Some time passed after the renovation and small cracks, stains and other defects began to appear on the walls. What to do in such a situation? Hide defects under wallpaper or repaint surfaces?
Professional designers share secrets on how to hide imperfections on walls using simple lifehacks.
Decorating
A good way to hide uneven walls is to use original decorative elements. Hang pictures, decorative plates, posters, collages, fabric panels. The main thing is that the chosen option does not disturb the harmony of the interior and is combined with all the elements.
If the decor is colorful and bright, the wall should be plain.
Don't forget about the combination of colors and textures.
If you use fabric as decoration, make sure that it is thick enough and resistant to moisture and fading.
Do not forget that all interior elements must be in the same style.
New technologies
An excellent option to disguise uneven walls is to use liquid wallpaper. The material is a dry mixture that must be diluted with water before application. The liquid solution is applied with a spatula, and an original pattern is formed on the surface. You can replace liquid wallpaper with ordinary acrylic or oil paint. This technology will allow you to decorate any surface with the ability to choose the desired color or pattern.
Don't like wallpaper on the walls: alternative solutions
Textured plaster
Unlike wallpaper, plaster will not come off over time and will not reveal the most unsightly place. Not particularly troublesome, an original option, especially in combination with natural materials: wooden beams or decorative stone.
Cladding
There are many options: you can preserve the natural “wood” look, or you can paint it. The lining will become an unusual bright accent in any room. Suitable for interiors in Provence, Scandinavian and eco-style.
Cork panels
Decorating with cork panels is one of the most original ideas. Advantages: good sound insulation, easy to clean, composition: durable material, environmentally friendly, hypoallergenic. The panels are made in various textures and shades, so finding an option that suits your interior is not difficult. This solution will not only help hide unevenness, but also create a feeling of closeness to nature, comfort, and warmth.
How to hide uneven walls? Experiment with light and color solutions, choose the right wallpaper, and decorate. Or turn to alternative options: this could be lining with clapboard, finishing with textured plaster and cork panels.
Panels, dies, stickers
Those who want to straighten the walls in their home can take a closer look at these decorative elements designed to enliven the room. Panels are an excellent solution not only for masking some flaws, but also for skillfully distributing accents. The panel can look like a painting made from different materials. It can be created from:
- ceramic tiles;
- wallpaper;
- paper;
- gypsum;
- foamiran.
By slab we mean wall parquet that looks stylish. It’s easy to hide uneven walls under it. The dies can be mounted both vertically and horizontally, creating individual patterns and other decorative fragments.
Stickers can be voluminous or in the form of a regular adhesive-based film.
When there is no opportunity or desire to make repairs, but you want to bring a fresh vibe to the interior, use these decorative stickers. No special skills or abilities are needed to fix them. Anyone can cope with applying them to the wall.
Difficulties associated with gluing wallpaper to uneven surfaces
Instead of choosing what to cover with old plaster, try filling up large uneven areas
The installation instructions for roll coverings provide for preliminary preparation of building surfaces. If gluing is carried out without eliminating the relief, the following consequences are likely:
- The relief will be visible through the canvas - this is important for stretchy, smooth wallpaper.
- Sinuses form under the canvas, in the place of which it will swell and peel off. Such consequences are possible when using particularly dense, non-stretchy wallpaper.
Choosing the best option for masking irregularities
| Illustrations | What wallpaper hides uneven walls: 4 types of coatings |
Non-woven. Fully non-woven wallpaper is rarely found on sale, since this material is most often used as a backing for vinyl. However, non-woven fabric is good because it does not stretch, which means that the relief will appear to a minimum.
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| Vinyl. This type of roll materials is produced on a non-woven or paper backing, on top of which vinyl coating is applied. It is advisable to buy vinyl coverings with a non-woven backing, as they have less stretch. The denser the canvas, the more likely it is that the relief will not show through it.
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| Fiberglass. These are high-density coatings with a pronounced texture. Such materials are specially created in order to hide the imperfections of the surface being decorated. Thick fiberglass-based wallpaper is used for decorating office premises. But, if you don’t mind a minimalist interior, this finishing material will come in handy. To glue the fiberglass cloth you will need a special glue. | |
| Liquid . This category of finishing materials is not canvas in the traditional sense of the word; rather, it is decorative plaster. The coating as in the photo is made of dry filler and a binder. Decorative plaster is applied with a trowel. The advantage of the solution is its affordable price and the ability to level large reliefs up to 5 mm. |
Choice of texture and color design
| Illustrations | What wallpaper to glue on uneven walls: choosing a decorative design |
| Hot stamping . The coating has a pronounced relief texture. I recommend canvases that hide unevenness with a medium-sized pattern. | |
| Foamed . This is an excellent choice for distressed plaster, as the texture is disordered and there is no symmetrical pattern. This finish best hides unevenness. | |
| Embossed for painting . Despite the pronounced texture, the pattern is symmetrical, and therefore large relief will appear on such surfaces. | |
| Any coverings with a bright print without an ordered pattern . Suitable for masking large level differences. |
What not to glue to crooked plaster
| Illustrations | I absolutely do not recommend it for gluing uneven walls. |
| Paper single-layer coverings . Due to the small thickness, any even slight relief is visible on such surfaces. | |
| Any non-textured canvases with a large, ordered pattern . Such a coating cannot hide the relief. On the contrary, large irregularities will be clearly visible in bright light. | |
| Finishing materials are too heavy . Due to the unevenness of the plaster and the heavy weight, such coatings may fall over time. |
Recommendations for gluing
| Illustrations | How to hang wallpaper on uneven walls |
| We even it out as much as possible . It is clear that you decided to finish uneven surfaces, as there were good reasons for this. But, if the relief is more than 2 mm, try leveling it with putty. Believe me, it is not at all difficult and you can do it yourself. | |
| We prime. The key to quality gluing is a primer. Most often, uneven walls are plaster from which the old finish is crumbling. If the surface is crumbling, we treat it with deep penetration primers, which will penetrate the structure of the plaster and strengthen it. To ensure acceptable adhesion of roll coatings to old plaster, I recommend using film-forming, quick-drying primers. | |
| We do not iron the canvas, as when gluing it to smooth walls . If there are unevenness, smoothing the wallpaper as if gluing it to smooth plaster, we will only aggravate this relief. Therefore, we do not smooth them out, as usual with a rag, but roll them with a wide, dense roller. As a result, the roller will glue the canvas to the protruding areas of the relief surface and the wall will be visually smooth. |
Selection of unusual materials
In recent years, cork panels have been used in decoration. A person with little knowledge and skills in this area can decorate walls. There are many variations of cork depending on color and texture. With its help you can make the room original and attractive.
If it is difficult to decorate uneven areas yourself, contact special cleaning companies. Our specialists will quickly find a solution for your conditions.
Duplex - thick paper
If you undertake to glue simple paper wallpaper, then all the defects will immediately be clearly visible, but there is a special type of paper wallpaper called duplex.
Duplex wallpaper consists of two dense layers of paper, pressed together. They have nice embossing and designs.
In addition to being environmentally friendly, thick paper wallpaper with a frequently repeating pattern disguises wall unevenness
To the touch, the wallpaper resembles a sheet of thick cardboard.
Wallpaper of this type adheres well to uneven wall surfaces, since they are not able to completely adhere to it. The wallpaper always keeps its shape, which hides potholes and bumps on the wall.
The cost of such paper wallpapers is low; any ordinary person can afford them. But if you are not satisfied with the decorative side of this option, then you should pay attention to vinyl samples.
Related article: How to lay parquet boards with your own hands?
Decor
Remember what the mother said from the cartoon “Prostokvashino”: “This picture on the wall is very useful. Is she blocking the hole in the wallpaper? Volumetric wall decor can hide not only holes in the wallpaper, but also distract attention from the unevenness of the walls.
Classics in the form of posters and paintings work well, as well as asymmetrical decor in the form of plates, indoor plants, wicker baskets, and so on.
Volumetric wallpaper
Today there is a large selection of finishing materials for walls and there is plenty to choose from. The most budget-friendly way to hide unevenness is wallpaper with a three-dimensional pattern.
Such wallpaper hides surface imperfections and helps make the interior more comfortable.
Volumetric wallpaper can be found in any construction hypermarket and they are very attractive in price (up to 1000 rubles per 10 sq.m.). There are also special volumetric wallpapers for painting.
Cork
It does not lose popularity in the wake of eco-trends and the universal love for natural, quickly renewable materials.
Cork wall decoration does not require careful surface preparation and hides unevenness well. It is usually used to highlight one accent wall in a room. Convenient for children's and home office.
