Paint vs. Wallpaper for Interior Rooms

You’ve decided to update the interior rooms of your home or office, but face an important question: paint or wallpaper? There are pros and cons to each, depending on how the space is used and the atmosphere you want to create. We offer four tips to help make your decision easier.

1. Don’t Worry About the Current Design

If your walls are currently covered with wallpaper, don’t feel like you have to replace the old with new vinyl, fabric, embossed or cloth wallpaper. The same goes for paint! If you want a patterned, textured wall instead of paint, don’t hesitate to make the switch to wallpaper.

2. Do You Need a Quick Solution?

If you’re in a bind and have little time to redesign a room, your options become more limited. Paint typically requires much less prep time than wallpaper and an interior project can be completed within a couple days. Wall blemishes are spackled and dried within 24 hours, then the surface can be primed and painted.

3. Are You Looking for a Long-Term Solution?

Wallpaper may be more complicated to apply than paint, but it’s worth the effort. Paint lasts an average of five years before you start to notice wear and tear, while wallpaper can last more than 15 years – that’s three times longer than paint!

4. How Is the Room Used?

The location and use of a room will also help you make the decision between paint and wallpaper. High moisture areas like the bathroom may cause wallpaper to prematurely peel, while rooms that experience a lot of wall scraping and hitting may see chipped paint sooner.

Also consider the type of material that works best for the space; for example, dirty handprints on the walls of a playroom can be easily cleaned off durable vinyl wallpaper.

Interested in a residential or commercial remodeling project? Contact the experts at M. Brett Painting today for all your paint and wallpaper needs!