Vinyl Wallpapers on Felt Base: The Gold Middle for Walls
If you are wondering which wallpapers are better - vinyl or felt, a clear answer can be found in what exactly you want from the wallpaper coating:
Vinyl wallpapers are washable, i.e., they are moisture-resistant, but do not allow air to pass through (with the exception of vinyl wallpapers with micro-pores). These are not recommended for use in children's rooms, but they are suitable for kitchens, hallways and adult bedrooms.
Felt wallpapers, on the other hand, allow the wall surface to breathe, but they do not react well to moisture. Therefore, it is not rational to use them on walls near the kitchen or bathroom.
Vinyl wallpapers are less prone to mechanical damage, they are thicker and heavier than felt wallpapers, so due to the weight of the rolls, special adhesive compositions must be used. Thicker means denser and more reliable. If you want your coating to last longer, the choice is in favor of vinyl.
Felt wallpapers are easier to apply and there is less chance that after gluing the edges of the wallpaper will open up.
Undoubtedly, each of these coatings has its advantages and disadvantages.
Photo 1 — Rasch wallpapers (Barbara Becker collection)
The golden middle is vinyl wallpapers on felt. In this variety, all the main positive qualities of wallpaper materials are combined: these wallpapers are easy to apply, vinyl on felt is a strong material that does not tear when the roll is rolled out on the wall, and textured wallpapers effectively hide wall defects. In addition, the color palette and textures are wide thanks to hot stamping, and any wallpaper coating can be selected.
Moreover, due to the vinyl layer on the surface of the wallpapers, these wallpapers are moisture-resistant and suitable for both the living room and the kitchen.
A worthy option for wall decoration is silk printing: these wallpapers, indeed, are on a paper base, but they are also coated with a layer of PVC: their surface is smoother and visually resembles shiny silk.
Photo 2 — ART wallpapers (Russia)
Vinyl Wallpapers on Felt Base: Health Risks
Unscrupulous manufacturers may use toxic additives in the production of vinyl wallpapers to replace natural components. When decomposing, they release harmful substances for human health.
However, if you buy certified wallpaper products in a specialized salon-store, using the wallpaper catalog from the manufacturer rather than at the market with words like "Grandma Mashas", there is no need to worry.
The leading manufacturers of vinyl wallpapers, considering not only their own company positioning but also consumer reviews, are companies such as Rasch, Erismann, Marburg (Germany), Sipri (Italy), and among domestic producers, one can mention the ART company. It is worth focusing on their products (and their price lists) when considering cosmetic renovation of a room.
Photo 3 — Sirpi wallpapers (Muralto Classic collection)
Vinyl Wallpapers on Felt Base: Characteristics
These are reliable and durable non-toxic wallpapers with high mechanical strength and lightfastness: the surface of vinyl wallpapers on felt does not fade over a long period.
Also, these are water-resistant wallpapers: they can be cleaned not just with a damp sponge, some even with special cleaning agents.
Vinyl wallpapers on felt do not require pre-application of adhesive to the roll: glue is applied directly to the wall, which greatly facilitates adjusting the roll relative to the vertical or seam of already applied wallpaper. Moreover, this significantly reduces the time required for wall covering.
The felt base of the wallpapers does not absorb moisture, so during installation or use, the wallpapers do not deform.
The standard width is 1.06 m (meter-wide wallpapers are easier to apply, and these dimensions allow reducing the number of seams by half).
The felt base is less affected by environmental conditions than other bases, which makes the service life of such wallpapers orders of magnitude longer than that of other coatings.
A major advantage: vinyl wallpapers on felt can be removed from the wall as one entire roll, without residue.
Moreover, such wallpapers do not show through, which is undoubtedly important when covering walls painted with water-emulsion paint.
Photo 4 — Sirpi wallpapers (Muralto Florian collection)
Technical Characteristics of Wallpapers:
According to Euro standards, vinyl wallpapers on felt are produced in rolls of 10.05 m in length and 1.06 m in width, which equals 10.65 m² of surface area ready for wall covering.
- The weight of a standard roll does not exceed 3.6–3.8 kg.
- The diameter of the roll is 9–10 cm.
- Service life guarantee: up to 20 years.
What Adhesive Is Better to Use for Vinyl Wallpapers on Felt Base?
There are three undeniable leaders on the market: these are adhesives from brands Metylan (Germany), Quelyd (Ukraine), and Pufas (Germany).
Metylan Felt Premium adhesive is designed for gluing walls with wallpapers on felt base.
One 250 g package is enough for covering 25–32 m².
The adhesive is applied directly to the wall.
Price: $3.5.
Quelyd Special Felt adhesive is also designed exclusively for gluing walls with wallpapers on felt base.
One 300 g package is enough for covering 35 m².
Preparation time: 10 minutes.
Price: $4.
Pufas adhesive with indicator is used for gluing walls with wallpapers on felt, vinyl wallpapers on paper base, and paper wallpapers.
One 300 g package should be enough for covering 35–45 m².
The adhesive can be prepared in just 5 minutes.
Price: $5.
Among the options provided, the best adhesive is any of the first two, as both are not universal but designed for specific types of wallpapers.
By the way, all adhesives listed above have a weak or no unpleasant odor.
Painting Vinyl Wallpapers on Felt Base
All vinyl wallpapers on felt, except foam ones, are well-suited for painting with water-emulsion paint.
In this case, you can also purchase special wallpapers for painting in neutral white or soft pastel shades.
QUESTION: Can you paint regular vinyl wallpapers?
ANSWER: Of course, yes! However, keep in mind that the paint should not be diluted too much or it will settle unevenly or fail to achieve the desired rich tone.
How to Apply Vinyl Wallpapers on Felt Base
The first distinctive feature: before applying vinyl wallpapers on felt base, you do not need to perfectly level the wall because the structure of the wallpaper allows hiding surface defects.
Second: adhesive should be applied not to the roll but to the wall (with a fluffy roller slightly wider than one wallpaper strip).
Third: when smoothing the roll, it is better to work not with a spatula but with a special rubber roller that does not stretch the wallpaper material too much.
Fourth: Wallpaper strips should be applied with a 1 mm gap instead of butting them together - this gap will close to zero during leveling.
Despite the simplicity of applying these wallpapers, there are still a few problematic areas, one of which is the room corners. To ensure that felt wallpapers fit tightly in the corners and the roll does not start to protrude over time, the wallpaper strips are applied not butted but overlapped by no more than 0.5–0.7 mm. After gluing, a special soft plastic spatula is used to press the material tightly against the wall.
To avoid the most common difficulties during wallpaper application - wrinkles and air bubbles under the rolls - it is necessary to:
- pass a roller over the center of the wallpaper strip after placing it on the wall, and then roll the wallpaper down the wall in a "tree" pattern (from center to edges with light diagonal movements);
- do not remove the roller from the surface of the wallpaper when it touches it.
Wallpaper is fixed to the ceiling according to the same principle, taking into account individual characteristics of the ceiling surface (wood must be leveled, concrete must be primed with deep-penetrating primer, gypsum board must be spackled and primed).
IMPORTANT! Vinyl wallpapers on felt should only be applied vertically, as gluing felt rolls by going around the perimeter of the room rather than up the wall is meaningless: this seamless method works in most cases only with special wide textile wallpapers.
How to Apply Vinyl Wallpapers on Felt Base. VIDEO
http://youtu.be/Edp3Wr3TuiY
Vinyl Wallpapers on Felt Base: Buy and Don't Regret
The price of vinyl wallpapers on felt can start from $18 (Rasch Plaisir 712377, 0.53x10) and go over $100 (Erismann, Crystal collection).
Their price is quite justified by the long service life and durability of the coating.
Photo 5 — Rasch Plaisir 712377, 0.53x10
Cost of vinyl wallpapers on felt base
- Kiev - from 149.90 UAH/roll;
- Moscow - from 482 rubles/roll.