One of the important things to take care of when you move into a new house is the walls. It used to be something that was not given much of importance back in the days but has gained the attention of all the interior designers and decorators over the years.

A well wallpapered or painted wall can be used to decorate the walls as per the choice. It used to be a very common thing to go with a single light shade for all the rooms a few decades ago, but learning this importance of decorating walls have made people customize and go for different shades and colours for almost every wall in the house.

It is one of the best ways to transform the looks of your home to a more welcoming and give the homely feel to it.

However, it has always been the topic of discussion whether a person should go for wallpaper or paint when they are transforming the walls.

There are various factors that would help you choose between the two, and it is necessary for you to know all the advantages and disadvantages of choosing paint or wallpaper. This would make the process of choosing much easier.

Keeping that in mind, let us take a look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of using wallpaper or paint.

1) Preparation

It is the time taken to prepare the walls before it is being dressed with wallpaper of being painted. If the wall already has a wallpaper or paintwork done before, it would require quite a bit of preparation time. On the other hand, if it is a bare wall, there is no need for preparation time.

Wallpaper: Preparation time for dressing a wallpaper is usually a disadvantage if the wall is not bare and does have an already existing layer of wallpaper on it. This is due to the fact that it requires a lot of time and tedious effort to remove the already existing wallpaper before hanging the new one on the wall.

Paint: On the other hand, the preparation time to paint a wall is usually not as tedious as wallpaper. You might not even have to wait much before coating your wall with greatly accented paintwork. But if the wall is damaged, it is better to spackle to fix the damages and wait for a day to let it dry and start with the paintwork. It might take time, but the work involved would be lesser than that of wallpaper.

2) Selection

Wallpaper and paint are available in great variety according to the needs of the individual and does provide great variable designs, patterns and style.

Wallpaper: The selection of wallpapers have improved tremendously over the years. New varieties have come over such as the ones that mimic stone walls or paints and also vinyl with great precision that it is not easy to differentiate between the two.

The easy availability of wallpaper these days has made it a great choice for the people who are in the plans of transforming their walls. The availability of wallpaper in a wide range has proved to be a great advantage for it and has been able to attract new customers very easily.

Paint: As we all know, paint is one of the oldest and most favoured methods of decorating walls. It is available in plenty and variety of selection is unmatched for.

Available in high gloss, semi-gloss, and other great selection, it offers the customers what they want. Most people choose painting over wallpaper due to the fact that it is one of the most universally accepted ways of decorating the walls.

But over the years, wallpaper has been able to get to the same level, giving paint stiff competition. This can be attributed mostly due to the availability of wallpaper in great variety.

3) Durability

It is one of the factors that would be the difference in a person choosing one of the methods of decorating the walls over the other.

The increase in durability would lead to needing to spend less on it on a long-term basis. This means the longer it stays, the better the maintenance.

Wallpaper: The durability of wallpaper is unmatched for as it can last for over fifteen years. This makes it one of the most cost-effective methods in the long run. It can stand up to most of the kinds of wear and tear.

Handling high traffic is not an issue with wallpaper, and it can withstand the wear and tear that is brought to the table by children. This makes it a perfect way to protect your walls and at the same time make it attractive.

It does come with a disadvantage though. As the wallpaper is stuck to the walls by the use of adhesive, it can be found that in places like bathroom or kitchen it can peel off easily. This is due to the effect of high moisture level that can be seen at these places.

Paint: On the other hand, it is one of the most inexpensive ways to decorate the wall and can also help in bringing about the best look of the wall.

The disadvantage of using paint is that they are chances of chipping off the walls when it gets hit or damaged. This would require the need to redecorate or repainting which can lead to unnecessary expenses.

This gives an upper hand to wallpaper as it can withstand heavy traffic and the normal wear and tear much better than paint.

4) Expense

Wallpaper: The expense to install wallpaper varies a lot when it comes to that of paint. Both wallpaper and paints are available at different prices and various assortments, but when we look at it, wallpaper rolls cost more in comparison to that of purchasing paint supplies that are from the low to average spectrum when it comes to the cost.

It should also be noted that paint can be applied by an amateur if he or she is given proper guidance in comparison to wallpaper. Wallpaper is a lot harder to install and remove the already existing sheet of wallpaper can be a tedious process which can also improve the cost of installation.

But if you purchase wallpaper that is inexpensive and handles the installation process yourself, you can cut down the cost in a more effective way.

Paint: Paint that is on the higher spectrum when it comes to cost would require the help of professionals in the process of application leading to increased cost of installation.

So, the expense of the wallpaper or paint you choose to use totally depends on the kind you use. It is important that you decide on it depending on the budget you have and have a comfortable installation process.

5) Maintenance

Wallpaper: Maintenance is something that can make or break the success of something. Comparing the maintenance level of both wallpaper and paint would show us that wallpaper is easy to maintain due to its ability to withstand high pressure and large traffic.

On ideal condition, it can last more than ten years. But wallpaper cannot be the first choice in places that have high moisture and is damp throughout the day. This is because the adhesive can give away and lead to the wallpaper peeling off.

Paint: On the other hand, paint can take hits or damages easier and can lead to expenses in the form of repairing and redecorating. Paint will face moldy issue if it is exploring to high moisture environment.

But comparing to wallpaper, Paint is more suitable to be applied at high moisture places. Uneven colour and batches issue commonly seem if the painting is not applied properly.

6) Recycling

Wallpaper: Wood chip wallpapers are coming into prominence due to the use of recycled paper and textile papers to make about ninety percent of it. These are environmentally friendly and at the same time can be recycled multiple times which helps in preserving the raw materials used to make it.

Due to the use of recycled materials, the cost of making wood chip wallpaper is comparatively cheap to normal wallpaper. This helps in improved availability at cheaper rates for the customers.

7) Environmental friendly

Wallpaper: Wallpaper is mostly made of materials that are environmentally friendly. The use of only natural ingredients and the simple technology that is put together effectively has had a better effect on the environment when it is compared to paint.

The adhesive used to stick wallpaper to the walls are also made of substances that are not harmful to the walls and the environment. This leads to the walls being able to breathe in air and keep it fresh throughout the years.

Paint: Paint is usually made of chemicals, substances and solvents that are harmful to the environment and to us. It is the reason why we are not supposed to be in the room where the painting work is happening till it is dry.

Even the walls would not have proper circulation and can lead to its faster deterioration. But the development of water-based paint without the use of harmful ingredients by the use of latest technology has improved the condition and has provided us with the opportunity to use it without worry.

8) Customize

Wallpaper: Use of wallpaper gives you the ability to customize your house greatly. The patterns, designs, and colour can be added by you to get the best feel for your home. Wallpaper can be used to get vibrant and designer look as opposed to dull, single colour paint.

Paint: Paint comes in just a single colour and would require you to purchase a number of shades and colour to get a great variety. This is usually not feasible as the cost to do this would be really high. But when it comes to wallpaper, you can customize it easily.

9) Exposure to sunlight

Wallpaper: One of the disadvantages faced by wallpaper in comparison to painting is the issue it faces when exposed to sunlight. It can be said that wallpaper is prone to the condition called burnout.

If you have wallpaper on the outer walls of the house, it can be noted that the place that receives constant sunlight is brighter than that receives less sunlight. This makes it better to use wallpaper to decorate the indoors and not the outdoors.

Paint: Paint does not have this issue as it can handle exposure to sunlight with ease. Only the inexpensive average quality paint suffers from melting issue if faced with exposure to sunlight for longer periods of time.

Conclusion

Paint used to be the chosen method a few decades ago, but the improvement in the availability of wallpaper and the variety it brings have made it a sought-after method of decoration over the years.

It is a great way to work on the walls if you are looking for vibrant styles and patterns that can make the walls look brighter and more welcoming.

But choosing one of the two totally depends on your requirement, budget, climatic conditions, and also the method of preparation.

But there is a new trend that is on the rise. It is the use of both paint and wallpaper at the same time. A combination of both can be opted for if you want to add a different texture to your walls.

Wallpaper can be used to add more patterns and make one of the walls of the room vibrant and paint can be used to make another wall give a soothing feel. The combination of the two can bring the best of the room and can prove to be the ideal way to decorate a room.

So make sure you go through all the options available and weigh it according to your needs to get the best out of the money you spend.

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