Practical tips for using liquid wallpaper in the interior

Relatively recently, a new element has appeared on the building materials market – liquid wallpaper, also known as silk plaster. They are in the form of a dry bulk material, which often includes cellulose, silk fibers, natural dyes, an adhesive component, plastic components and decorative elements such as various glitters, mother-of-pearl and mica. They are sold in plastic bags. The main difference from plaster is the absence of sand and cement in the composition.

Liquid wallpaper is sold dry

To create decorative effects, fillers are added to liquid wallpaper – shine, granules, etc..

Let us consider in more detail what types this material is and how you can transform a room with the help of liquid wallpaper.

Varieties of liquid wallpaper

Liquid wallpaper is divided into 4 types:

Cotton wallpaper. In their composition, up to 98% is occupied, directly, by cotton fibers. The remaining 2% are natural supplements. They have excellent sound insulation and thermal insulation, which makes it possible to use them in a children’s room or bedroom.
Silk wallpaper. They are a very attractive, wear-resistant and long-lasting material. Safe for health and non-toxic.
Cellulose wallpaper. Due to the low cost of raw materials, they are the cheapest type of liquid wallpaper. As a disadvantage, it can be called the fact that this species is unstable to ultraviolet radiation. Therefore, the best option for use would be small rooms without bright sunlight, for example, a vestibule, hallway or corridor..
Silk-cellulose mixture. Depending on the amount in the composition of silk or cotton, prices vary slightly from “economy” to the middle segment.

Examples of textures of liquid wallpaper

Advantages and disadvantages

Liquid wallpaper, like all other finishing materials, has advantages and disadvantages. The positive qualities include the following:

The material is environmentally friendly.
Due to the fact that the application technology excludes the appearance of irregularities and creases, it is ideal for use in rooms with a large number of corners, niches and recesses.
In the process of application, they do not form joints and seams.
By decorating the walls with liquid wallpaper, you can even out small irregularities.
With different colors at your disposal, you can create a shade that will look perfect in your interior. The technology allows you to form all kinds of patterns and drawings.
The range of formulations allows you to achieve both smooth and embossed or rough surfaces.
Application is possible on absolutely any surface – radiators, junction boxes, etc..
Liquid wallpaper is a fireproof material. Therefore, they can be used in summer cottages and cottages with stove heating..
And, perhaps, one of the main advantages is that liquid wallpaper can be easily corrected and restored in the event of a defect..

Liquid wallpaper is suitable for interior decoration in any style

Liquid wallpaper does not absorb odors, does not fade and does not attract dust

With all the advantages, do not forget about the disadvantages:

The main one is exposure to water. Deforms when exposed to moisture, making them impossible to use in bathrooms and kitchen work areas.
The cost of wall decoration with liquid wallpaper is an order of magnitude higher than that of conventional roll.

Liquid wallpaper forms a slightly rough coating on the wall, warm to the touch

How to apply liquid wallpaper?

The first step is to prepare the wall surface for coating. Remnants of previous materials should be completely removed. The substrate must be dry and clean. If the room is damp enough, pre-treatment with an antiseptic solution is recommended.

Radical irregularities must be eliminated with putty and plaster. Then the walls are primed with a moisture-proof acrylic or colorless compound. It is not recommended to use colored primers, as they can show through under the topcoat..

When applying a protective composition, the service life of paper wallpaper increases significantly

After completing the previous steps, you can start applying liquid wallpaper..

They can be applied in a variety of ways, such as herringbone, bouquet, vertical or spiral. Choose the method that is most convenient for you.

Coating sequence

To prepare the working composition, you will need clean water, a measuring bucket and the liquid wallpaper itself.

Dry mix of liquid wallpaper comes in bags. The contents must be poured into a plastic container and add 5 – 7 liters of water, the manufacturer always indicates the exact amount on the pack. One package is designed to cover a plot of up to 4 sq. m. It is forbidden to soak part of the package, otherwise, the components may be unevenly distributed and call into question the final result.

The mixture must be thoroughly mixed so that there are no lumps left.
After adding water, it is necessary to thoroughly mix the resulting mixture until a homogeneous consistency and leave to soften for at least 8 hours.Immediately before starting work, another stirring is required.

The mixture is altered before application, if necessary add water
The coating is applied with a plastic construction float. Recommended thickness is 1 – 2 mm. When working with corners – movements are made in the direction from it.

The material is spread evenly over the wall surface
If after covering the room you still have some of the mixture, save it and use it next time. Just add leftovers to a new batch.

Working more conveniently with a transparent float, especially when creating complex drawings
Liquid wallpaper dries on average for 2 days. At the same time, unlike conventional rolls, they are not afraid of drafts. Therefore, feel free to open the windows and ventilate the room..

It is better to cover the entire wall with wallpaper from one batch.
In order to soften and remove a certain section of wallpaper, just moisten it with a wet roller and carefully dismantle it with a spatula..

When joining a new and dried surface, the dried area must be slightly soaked

When working with a ceiling, the technology remains the same. After the final leveling of the plane, apply the primer in 2 layers, observing an interval of about 4 hours so that each of them has time to dry. If your ceiling is plasterboard, most likely, leveling with putty is not required, and minor gaps in the seams will be filled with the wallpaper material itself.

Advice. If the room is sufficiently humid and damp, it is advisable to apply a moisture-proof colorless varnish over the liquid wallpaper. It will protect the coating from premature deformation..

With the help of liquid wallpaper, you can create various patterns and reliefs. To do this, you can create a stencil, attach it to the wall. Then we draw the background, outline the element and align the edges. After final drying, remove the sketches. Then we fill the resulting space with a different color or texture..

Using a stencil, you can creatively decorate a wall in a children’s room

Using a little imagination, liquid wallpaper in the interior will allow you to achieve uniqueness and originality. Create various patterns and shapes. Monotone or variegated, smooth or embossed and textured. Thanks to this material, you will be able to embody all your fantasies..

How to make your own liquid wallpaper

Due to the high cost of this coating, there are some tips on how to make liquid wallpaper with your own hands and at home. The most common option is a material based on paper or sawdust..

If you decide to start making a paper-based coating, you first need to prepare a large amount of the main component. For these purposes, you can use prints, sheets, magazines or other low density paper. Remember that glossy pages will add a grayish tone to the finished material. Therefore, if the planned color is light enough, it is better to refuse to use them. Depending on what texture you plan to get – the paper is either crushed coarsely, then the relief will be more noticeable, or fine enough to achieve a uniform and smooth coating.

Cut the paper into strips and soak in water

After about an hour, stir the paper with a construction mixer

In addition to the paper component, you will need elements such as water, glue, gypsum (alabaster) and a water-soluble dye to paint the material in the desired shade. With the help of sparkles, mica and mother-of-pearl, you can add zest and originality to the coating..

Add color and plaster

Mix everything thoroughly again – the working mass is ready to be applied to the walls

Directly for application, you will need a small set of tools, such as a spray gun, gloves, a brush, a plastic container and a trowel (with which ordinary roll wallpaper is glued).

1 kg of paper component will require 5 liters of water, 0.5 liters of glue, 0.5 kg of gypsum and antiseptic admixtures. This amount is enough to finish a space of up to 5 square meters. m.

The second budget option is sawdust as the main component of liquid wallpaper. Cooking proportions are exactly the same as in the previous version. To begin with, we soak the sawdust in a large container, then add glue and coloring pigments. Covering with a lid, leave the batch to brew for about 12 hours. At the last stage, add gypsum and mix thoroughly. After that, the mixture can be used.

The appearance of homemade liquid wallpaper a day after application is no different from the purchased material

Based on the foregoing, it can be argued that making liquid wallpaper at home is a good alternative to purchased mixtures. This will help to save a significant part of money without reducing the number of possible textures and colors, since you can find a wide range of the necessary dyes in hardware stores..

Liquid wallpaper in the interior

Liquid wallpaper in the interior looks quite unusual and attractive. They fit organically into any style of the room. With their help, you can transform the look of a living room, bedroom or children’s room. The natural silk fibers present in the composition will add sophistication and gloss to your apartment, creating the illusion that the walls are decorated with expensive textile wallpaper. At the same time, if there is a desire to update the design, decorating the walls with new wallpaper will not be a hassle, since it is quite easy to remove them. It is enough to soak the surface with water.

Original checkerboard pattern from liquid wallpaper

Effective highlighting of the accent wall with red liquid wallpaper

Liquid wallpaper is often used to decorate living rooms and offices, wishing to get a practical and aesthetic interior

Another useful feature of liquid wallpaper is the ability to zon a room. By playing with color and texture, you can visually expand the room and add light to it. Individual designs can be developed for each room. For example, a children’s space can be stylized with boats, clouds, flowers and cute animals. And for the living room, a monotonous coating with the addition of a small amount of small sparkles or mother of pearl would be appropriate. The so-called melange effect and a fairly large texture of the coating will also look interesting and advantageous. If you want to depict various landscapes, contrasting transitions or bright color splashes – any design with liquid wallpaper is possible. But it should be remembered that this type of wallpaper deforms upon contact with water. Therefore, it is highly discouraged to use them in bathrooms and kitchens..

Having analyzed all the advantages and disadvantages of using liquid wallpaper in the interior, we can safely say that this is a great alternative to the usual roll wallpaper..

In the process of application, they have a number of advantages, the main of which is the absence of seams, which are inevitably present with standard gluing. It is also worth noting that liquid wallpapers are more convenient to use. There is no need to measure every millimeter in order to avoid the appearance of gaps and crevices. The drying process is simpler, there is no need to be afraid of drafts. You can use heating devices, but you should periodically ventilate the room..

Bedroom decoration with liquid wallpaper in pastel colors

From liquid wallpaper, you can create complex patterns and compositions on the walls

In conclusion, we add that liquid wallpaper in the interior allows you to achieve a high-quality, reliable and durable transformation of the room. With proper care and safety measures such as preventing water and excessive sunlight from entering, they can last up to 20 years. A huge variety of colors and textures will allow you to implement all your ideas and make the rooms of the apartment unique. Imagine, combine colors and shades in the interior, come up with a special design for yourself and your children – with such material as liquid wallpaper, all this becomes possible.

Video: Applying liquid wallpaper. Master Class.