are outlined in great detail in a separate article on our portal. And a special one will help you plan your purchase.

Decorative lining

Lining, made from various materials, has been a popular finishing material for many decades, as it has a large number of advantages common to all types of this series - ease of installation and the ability to mask wall unevenness.

The traditional material for making lining is wood. But today, in addition, it is made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and MDF, which are more affordable. All types of lining are suitable for finishing the walls of an apartment; the main thing is to choose them correctly in terms of environmental friendliness and water resistance for different rooms.

• Wooden lining- This is a type of grooved, profiled, perfectly processed board. It can be made from different types of wood and has a number of significant advantages:

— environmentally friendly finishing;

- aesthetic appearance;

— creation of a favorable microclimate in residential premises;

— durability;

— low thermal conductivity;

— additional sound insulation of walls:

— the material is easy to paint or varnish;

- it’s easy to level the walls with wooden clapboard;

- installation of the material is clean - without the formation of dust and dirt.

For interior decoration of an apartment, lining made from pine, larch, linden, alder, cedar, ash and other species is well suited.

The lining is suitable for any room, including the bathroom. Remembering that wood is hygroscopic, when using it in damp rooms it is necessary to carry out high-quality processing water-repellent compounds, both on the outside and on the back side of the boards.

Wooden lining is divided by grade as follows: premium- “extra”, the first grade is class “A”, the second grade is class “B”, the third grade is class “C”.

The cost of finishing made of natural wood is quite high, but it will also last a long time. If the wall has significant distortions, and you have to choose how to level it, then wooden lining can be called one of the easiest ways to cope with this task.

• PVC panels (lining) can be called modern material, since compared to wooden finishing it has become widely used relatively recently, but has already gained quite a lot of popularity.

Plastic panels can be fixed directly on the wall, provided it is even, or on a frame sheathing, with the help of which the wall surface is leveled.

PVC panels are excellent for finishing bathroom and toilet walls, as they have necessary qualities for the specific conditions of these premises. Here we include the following:

— moisture resistance;

— ease of installation;

— the presence of an assortment of fittings that make the finishing neat;

- aesthetic appearance;

— ease of maintenance, including the possibility of wet cleaning;

— strength of panels;

- a wide range of colors and a variety of patterns, including imitation of the textures of various natural materials.

The “disadvantages” of plastic finishing include low resistance to accentuated mechanical stress.

Based on these data, we can conclude that PVC panels are used for finishing hallways, kitchens, balconies, and corridors. Although manufacturers represent plastic panels A completely harmless material, plastic cannot be called absolutely environmentally friendly, so it is not recommended to use it for finishing residential premises, especially bedrooms and children's rooms.

• MDF lining no less popular than PVC panels, as it has an affordable price and can be used in heated rooms of balconies and loggias, and is also perfect for decorating the walls of hallways and corridors.

On sale you can find several varieties of this finishing material, which differ in their outer coating.

— Laminated an option that has a glossy, smooth surface without roughness. Most often, such lining is used to decorate the walls of balconies and kitchens, sometimes for corridors and hallways, covering the entire wall with it or only the panel part of it.

— Veneered lining , that is, MDF is covered with the thinnest cut natural wood. For this purpose, species with beautiful natural shades and textured patterns are used - veneer is often chosen fruit trees(cherry and pear). In addition to them, veneer is also made from maple, oak, pine, as well as more valuable and exotic species.

When mounted on the walls, such finishing is indistinguishable from lining made from natural wood, and sometimes it looks even more advantageous.

— Painted wood - a type of lining that is very popular because it can create the desired style direction in the interior.

However, the big “minus” is the rough surface, which makes the finish unprotected from dust and moisture. Therefore, it is recommended to cover walls with such lining only in dry, heated rooms.

The advantages of any type of MDF lining include:

— strength of the material;

— ease of installation work;

- low thermal conductivity.

The negative qualities of the finish are the following:

— unstable to moisture, so it cannot be used in rooms with high humidity;

— Frequent wet cleaning cannot be used with this material, which means that it is not recommended to cover walls with it not only in the bathroom, but also in the kitchen.

Having considered all the materials presented above, we can come to the conclusion that the construction market is so rich in various finishes that, taking them into account characteristics, you can easily choose the right cladding option for the walls of any room in the apartment, both in terms of decorative qualities and price. But before you go to the store to buy materials, you should really evaluate the quality of the wall surface and think carefully about which option will look better in the intended interior.

As a bonus, the reader is offered an interesting video selection with various options for decorating the walls in the apartment. Perhaps this will encourage someone to choose one solution or another.

Video: Interesting options for wall decoration in an apartment

The main structural part of a building is the walls. Walls are load-bearing structures that are designed to have sufficient strength and stability under vertical and horizontal loads.

Wall is a vertical fence that separates a room from the outside environment or from another room.

The walls are divided:

• depending on the load perception - on carriers, self-supporting And non-load-bearing;
• by type of material - stone, wood, walls made from local materials, as well as combined

In this article we will look at the main types of walls by type of material - wooden And stone.

Wooden walls

For the walls of low-rise buildings, wood is a traditional material. The most comfortable in terms of sanitary and hygienic requirements are paving walls And chopped walls from coniferous species trees. Their disadvantages are sedimentary deformation in the first 1.5–2 years and low fire resistance.

Frame walls justified in the presence of lumber and effective insulation materials. Note that frame walls do not require massive foundations, unlike log walls, they do not cause post-construction deformations. The fire resistance and strength of frame walls increases when facing with brick.

Logs It is advisable to harvest in winter, since the wood is less susceptible to rotting and warping during drying. Wood moisture content should be 80–90%. Logs must be free of cracks, rot, and not affected by bark beetles and fungi. The quality of the material can be determined by hitting the butt of an ax; a clean and clear sound indicates good quality. Wooden houses are built no more than two floors high.

By design wooden walls heated buildings are divided into chopped from logs or beams, frame, panel and frame-panel.

Chopped log walls

Characteristic

Chopped log walls They are a structure made of logs stacked on top of each other in horizontal rows and connected at the corners by notches. The thickness of the logs in the upper cut for the external walls of heated buildings located in the central zone of Russia is 22 cm, in the northern and north-eastern regions 24–26 cm. The diameter of the logs is chosen to be the same, with a difference between the upper and lower cuts of no more than 3 cm.

Technology

Each row of logs in the wall is called crowning glory. The crowns, laid sequentially one on top of the other from the bottom to the top of the wall, form a frame. First lower crown called the frame, it is made 2–3 cm thicker than the other crowns.

The crowns are placed with their butts alternately in different directions and connected along the length by means of vertical ridge(Fig. 10), and the joints of the crowns are spaced apart along the height of the wall. The crowns are held together using grooved grooves and insert tenons measuring 25x50x120.

The crowns are stacked groove down, thereby eliminating the possibility of water flowing into it. Tow is placed in the grooves between the crowns to seal the seam and insulate it. Depending on climatic conditions, the width of the groove is taken from 12 to 15 cm.

Spikes placed every 1.5–2.0 m along the height of the log house in a checkerboard pattern, rectangular (8x2 cm) or round (3–4 cm) cross-section, 10–12 cm high. In the piers, spikes are placed in each crown, one above the other in quantity at least two and located 15–20 cm from the edges of the wall.

Within 1–2 years after construction, the log house gives a settlement amounting to 1/20 of its height, due to shrinkage of the wood and compaction of tow in the seams. Due to draft of the log house nests for tenons should exceed the height of the tenons by 10–20 mm, and gaps of 6–10 cm are left above the openings, which are filled with tow and covered with platbands.

Seams between logs to reduce airflow, caulk with tow for the first time immediately after the construction of the walls and a second time 1–2 years after the end of settlement. In the corners of the building, the crowns are matched with a notch with the remainder in the bowl or without the remainder - in the paw. With the method of joining the crowns in the corners into a paw, i.e. without any residue, less wood is consumed, so this method is more appropriate. In Fig. Figure 11 shows a section of a chopped log wall from the cornice to the foundation.

Advantages and disadvantages

Chopped log walls are highly durable and have good heat-protective qualities, at favorable conditions durability. Processing of logs and erection of walls – labor-intensive process, requiring high flow rate wood

Cobblestone walls

Characteristic

Cobblestone walls erected from horizontally laid beams. The use of beams makes it possible to eliminate manual processing of logs, cutting of corner joints, wall junctions and move on to mechanized preparation of wall elements.

Procurement of material

Bars for walls are prepared at the factory with all notches for mates and sockets for tenons. Compared with log houses The labor intensity of constructing log houses is significantly less, and wood consumption is reduced. Unlike log walls, block walls are assembled immediately on ready-made foundations.

Technology

Section of beams for external walls, 150x150 mm and 180x180 mm are accepted. Depending on climatic conditions, for interior walls– 100x150 mm and 100x180 mm. The beams are laid on top of each other with resinous tow placed between them and the seams caulked. For better drainage of water from the horizontal seam between the beams, a 20x20 mm chamfer is removed from the upper edge of the front part of the beam.

Rows of beams are connected to each other cylindrical dowels with a diameter of 30 mm and a length of 60 mm, placing them at a distance of 1.5–2 m from one another. The crowns of the mating paving walls are at the same level and connect them at corners, junctions and sections in various ways. The conjugation of the corner and the junction of the walls using dowels is shown in Fig. 12 using spikes measuring 35x35 mm and 35x25 mm.

Protection of paving walls

Effective protection of paving walls from atmospheric influences is planking or brick cladding, which protects walls from moisture, increases thermal protection, reduces exposure to wind, and fire resistance increases with brick cladding of walls. Brick cladding must be installed with a gap from the paving walls at a distance of 5–7 cm; vents must be left at the bottom and top of the brick cladding to ensure ventilation.

Frame walls

Advantages

Frame walls require less wood than log or block walls, are less labor-intensive, and therefore more economical.

The basis of the frame walls is carrier wooden frame , sheathed on both sides with sheet or molded materials. Frame walls, due to their lightness, are practically not subject to shrinkage, which allows them to be sheathed or covered immediately after construction.

Wall protection

Frame walls must be protected from atmospheric moisture by external cladding with overlapped vertical and horizontal joints and arranging drains from the protruding elements of the walls. Protection against water vapor is provided by installing a vapor barrier made of synthetic film, glassine, or using other types of vapor barrier, laying them between the inner lining and the insulation.

Technology

For frame manufacturing 50 mm thick boards are used for external and internal walls, as for rafters and beams. With a thickness of 50 mm, load-bearing wall posts are recommended to be used with a width of at least 100 mm.

Width of frame posts in external walls is determined by the calculated thickness of the insulation, depending on the efficiency of the insulation itself and the calculated temperature of the outside air. The supporting pillars of the frame are placed at a distance of 0.5 m, matching the dimensions of the window and doorways. The basement beams are placed at a distance of 0.5 m. The corner posts of the frame are made of beams or composite boards, and the row posts are made of boards 50x100, or 60x120 mm.

Frame with inside sheathed with boards of any profile and section, plasterboard boards; typeset, sheet wall panels and other finishing materials. WITH outside For cladding the frame, lining, siding, planks, thermal brick panels and other materials are used.

Insulation

Insulation of frame walls carried out using mineral and organic materials with a density of up to 500–600 kg/m³. Mineral, glass wool boards, and expanded polystyrene are effective modern insulation materials, because they are fire-resistant, lightweight, not susceptible to rotting, exposure and penetration of bacteria, fungi, and are not destroyed by rodents. Organic insulation materials are susceptible to destruction by rodents, are flammable, and subject to rotting; in addition, before backfilling, they must be treated with an antiseptic and mixed before use with a mineral binder - cement, lime, gypsum, then laid in a wet state in layers of 15–20 cm, compacting. This backfill dries within 4–5 weeks, so pre-prepared slabs and blocks of lightweight concrete should be used to fill the frame. The materials for backfilling are: pumice, sawdust, gilak, shavings, peat and others, which are significantly inferior in their properties to modern mineral insulation.

Panel walls

Advantages

Difference panel boards wooden houses from frame ones is that their main structural parts consist of enlarged panel elements, manufactured, as a rule, at the factory. The process of constructing panel houses comes down to installation at the construction site and finishing work. The construction of panel wooden houses reduces the labor intensity of work and ensures high installation rates.

Technology

In panel wooden houses, the basis of the walls is the lower frame made of wooden antiseptic bars, laid on the base of the building and attached to it using anchor bolts. Wall panels are installed on the frame. Above wall panels fastened with an upper harness placed on them, on which it rests attic floor. Wall panels are made internal and external, which, in turn, are divided into blind, window and door. The height of the boards is equal to the height of the floor, the width is assumed to be 600–1200 mm. The panels consist of paving frames and sheathing, internal and external, between which insulation is placed.

Mattresses made from mineral felt. A vapor barrier is laid under the sheathing on the inside of the shield in order to prevent the formation of condensation of water vapor inside the shield penetrating into it from the side of the room. To reduce airflow, paper is placed under the outer skin.

The panels are placed vertically and connected with nails. When making joints between panels, it is necessary to ensure sufficient density and airtightness of the joint. In Fig. 14b shows the recommended design of vertical joint of panels. The joint must be covered with continuous layers of air and vapor barrier.

Mineral felt 20 mm thick is placed in the joint, gluing it cold bitumen mastic. Then, using a lever device, the joint is compressed. In panel houses, the floors are made of panels or beams.

Wall protection

When installing the basement and cornice units, it is necessary to take measures to protect them from freezing by installing insulated base and an insulated frieze belt at the eaves, as well as from humidifying the internal air with vaporous moisture, arranging a vapor barrier for this purpose. The underground under the basement floor is not insulated. The underground should be cold and well ventilated, and the structure ceilings above the underground and especially the basement unit must have reliable insulation and vapor barrier laid on top under the finished floor structure. To protect against freezing, an insulated belt is installed outside at the ceiling level.

Stone walls

Homogeneous walls

Material

Homogeneous walls made of ordinary hollow or light building bricks. In heterogeneous lightweight walls Part brickwork replaced the thickness of the wall with thermal insulation tiles and an air gap.

Technology

Walls are erected with a thickness of 1/2, 1, 11/2, 2, 21/2, 3 bricks or more, taking into account the thickness of the vertical joints equal to 10 mm; brick walls have a thickness of 120, 250, 380, 510, 640, 770, respectively mm or more. The thickness of the horizontal joints is assumed to be 12 mm, then the height of 13 rows of masonry should be 1 m.

When constructing brick walls, two masonry systems are used: two-row - chain and six-row spoon.

IN double-row masonry system Pod rows alternate with spoon rows. Transverse seams in this system overlap by 1/4 of a brick, and longitudinal seams by 1/2 of a brick (Fig. 16).

Six-row system involves alternating five spoon rows with one back row. In each spoon row, the transverse vertical seams are tied in half a brick, the longitudinal vertical seams formed by the spoons are tied in stitched rows through five spoon rows.

Masonry using a six-row system is simpler than using a two-row system. To reduce the air permeability of the walls, the facing seams of the masonry are sealed special tool, giving the seams the shape of a roller, fillet or triangle. This method is called jointing.

Flaws

The disadvantage of ordinary solid brick, clay or silicate, is its large volume weight and therefore big thermal conductivity.

Crowning cornices

Technology

Crowning cornice, shown in Fig. 17, brick masonry walls with a small offset - up to 300 mm and no more than 1/2 the thickness of the wall, can be laid out of brick by gradually releasing rows of masonry by 60–80 mm in each row. When the projection is more than 300 mm, the cornices are made of prefabricated reinforced concrete slabs embedded in the walls.

The inner ends of reinforced concrete slabs are covered with prefabricated longitudinal reinforced concrete beams, which are attached to the masonry using steel anchors embedded in it, thereby ensuring the stability of the cornice.

Lightweight brick walls

Characteristic

Lightweight brick walls, in which the brick is partially freed from heat-insulating functions unusual for it, by replacing part of the masonry with less heat-conducting materials, they can significantly reduce brick consumption, thereby increasing material savings.

Classification

Lightweight brick walls are divided into 2 groups. The first group includes structures consisting of two thin longitudinal brick walls, between which they lay thermal insulation material, the second group includes structures consisting of one brick wall insulated with thermal insulation boards.

Brick walls with insulation from thermal insulation panels

Characteristic

Brick walls with insulation of thermal insulation panels (Fig. 19) consist of a load-bearing part - masonry, the thickness of which is determined only from the conditions of the strength and stability of the wall, and a heat-insulating part - foam concrete, gypsum or gypsum slag panels.

Advantages and disadvantages

Lightweight concrete stones compared to ordinary bricks, they have a lower volumetric weight and lower thermal conductivity, therefore the use ceramic stones for the construction of external walls allows you to reduce their thickness. The disadvantage is that lightweight concrete stones with a lower volumetric weight have less strength and resistance to weathering.

Characteristic

Three-hollow stones with large voids have dimensions of 390x190x188 mm. In bonded rows, a bonded stone with a smooth end surface is used.

After laying stones in the wall, the voids in the climatic conditions of the middle and northern regions should be filled with slag, a material with low thermal conductivity, since when the voids are large, air exchange occurs in them, increasing the thermal conductivity of the wall. Filling voids with low-conductivity materials increases the labor intensity of masonry. To reduce air circulation in voids, three-hollow stones with blind voids are used - five-walled stones.

There is still no clear answer to the question of what material is best to make the walls of a residential building from. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages. Builders and designers cannot come to the same opinion regarding the choice of the most optimal product for making walls. The thing is that in each specific case the best material must be selected based on the purpose of the building, its configuration, the climatic conditions of the area and the financial capabilities of the owner. In our article we will look at the most common wall materials, describe their properties, pros and cons, and you yourself can choose the best one based on construction conditions.

Factors influencing choice

A quarter of all construction costs go towards the construction of walls. Since incorrectly selected material for wall construction can lead to even greater expenses in the future, when choosing it, it is worth considering the following factors:

1. If you want to save on arranging the foundation by making a shallow, lightweight version, then choose a lightweight material for the walls. Additional savings in the case of using lightweight elements for the walls of the house will be during transportation and installation, because it can be done with your own hands without the use of expensive lifting equipment.
2. Choose building materials that have good thermal insulation characteristics. Otherwise, cold walls in winter will cost you dearly in heating costs.

Advice: it is best to perform a thermal engineering calculation taking into account the climatic conditions of the construction region. This is the only way to be sure that you have chosen the right material and wall design. Thus, in the northern regions of our country, even walls made of materials with high thermal insulation properties require insulation.

1. If you use piece materials, for example, brick, to build the walls of a house, then a significant share of the costs will be the cost of paying masons. Even if you do all the work yourself, take into account the time and physical costs. It is much more profitable and faster to build from large-sized elements. The highest speed of wall construction is found in houses built using frame-panel and frame-panel technology.
2. When choosing building materials for walls, it is worth considering how easily they can be finished and whether they need it at all. For example, walls frame house OSB can not be finished at all, but simply painted, but a house made of logs needs thorough finishing outside and inside.

To understand what to build your house from, you need to understand the characteristics of building materials, so next we will describe the properties of each of them, list the advantages and disadvantages.

Brick

A house built of brick can last a century, or even a century and a half. There are many varieties of bricks, differing in important operational and technical characteristics.

Thus, silicate and ceramic types of bricks are used to build walls. Let's look at their features:

• Ceramic brick made from baked red clay. This is a durable, moisture-resistant, environmentally friendly material. There are solid and hollow bricks on sale. The more voids there are in a brick, the higher its thermal insulation performance.
• Sand-lime brick made on the basis of lime, sand and some additives. It can also be solid or hollow. The latter option is lightweight and has improved thermal insulation properties. Solid silicate products have good soundproofing properties, but with high thermal conductivity.

This wall material is also divided into front and ordinary:

• It is better to build the walls of a house from ordinary brick. Products may have minor defects in the form of cracks and chips, but due to this their price is more reasonable. In addition, for interior wall masonry, the appearance of the product is not as important as for exterior masonry.
• Facing brick (facing)- This is the wall material used to decorate the facade. All products must have the correct geometric shape, smooth or embossed surface, be free of flaws and defects. The price of facing brick is higher than that of its ordinary counterpart.

The strength of this wall material is directly related to its grade, which can be from M 75 to M 300. The number indicates the load that one can withstand square centimeter products. The higher the brand, the more specific gravity products. To build 2 or 3 storey house, a brick of grade 100-125 is enough. To make the foundation and plinth, products with grade 150-175 are used.

Also, when choosing a brick, it is important to take into account its frost resistance, that is, the number of freezing and thawing cycles that the product can withstand without damage and reducing strength by no more than 20%. This indicator is marked with the letter F and a number from 15 and above. For warm regions, you can use products with a frost resistance grade of 15; in colder latitudes, bricks of the F25 grade are used. For facing work, a brick with a frost resistance of at least 50 is suitable.

Advantages and disadvantages of brick

Among the advantages of this wall material, it is worth listing the following:

• Impressive service life.
• Aesthetic appeal.
• Unlimited possibilities in terms of design and implementation of complex projects.
• The material is not susceptible to corrosion, damage by fungi and microorganisms.
• The product does not burn.
• High sound and heat insulation characteristics.

The disadvantages include the following:

• Due to their small size and high specific gravity, laying brick walls takes a long time and costs a lot.
• Under brick walls, it is necessary to build a solid, buried foundation, and this entails increased costs for materials and excavation work.
• In most cases, brick walls need to be additionally insulated.

Ceramic blocks

Ceramic block is a material made from a mixture of clay and sawdust, after which the element is fired in a kiln. This is a fairly durable product that allows you to quickly build the walls of a house. The strength of ceramic block is so high that it can be used to make a multi-story building. The inside of the material has a porous structure, and the outer surface is corrugated. For a hermetic connection, the ends of the material have grooves and ridges.

The height of the ceramic block is a multiple of the rows of brickwork, and other dimensions can be different. Thus, it is possible to build from ceramic block according to projects that are designed for brick. But the speed of construction is much higher, since one ceramic block measuring 238x248x500 mm, which weighs 25 kg, is equivalent to 15 bricks, each of which weighs 3.3 kg. In addition to increasing the speed of construction, the cost of mortar is reduced, because less of it will be needed.

Important: the width of the ceramic block can be 230, 240 and 250 mm, and the length can be in the range of 250-510 mm. Along the long side of the product there is a tongue-and-groove lock.

Walls with a thickness of 380 mm or more made of this material do not need insulation, since the thermal conductivity of the product is only 0.14-0.29 W/m²x°C. Marking of wide blocks is M 100. If you need to make thin but strong walls, you can take elements marked 150. The frost resistance of ceramic blocks is at least 50 cycles.

Pros and cons of ceramic blocks

The advantages include:

• Low specific gravity and high strength significantly expand the scope of use of this material.
• Installation of large-sized products is carried out quickly and without unnecessary labor costs.
• Saving mortar due to the size of the elements and the absence of the need to make vertical seams.
• The frost resistance of ordinary ceramic blocks is higher than that of ordinary bricks.
• Good fire resistance. The product is fire resistant for 4 hours.
• An optimal microclimate is created in a room made of ceramic blocks, since the walls can “breathe” and regulate air humidity.
• A house can last a century and a half without losing its thermal insulation characteristics.

This material also has disadvantages, among which the following are worth mentioning:

• The price of ceramic blocks is quite high.
• Since these products are relatively new on our market, it is difficult to find a good mason to do the masonry.
• This fragile material must be stored and transported very carefully.

Gas blocks

This material has excellent thermal insulation characteristics. In terms of thermal conductivity, a wall made of aerated block with a width of 300-400 mm is not inferior to a multilayer one brick construction. Walls made of aerated blocks maintain optimal temperature and humidity conditions indoors. The material is not susceptible to rot and has an impressive service life. The thermal insulation qualities of an aerated block are 3 times greater than those of a brick wall.

Aerated concrete is quite lightweight, so it is easy to transport and lay. It can be easily cut with a regular hacksaw to the desired size. The laying of elements is carried out using mortar or special glue, of which a little is required. The smooth, even surface of aerated concrete blocks is easy to finish. Aerated concrete is considered environmentally friendly and non-flammable. It has fairly high frost resistance.

Attention: density characteristics are important for aerated concrete. This figure can be in the range of 350-1200 kg/m³. For an ordinary residential building, it is enough to take elements marked 500-900.

Advantages and disadvantages of gas blocks

This wall product has many advantages:

• Laying walls from aerated blocks is 9 times faster than laying bricks.
• The low thermal conductivity of the product is a big plus in its favor.
• Aerated concrete has high fire resistance; even when burning, it does not emit harmful substances.
• The porous structure of the material contributes to high frost resistance.
• In terms of vapor permeability, aerated concrete is comparable only to wood.

Disadvantages of aerated concrete:

• Low bending strength.
• The material is susceptible to cracking.
• Hygroscopicity. After moisture is absorbed, the thermal insulation performance of aerated concrete decreases, so the facade needs a protective finish.
• Floor slabs and beams cannot be laid directly on gas blocks, so before laying them you will have to make a monolithic reinforced belt. This entails additional costs and time.

Tree

Many people who decide to build a house choose wood. This natural material is environmentally friendly. It creates a favorable microclimate in the house, maintains optimal humidity and saturates the air with healing phytoncides. A wooden house is warm in winter and not hot in summer, since wood has good thermal insulation characteristics.

A wooden house can be built from the following products:

1. The log can be natural or rounded. In the latter case, the material has the correct shape and smooth surface, but requires additional protective treatment, since the natural protective resin layer, which is located under the bark, is removed during the rounding process.
2. You can use glued (profiled) and sawn or planed timber. Better houses are made from laminated veneer lumber, which has special grooves and ridges for a tight fit of the elements. Sawn timber is more often used to make frame houses.
3. Frame-panel houses are made of OSB, chipboard, moisture resistant plywood, which are attached to the frame. Insulation is installed inside the wall.

The main advantages of wooden houses are their environmental friendliness, comfort and reasonable price. A lightweight foundation can be made for such a house. Disadvantages - fire hazard, shrinkage.

The external walls of a private house must be:

1. Strong and durable
2. Warm and energy saving
3. Quiet
4. Harmless to humans
5. Beautiful

Which house walls are stronger?

Loads act on the wall of a house in several directions. Active forces tend to compress, move sideways and rotate the wall.

Compressive loads- these are vertical forces from the weight of the wall and the underlying structures of the house. These forces tend to crush and flatten the wall material.

Low-rise private houses are relatively light in weight. Wall materials, as a rule, have a fairly large margin of compressive strength, which allows them withstand vertical loads of a private house even with.

Horizontal loads and torques act as a result, for example, of lateral wind pressure on a house or soil pressure on a basement wall, due to the ceiling resting on the edge of the wall, due to the deviation of the walls from the vertical and other reasons. These forces tend to move the wall or part of the wall from its position.

The general rule for walls is the thinner the wall, the worse it is it withstands lateral loads and turning moments. If the wall cannot withstand the specified loads, then it bends, cracks or even breaks.

It is the small margin of stability to displacement that is weak point in ensuring the strength of the walls of a private house. The magnitude of the compressive strength of most wall materials allows you to make a fairly thin wall for a private house, but it is necessary to ensure the stability of the walls against displacement, often forces designers to increase the thickness of walls.

The resistance of walls to lateral loads is significantly influenced by the design of the walls and the house as a whole. For example, masonry reinforcement, installation on walls monolithic belt at the level of floors, strong connections between external and internal walls, as well as with floors and foundations, create the strength frame of a building that holds the walls together and resists the displacement deformations of the walls.

In order to ensure the necessary strength and durability of a private house at reasonable construction costs, it is necessary to choose the right material and design of the walls, as well as the design of the load-bearing frame of the house, It is best to entrust this choice to specialists - designers.

Projects of private houses with walls made of masonry materials are available for sale. with a masonry thickness of only 180 - 250 mm. . Thickness can be 100 - 200 mm.

The walls of the house are warm and energy-saving - what's the difference?

In order for a person in the house to feel thermal comfort, Three conditions must be met:

The first condition is the air temperature in the room should be about +22 o C. To fulfill this condition, it is enough to install a boiler or stove of the required power in the house and heat it.

The surface temperature of the external walls in the house is always lower than the air temperature in the room. According to the requirements of sanitary and hygienic rules, temperature difference between air and surface outer wall there should be no more than 4 in the house o C - this is the second condition.

At the specified temperature difference, the surface of the outer wall in the house will be quite warm (+18 o C). There will be no “cold breath” from the wall; condensation or frost will not appear on the surface of the wall.

There will be thermal comfort in the house if the difference in air temperature in the room and on the surface of the outer wall is no more than d t<4 о C. Обе стены на рисунке не соответствуют этим требованиям при температуре наружного воздуха t н =-26 о С и ниже.

To fulfill the second condition, the outer wall of the house must have certain thermal properties. The heat transfer resistance of the outer wall must be higher than the calculated value, m 2 * o C/W. For example, for the Sochi region this value should be more than 0.66, for Moscow - 1.38, and for Yakutsk at least - 2.13.

For example, an external wall made of autoclaved aerated concrete (gas silicate) will be warm and provide thermal comfort in the house, with a thickness in Sochi - 90 mm, in Moscow - 210 mm., and in Yakutsk - 300 mm.

Third condition- the enclosing structures of the house must have. If the “clothes” of the house are blown by the wind, then there will be no heat, no matter how thick the insulation is. Everyone knows this from their own experience.

External walls with the above parameters will be warm and provide thermal comfort in the house, but they will not be energy efficient. Heat losses through the walls will significantly exceed the building standards in force in Russia.

In order to comply with energy conservation regulations, The heat transfer resistance of external walls should be several times higher. For example, for the Sochi region - no less than 1.74 m 2 * o C/W, for Moscow - 3.13 m 2 * o C/W, and for Yakutsk - 5.04 m 2 * o C/W.

Thickness of energy-saving walls from autoclaved aerated concrete (gas silicate) there will also be more: for the Sochi region - 270 mm., for the Moscow region - 510 mm. for Yakutia - 730 mm.

Aerated concrete (gas silicate) is the warmest material for masonry walls. The thickness of energy-saving walls made of more thermally conductive materials (brick, concrete blocks) should be even greater. (The figure above shows the heat transfer resistance of a brick wall with a thickness of 2.5 bricks (640 mm.) = 0.79 and one brick (250 mm) = 0,31 m2* o C/W. Compare with the values ​​​​given in the examples and evaluate in which regions such walls will provide thermal comfort?)

Wooden walls made of timber or logs also do not meet energy saving requirements.

It should be noted that to comply with the requirements of building regulations for the heat transfer resistance of walls and other enclosing structures of the house not necessary for a private developer.

It is more important for the home owner to reduce overall heating costs.

It can be beneficial to sacrifice the energy-saving properties of walls, but increase the heat-saving parameters of ceilings, windows, and ventilation systems in order to meet the energy consumption standards for heating.

Heat loss through walls accounts for only 20 - 30% of the total heat loss in the house.

We must not forget about one more condition of an energy-saving house. The house must have a minimum- walls, ceilings, windows.

Which is better to make walls - single-layer or two-layer?

From the above data it is clear that wall materials allow you to build strong, thin and fairly cheap walls private house. But such walls will not provide thermal comfort in the house or have the required energy-saving properties.

Technologies for constructing walls of a private house are developing in two main directions:

1. Relatively thin and durable walls are insulated with highly effective insulation. The wall consists of two layers- a load-bearing layer that absorbs mechanical loads, and an insulation layer.
2. For the construction of single-layer walls, materials are used that combine a sufficiently high resistance to both mechanical stress and heat transfer. The construction of single-layer walls made of cellular concrete (autoclaved aerated concrete, gas silicate) or porous ceramics is popular.

It should be noted that wall materials for single-layer walls have mediocre both mechanical and thermal properties. We have to improve them with various design tweaks.

A combination of these two technologies is also used when walls made of cellular and porous materials provide additional insulation layer of highly effective insulation. This combination allows make wall masonry and a thin layer of insulation. This can be beneficial for structural reasons, especially when building a house in a cold climate.

Single-layer walls of a private house

Not so long ago, almost all private houses were built with single-layer walls. The thickness of the walls of the house was chosen based on the conditions for ensuring thermal comfort and thought little about energy conservation.

Currently, for the construction of single-layer walls, materials with sufficiently high thermal insulation properties are used, to make the house energy efficient.

What is the best material to make a single-layer wall of a house from?

All materials for single-layer walls have a porous structure and low density 300 - 600 kg/m 3. As the density decreases, the heat-saving properties improve, but the mechanical strength of materials decreases.

There are several types of cellular concrete, which differ in the way they create pores (cells). The best properties for the construction of single-layer external walls of a house have density (grade) 300-500 kg/m3.

Aerated concrete blocks can have precise dimensions, which allows them to be laid on glue with a seam thickness of 2 mm. The ends of the blocks often have a tongue-and-groove profile and are joined without mortar in a vertical seam.

Aerated concrete has an open porous structure and therefore absorbs moisture well, but also dissolves easily.

Porous ceramics It is made from raw materials and in a way that is similar to the production of ordinary ceramic bricks. The difference is that components are added to the clay-based mass, which form pores when fired.

Hollow blocks are made from porous ceramics. The hollowness further enhances the heat-saving properties of block walls.

The thickness of the masonry of single-layer walls made of porous ceramic blocks is 38 - 50 cm. Porous ceramic blocks are laid using a special heat-saving mortar with a seam thickness of 10-15 mm.

As a rule, the exterior decoration of single-layer walls is. Cladding slabs made of natural stone or artificial products can be glued to the walls. Finishing using the ventilated facade method (cladding over lathing) is used very rarely.

Plastering of walls made of porous ceramics or expanded clay concrete from the outside is carried out using a traditional plaster composition with a thickness of about 2 cm. In addition to plastering, it can be done in other ways (see link).

The inside of the walls is plastered or...

It is faster to build a house with single-layer walls. In a new house with single-layer walls you can start living without waiting for the facade to be finished. This work can be left for later.

Walls with insulation - two-layer and three-layer

For installing a wall with insulation Almost any masonry material can be used— ceramic and silicate bricks, blocks made of cellular and lightweight concrete, as well as porous ceramics.

The load-bearing layer of a two-layer wall can also be make from monolithic concrete or wood- timber, logs. The choice of material is much more varied compared to single-layer walls.

For the construction of walls with insulation materials with higher mechanical strength and density are used than for single-layer walls. This circumstance makes it possible to reduce the thickness of the masonry of double-layer walls.

Wall masonry thickness from 180 mm. - depends on the properties of the materials used, on the design of the walls and frame of the house.

Walls are most often laid using ordinary masonry mortar, filling horizontal and vertical joints with mortar. The work is simpler and does not require any special qualifications from masons.

The mechanical strength of the wall material is, as a rule, sufficient for problem-free fastening of various structures to walls.

The thermal insulation properties of a wall depend mainly on the thermal conductivity and thickness of the insulation layer.

A layer of thermal insulation is placed outside ( double layer wall) or inside the wall, closer to the outer surface ( three-layer wall).

As thermal insulation, slabs of mineral wool or polymers - polystyrene foam, extruded polystyrene foam - are most often used. Less commonly used thermal insulation slabs made of cellular concrete and foam glass, although they have a number of advantages.

Mineral wool slabs for wall insulation must have a density of at least 60-80 kg/m3. If used for finishing the facade, then use mineral wool slabs with a density of 125-180 kg/m 3 or slabs of extruded polystyrene foam.

Mineral wool insulation is plastered with a vapor-permeable composition - mineral or silicate plaster.

Insulating a façade with mineral wool usually costs more and it is more difficult to work with. But a layer of wool insulation allows moisture to escape from the wall to the outside.

A continuous layer of thermal insulation on the outside allows block all cold bridges in double-layer walls without the use of special constructive tricks that have to be done in single-layer walls.

General thickness of two-layer walls (with plaster from 35 cm.) usually turns out less than a single-layer wall.

The width of the foundation walls (basement) is also smaller, which allows save on their construction. This advantage does not apply to three-layer walls. The width of three-layer walls and their foundations is usually no less than that of single-layer ones.

Exterior finishing of double-layer walls is carried out thin-layer plaster over insulation. Insulation boards, preferably made of extruded polystyrene foam, are glued to the wall. The thickness of the insulation layer is not recommended to be more than 150 mm. A layer of plaster 5-7 thick is applied to the insulation mm.

Wall surface with thin layer plaster more sensitive to point mechanical influences than a single-layer wall with traditional plaster.

For double-layer walls often use ventilated cladding on the frame. In a ventilated façade, mineral wool insulation slabs are placed between the frame posts. The frame is covered with cladding made of vinyl or plinth siding, wooden materials, or various slabs.

Attaching insulation to the walls, installing a ventilated facade - all this work consists of many stages and operations and requires skill, accuracy and responsibility from the performers. A variety of materials are used for work.

When constructing double-layer walls in There is a great risk that employees will do something wrong.

In three-layer walls a layer of highly effective insulation is placed inside the masonry or wall monolith. Three-layer walls also include walls with an insulation layer facing with brick or other masonry materials.

For the construction of three-layer walls, single-row masonry made of (insulated walls, silica granite, polyblock) is also used. Thermal blocks have three layers of concrete-insulation-concrete bonded together.

Mineral insulation - low-density cellular concrete

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How to solve the problem: decorating walls in an apartment - 5 ideas for your peace of mind

Modern wall decoration in an apartment is one of the most important stages of any renovation. A well-chosen type of decoration will not only help make your dream interior a reality, but will also save money and time.

And so that in the process of choosing a finish you are not based only on the feeling of “oh, this doesn’t look good,” I suggest you familiarize yourself with the most popular and proven materials with their advantages and disadvantages.

What to choose

During the renovation process, many may face the problem of choosing suitable options. It’s no wonder, there are a lot of materials available today, each of them has its own advantages, it’s not clear what to buy. I hope my article will make your task much easier, and you will not regret the money spent.

Idea 1. Wallpaper

For many years, wallpaper still refuses to give up the palm in the competition for the most popular finishing material. The assortment is more than impressive: here you can find relatively inexpensive paper, more expensive and durable vinyl, and even wallpaper with a 3D effect.

When purchasing wallpaper, you should consider what room it is intended for:

1. So, what is the best way to decorate a kitchen? Of course, vinyl washable wallpaper, which is not afraid of drops of grease and soot.

1. For a child's room, you can choose lightweight paper or vinyl wallpaper. The good thing about the latter is that you can remove all your child’s artistic “masterpieces” from them. The first option is attractive due to its low cost and the ability to simply replace them with others after a certain time as they become dirty.

1. If you still decide to decorate the bathroom with wallpaper (in my opinion, not the best decision), then it is better to buy moisture-resistant material. Otherwise, do not be surprised by the appearance of fungus in the areas where water droplets accumulate.

1. The assortment is not very limited. Depending on the interior, you can choose non-woven, liquid, fabric, photo and 3D wallpaper.

Sticking

When all the options for decorating the walls in the apartment have been reviewed, and the choice has fallen on wallpaper, it’s time to understand how to glue them. This must be done according to the following scheme:

1. Remove old wallpaper and also clean the walls of the glue that held them in place.
2. Use a spatula or a special brush to remove all previous layers of plaster, whitewash or paint.

1. Level the surface with putty, give it ideal (or so) smoothness, and prime it.

1. After the primer has completely dried, you can begin the gluing process.
2. If you purchased wallpaper without a pattern, then it should be cut into strips of the same size, leaving gaps of 2-2.5 cm on both sides. If a pattern is applied to the coating, then the wallpaper will have to be combined according to the pattern. In this case, the consumption of materials will be greater.

1. Next, the wallpaper must be coated with glue and applied to the wall.

1. When the material is attached to the wall, it must be thoroughly smoothed from top to bottom and air bubbles removed.

Here is a small instruction that may be useful to you during the repair process.

Idea 2. Paint

Previously, paint was most often used for cladding the outside of the house, but over time it also moved into apartments. I can mention its main advantages:

• a huge assortment of flowers;
• variety of textures;
• the ability to decorate walls with any pattern using special figured rollers and special tools.

The most popular options include the following types of paint:

• alkyd;
• adhesive;
• water-based.

I will analyze each of them in more detail.

1. Oil and enamel paints, which are classified as alkyd. This finishing material is excellent for both external and internal decoration. Additional advantages include resistance to ultraviolet radiation and moisture.

Among the disadvantages, I can highlight the helplessness against acid and the not very attractive fire safety indicator.

1. Adhesive paint, or rather its composition, is much more gentle on the body in the process of decorating walls. In addition, it allows air to pass through perfectly, which is important for children's rooms and bedrooms.

1. Water-based paints are easily soluble in water, which makes using them yourself quite easy. They lay perfectly in an even dense layer and look great on matte surfaces.

Just keep in mind that the water-based emulsion will not adhere to walls that have been previously exposed with varnish or adhesive paint.

Application Features

Painting the walls proceeds as follows:

1. First, the joints with the floor and ceiling are glued with masking tape to protect them from contamination.

1. This is followed by the process of cleaning off the remnants of the previous coating, sealing cracks and covering the wall with a primer.
2. If necessary, you will need to sand the surface in some places.

1. Next, you should dilute the paint to the required consistency and proceed directly to application.

You can use the brush in any direction: from top to bottom, from left to right, or crosswise. The main thing is not to combine these methods with each other.

Idea 3. Plaster

Many may associate plaster with preliminary leveling of the wall before major repair work. Only now decorative plaster is breaking into the top of the list under the title “modern materials for decorating walls in an apartment” and is beginning to be in increasing demand.

Depending on the appearance and characteristics, plaster is divided into:

• mineral;
• acrylic;
• silicate.

Why is decorative plaster so good? At least in that it allows you to create a beautiful imitation of almost any material on the walls. Even a couple of simple strokes with a spatula can beneficially update the interior of a room.

Decorative finishing has at least several advantages:

1. The ability to create an imitation of more expensive materials (granite, textured wallpaper, metal).

1. Wide range of textures and colors.

1. Possibility of wet cleaning of the coating after its application.
2. The ability to hide all kinds of irregularities and flaws on the walls.
3. There is no need to level the walls to perfection before decorating.

1. Long service life. If treated properly, plaster can last from 35 to 60 years (impressive numbers, right?)

1. Such finishing methods will fit perfectly into almost any interior.

But, as you know, you can’t do without a fly in the ointment. Despite all the advantages of plaster, it also has its disadvantages. Among them, the following stand out:

• The price of plaster most often exceeds the average cost of wallpaper by at least one and a half times .
• Improper application of the material significantly reduces its service life. Therefore, if you do not have certain skills and experience, it is worth paying extra for the work of specialists.
• Plaster is not so easy to remove if necessary.

Idea 4. Plastic panels

Decorative wall decoration is a real testing ground for all kinds of experiments with colors and textures. So why not think about a rather unusual, but no less striking cladding option? I can include decorative plastic panels, which are increasingly appearing in modern interiors every year.

• When installing the panels, it becomes possible to insulate the walls, which is definitely important during the cold season.
• With the presence of plastic panels, you will no longer need to think about how to decorate the corners in the bathroom, because the material perfectly tolerates moisture and prevents the appearance of fungus.
• On sale you can find panels with a variety of parameters, texture and appearance.

• This finish is very easy to install and does not require special skills.
• Installation of the panels does not require preliminary cleaning and leveling of the walls.
• The material creates good sound insulation due to the small distance between the panel and the wall itself.

• The cost of the panels is suitable even for the most modest budget.
• Plastic panels look very similar to standard sheets of plywood. Moreover, if you have a flat wall, they can be fixed simply using ordinary liquid nails.

Among the main disadvantages of such coverage, three important factors can be identified:

1. The panels are not made from natural materials, and therefore in small doses they can release toxic substances.
2. It is difficult to classify such a coating as durable, since it does not withstand mechanical stress quite well.

1. For lovers of original solutions, special 3D panels were created. In terms of characteristics, they are similar to ordinary ones, but they stand out against their background due to their unusual convex shape.

Despite the visual appeal of 3D panels, I would not recommend covering all the walls of the room with them. But making one of them an accent is a very sensible decision.

Idea 5. Drywall

Finishing materials for cladding uneven walls actually cannot boast of a wide range. Not every coating will look perfect with a “bumpy” base. But this nuance does not apply to drywall.

Among its distinctive features are:

• Whatever the condition of the walls, you will end up with a perfectly smooth coating. Even if you decide to change the interior, you will have at least 4 smooth surfaces at hand.
• Drywall makes it possible to additionally insulate the room, while the thickness of the insulation will depend solely on your capabilities and desires. Using the same scheme, you can install waterproofing, thereby solving problems with sound insulation.

• The process of installing sheets is not that complicated, and it can be done independently.

Agree, the advantages are quite significant. But I can’t just praise, it’s time to move on to tangible shortcomings:

• Such a design would be inappropriate in a room with high humidity.
• If you install the drywall sheets relatively far from the wall, you will not be able to install heavy objects on them.

Alternative solutions

Above I have not described all the options for finishing. The list included only the most sought-after and popular ones. But my article would be incomplete without mentioning, albeit not so common, but no less spectacular ways of decorating walls.

Tiled disgrace

Until recently, I (I think, like many of you) considered tiles to be a material that was reserved for the bathroom and kitchen. Recent fashion trends indicate the opposite. If handled properly, tiles can be successfully used in the interior of a hallway, or, who knows, the living room.

Why is it worth at least thinking about using tiles outside the kitchen? There are several reasons:

• The material is very durable and easy to clean.
• The tiles are characterized by fairly good sound insulation, which will come in handy with thin Khrushchev walls.
• This material is fireproof, so from the point of view of fire safety it has practically no equal.
• The range of colors allows you to decorate any decor.

Everything is clear about the advantages, but are there any disadvantages to this coating? But, alas, there are shortcomings. Among them:

• complete inability to lay tiles efficiently without the help of professionals;
• ceramics can hardly be called one of the most budget options, but it’s hard to deny that high-quality tiles look luxurious and fully deserve their considerable price.

By the way, here is some more useful information that may come in handy during the repair process. Ceramic tiles are divided into 5 types depending on the scope of their application:

1. Tiles exclusively for wall decoration.
2. Material for flooring (preventing walking on it in street shoes).

1. For office and residential premises where there are not particularly large crowds of people.
2. Tiles for use in high traffic areas.
3. A universal material suitable for installation anywhere.

Why not a stone?

Decorative stone, despite all its effectiveness and beauty, is not included in the TOP 3 most popular materials. The point is its high cost, which is not accessible to everyone. But apart from this, decorative stone (or brick) has many advantages that I have no right not to mention.

• This material is very durable, its service life is approximately 50 years.
• Without having any special skills, but having studied good instructions, even a simple layman can handle the installation of the coating.
• All kinds of additives that are now included in decorative stone make it possible to create coatings with all sorts of textures.
• This material is completely environmentally friendly.
• Stone brings originality and unusual notes to the interior.

Of course, artificial brick or stone cannot avoid comparison with its natural counterpart. Against this background, it has only three drawbacks:

1. Its shelf life is still less than its natural counterparts.
2. It is inferior to them in strength.
3. Decorative stone cannot be used in large quantities, as it makes the interior heavier.

What is linkrust?

I admit, I learned about such a magical material with a strange name relatively recently. For those who are as unenlightened as I am, I will explain: linkrust is a material during the manufacturing process of which a thin layer of gel based on linseed oil or alkyd resin with a filler (cork or wood flour) is applied to a thick paper or fabric base.

One of the main features of the coating is that it mixes equally well with both water-based and oil-based paints.

If at first linkrust was positioned as a more affordable alternative to expensive stucco, now it is used to implement the most unusual and original ideas.

What does using the material give us?

• Unusual and original appearance of the walls.
• Eco-friendly, which is based on the use of natural resins and additives.
• Plasticity, which allows the linkrust to successfully adapt even to an uneven surface.
• Resistance to high temperatures.
• High strength index.
• Durability.

And according to tradition, after describing the advantages, I will point out the obvious disadvantages that, naturally, exist:

• Installation of linkcrust can hardly be called simple, and it requires special skill.
• Low temperatures are detrimental to such material.
• After installation of the coating, there is a need to constantly maintain its original appearance. Accordingly, from time to time you will have to finish it with paint or varnish.

Finally

I cannot tell you the only correct way to cladding the walls in your apartment, it is simply impossible. But I can (and have tried to do so) objectively talk about the available options; you just need to choose the one that suits you best. If you are still in doubt, then perhaps the video in this article will make your choice easier.

If you are still undecided or have any questions, write to me in the comments. I will be happy to answer everyone and will try to make the process of your repair as easy as possible.

October 28, 2016

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