Non-woven wallpaper - the main pros and cons

Over the past few years, non-woven wallpaper, which can be used both for wall decoration and for ceilings, has become especially popular in the market for repair products. The popularity of products is growing rapidly and many who have already used it for their housing are willing to share their positive experiences with family and friends.

What is so special about newfangled wallpapers, and what do they represent in general? These and other issues will be discussed in this article.

Flizelin: characteristics of the material

This is a very strong and dense material, reminiscent of the appearance of paper, but the manufacturing process is different. In order to get non-woven, you need to prepare a special mass of recycled cellulose fibers. This liquid substance turns into a long cloth, which is subsequently glued to several levels, if necessary, dried and rolled up.

Due to the fact that the fibers have undergone modification and chemical crosslinking with each other, the material practically does not wear out. It is also much stronger and much better resists fire, moisture and perfectly conducts steam.

The result is a very durable material that resembles paper in appearance. However, non-woven is used not only in the manufacture of wallpaper. It is also used to create lining materials to stabilize fabrics in sewing and even as a frame for embroideries, firmwares and appliqués.

In cases with wallpaper, the non-woven coating can have a single-layer, two-layer or even three-layer structure with a convex side or the basis for a decorative layer.

A variety of non-woven wallpaper

Types of this type of non-woven fabric wallpaper differ from each other not only in structure, design (appearance), but also in purpose. Consider each type of non-woven wallpaper separately.

Non-woven wallpaper
These wallpapers are made exclusively of non-woven fabric. In such products, the top decorative layer is also made of non-woven fabric. As a rule, the structure of all layers except the upper one is smooth and even. The decor layer is usually adorned with a variety of embossed patterns and patterns. Finishing non-woven wallpaper is final, that is, they will not have to be painted or supplemented with something. All you need to do is stick wallpaper and enjoy the view. Colorless and plain wallpaper designed for coloring.

The wall covered with such wallpaper can be painted with acrylic or water based emulsion paint. The advantage of these colors is that you can use them repeatedly, changing colors for any room design.

Non-woven wallpaper
Non-woven wallpaper is coated on top with a decorative layer of paper, textile or acrylic. There may also be a vinyl coating. The decorative top layer of the wallpaper shows the external characteristics of the wallpaper, whether they can be painted. The top layer may vary in composition, which greatly affects the cost of wallpaper.

Thanks to modern technology, various types of wallpaper are produced that mimic any natural materials. This effect is achieved by hot stamping. After covering the top layer of wallpaper with decor, the effect of silk and linen fabrics, as well as leather coatings, is created. The most popular finish is non-woven vinyl wallpaper.

Interesting patterns on the wallpaper can be achieved using the screen decoration method.Using this method, it is possible to achieve a remarkable relief structure of the upper layer.

Pros and cons of non-woven wallpaper

Like any other material, non-woven wallpaper has its pros and cons and, in order to determine the quality and practicality of this product, it is necessary to consider all its pros and cons.

pros

1. Flizelin is a very long-term material that will serve you faithfully, retaining its original appearance for a long time.
2. These wallpapers are made without impurities and harmful materials and are an environmentally friendly product, which means that you don’t need to worry about the health of people living in this room.
3. Non-woven wallpaper is very dense and durable, and therefore the coating itself is very reliable.
4. Non-woven wallpaper has a refractory coating, which means that with such wallpaper you will feel safe.
5. Wallpapering is not difficult and you can do it yourself.
6. Maintaining the cleanliness of non-woven wallpapers is very simple: you can wash them, dust them, but their structure will not change in any way, which is also very convenient.
7. When the house shrinks, these wallpapers do not undergo deformation.
8. If you want to remove the wallpaper, then you don’t have to wet it with water, since they just peel off, and this significantly saves time and effort.
9. When gluing, a small amount of glue is spent, because only the wall is coated, and this also saves time.
10. Non-woven wallpaper, as shown by many years of practice, perfectly adheres to any surface - we are talking about such surfaces as concrete, drywall, wood and so on.
11. Non-woven wallpaper is very lightfast.
12. These are breathable wallpapers that allow water and air to pass through, but in cases where a layer of non-woven is applied with the so-called vinyl, these properties are completely lost.

Minuses
There are significantly fewer negative moments, but they are still worth considering, because any thing, material, product, and even a person has disadvantages. Non-woven wallpaper is no exception:

1. Non-woven wallpapers have poor sound insulation and this is perhaps one of the most significant disadvantages.
2. They are very different in price from ordinary paper wallpapers.
3. Relief wallpapers are a very good dust collector, which doesn’t have a good effect on people with allergies, so when buying this type it is worth considering this information.
4. Also, embossed wallpapers are an excellent “bait” for small children and animals, which, out of pure interest, can bite, tear, bite them.
5. If you buy colorless non-woven wallpaper, then keep in mind that the purchase of special paints will require additional costs.
6. Cleaning with a damp rag the relief pattern of the wallpaper is a rather tedious task, which will take a lot of time, especially if such wallpaper is not in the same room.

In fact, the characteristics of the goods are pretty good: they dry quickly, have high environmental friendliness, have a long service life, you can choose any length and width.

How to understand the meaning of the icons on the wallpaper

A very useful thing is labeling. It is she who helps customers to figure out how long the wallpaper dries, whether it can be wiped with a damp cloth, washed with water. On the same labels you can see whether the selected wallpaper corresponds to GOST. These icons are very convenient and should not be ignored. And before you try to independently determine the quality and purpose of the wallpaper yourself, it’s better to devote some time and study the notation.

1. If a brush and three waves are drawn in the picture, then wet care is allowed.
2. If you see an image of the sun, this means that the wallpaper is lightfast.
3. A brush drawn on the label with a vertical line next to it warns that only the wall is coated with glue.
4. A brush located on a horizontal line indicates the opposite - only wallpaper is coated with glue.
5. One wavy line - the wall covering can be washed after pasting.
6. Three waves - such wallpapers can be washed very often, since they have good abrasion resistance.
7. If only half of the sun is painted on the label, the wallpaper has medium light fastness.

Also on the wallpaper you can find the letter designation. For example, if the wallpaper can be painted, then the designations will be as follows: you will see the letters "STR".

Variety of colors

Ordinary non-woven wallpaper by itself does not have particularly pronounced bright colors. They are quite bright in texture and adding bright colors is not necessary at all. But, if you still want brightness, then you can independently choose a tone and paint the wallpaper.

Italian non-woven wallpaper is distinguished by style and beautiful patterns, as well as give preference to detail and modernity. Russian manufacturers are also not far behind and are famous for their design, ranging from the classic strip to chic colors.

Tips for caring for non-woven wallpaper

1. If you find fingerprints on the wallpaper, try wiping them with a normal grater. As a rule, these actions are quite enough.
2. When the surface of the wallpaper is very dirty, it is advised to attach a regular napkin to the wall and iron it with an iron.
3. If there are small spots, just try to wash the wallpaper with a sponge dampened with water, but wash the wallpaper gently without pressing the sponge with all its might. You can use a mild soapy solution or gentle cleaning agents.

Will the non-woven wallpaper on the wall shine after drying

Gaps in the wallpaper can appear if, when pasted, they were thin enough and the wall was dark. You can also find out if the wallpaper will shine in the future, while in the store: just attach the wallpaper to some bright surface or to a patterned surface. So you can immediately determine whether the pattern will be visible through the material. If you want light and thin wallpaper in the room, then it is advised that before you start gluing the walls, level them with a white primer.

Having considered all the possible pros and cons of non-woven wallpaper, you can draw personal conclusions and decide whether this type of wallpaper is suitable for you or not. Significant pluses and minuses of the goods can persuade the buyer in one direction or another. But the main thing is to take a responsible approach to the choice of goods, because the comfort and appearance of the room will depend on the upcoming choice. Good luck choosing!

Video: how to choose non-woven wallpaper