A home is the most loving place for the people living in it as every corner of the home reflects the taste of its inhabitants. But while renovating to looks of its walls it becomes difficult to choose the right material for it. So, is painting wall or wallpaper a better choice?
It can be difficult to choose paint or wallpaper for their walls. To make the right decision you will have to consider a few things discussed hereunder to compare both materials.
Whether you choose to paint or wallpaper you will have to prepare the wall for it. The time taken to prepare the wall can be one of the criteria to choose from them. It may take lesser effort and time if you paint your walls whereas wallpaper may take a longer time.
You will have to fix and cover up all the imperfections in the wall before sticking the wallpaper. These imperfections will be covered up automatically while painting it.
Moreover, paint can be a good option if you have to renovate all the walls of an old home as wallpaper may not be a suitable option for the areas with dampness like bathrooms and kitchen, etc.
Though it will take more time to prepare a wall for wallpaper still it may take lesser time to apply it. Wallpaper can be applied in one time at a larger area of walls in a day. On the other hand, it may take a longer time to apply oil-based paints.
You have to apply 2-3 coats to finish the task and each coat will take a long time to dry before the next coat.
Whether you use paint or wallpaper the cost of the entire project depends upon the quality of materials and brand. Good quality wallpaper will be costlier than quality paint. Moreover, the supplies required to apply wallpaper can be more than required for applying paint.
Though you can also find inexpensive wallpaper options in the market their results may not be up to your expectations. Still, the cost of quality wallpaper can be lower than quality paint because it lasts longer than the later one.
Wallpaper is more durable than paint is maintained properly. Wallpaper can last for nearly 10-15 years whereas paint can stay on your walls for 4-5 years at the most.
The owner of a home can use DIY methods to paint his home to save his labor cost. He can also save money by hiring unskilled labor to help him in completing the task without affecting his budget. But while installing wallpaper you will have to hire a skilled professional.
If you want to save money by hiring unskilled labor then he may not give you the best finish or can tear away or not stick the wallpaper properly on your walls. So, the cost of labor will be more with wallpaper than paint.
So far as health safety is concerned, wallpaper is safer than paint. The chemicals used in the paints can affect the healthy environment of your home through their fumes. Such a problem is not faced with wallpaper.
It is easy to wash, clean, and maintain wallpaper. But if you have children in your home then they may damage it permanently by drawing, writing, and scratching on it. In such a case, the maintenance of wallpaper can be costly as you will have to replace it.
But you need not repaint the entire wall even if a small portion is damaged by children. The cost of painting patches with the same color will be much less than the wallpaper.
In cities with humid climate wallpaper may not be a suitable option as it will come off easily because losing the effect of glue on it. On the other hand, paints are not suitable for excessively hot regions even if they are resistant to heat.
In extremely hot areas oil-based paints can form patches on the wall by melting due to heat.
Thus, you can decide between paint or wallpaper after considering their pros and cons as discussed in this write-up. Some people use a combination of paint and wallpaper to give a more colorful and beautiful look to their home.