Finishing the bathroom with combined materials. How to decorate bathroom walls: rules for choosing materials and tips. Preparing walls for finishing

When approaching a bathroom renovation, not everyone believes that the only option for finishing the floors and walls is tiles. There are several alternative options, which, among other things, can save money and also reduce time for finishing work.

Wall decoration

Dye

An option that does not require any materials at all is paint. Manufacturers offer a lot of options for moisture-resistant paints that are suitable for the bathroom.

The advantages of this solution are quite significant:

You can choose almost any color or several at once;
Paints differ in texture, can be glossy or matte, you can create different effects;
This method does not require high qualifications - anyone can paint walls with a brush or roller;
This is a fairly budget option - depending on the size of the room and the paint you choose, you can spend a modest amount of money.
Painting does not take much time - most likely, the work will be completed in one day.

However, if you decide to paint the walls, and not only in the bathroom, then preparing the surface – the walls – will require significant time, money and effort.

To get the walls ready for painting, you need to clean them of the old coating, remove the old plaster, especially in those places where it “sits” loosely, and re-level the walls. There is another option to “sew up” the walls with plasterboard. The final result is coated with primer twice, after which it can be painted.

Plastic panels

Another option for the bathroom is plastic panels. They are resistant to moisture, create a smooth surface even on an imperfect wall, and have huge amount color solutions. As a rule, one PVC panel is several times larger than a square of tiles, which means installation will be faster.

Plastic panels are attached either to liquid nails, directly to the wall. Note that if there is an old tile in the bathroom that has lost its attractiveness, but still holds up well and is made to last, then the panels can be glued directly on top of it. Another mounting option is on the frame. If the walls are not level enough, an aluminum profile frame protruding a couple of centimeters will correct the picture, and installing panels on the frame is easy and simple.

Moisture-resistant wallpaper

The next option is moisture-resistant wallpaper. They are produced by many brands that produce “clothes for the walls.” However, it is better to use wallpaper in bathrooms, the area of which allows you to “unfold”. So, beautiful wallpaper can decorate those areas that are not directly exposed to water. The walls adjacent to the sink and bathtub should still be finished with something more resistant to moisture.

Despite the fact that the wallpaper is labeled “suitable for the bathroom,” it is based on paper, albeit impregnated with special substances. Therefore, you should not count on long-term use of wallpaper in the bathroom - over time they may peel off.

Decorative plaster

A decorative plaster finish would look appropriate in a bathroom., if this material is protected with moisture-resistant varnish. There are a lot of options for such decor on the building materials market: different in texture and color, such plasters can act “solo” or become a partner for any type of finishing described above.

Floor finishing

Linoleum

The main thing is to choose linoleum of the appropriate class - in this case you need a coating of class 21-23, suitable for residential premises. Next, you need to consider the properties of linoleum.

The following requirements are put forward for the bathroom:

Low slip coefficient to avoid injury on wet floors;
The ability to create airtight joints by welding or gluing;
Minimum porosity of the base so that it does not absorb moisture;
High moisture resistance and wear resistance of the top layer.

Laying linoleum implies that there will be no furniture or bathtub in the room, otherwise the material will have to be cut and “adjusted” to fit the legs and other protrusions. If it is possible to lay linoleum in one piece, then the work will not take much time - the material must be given time to rest and straighten, then it is fixed with baseboards.

Moisture-resistant laminate

Another option flooring in the bathroom - moisture-resistant laminate. Unlike the usual one, it perfectly retains moisture on the surface and does not deform, and its layers are firmly pressed together, which prevents delamination when water gets in.

The installation of such a coating has its own nuances, first of all, this is the choice of a special sealing adhesive that will protect the joints of the laminate.

Another important point– selection of a substrate, which must also meet the requirements of moisture resistance. Otherwise, installing laminate flooring in a bathroom is no different from the usual process in any other room.

Bathrooms are usually the smallest rooms in the house. Therefore, very often homeowners, when making repairs, especially cosmetic ones, try to do it on their own.

Naturally, for this you need to make the right choice of finishing material and methods of applying it. How and with what you can decorate the walls in the bathroom with your own hands will be discussed further in this article.

Risk factors

The bathroom is a very specific room, with special operating conditions for any building materials, especially finishing ones, since they bear the main load from external influences.

Therefore, compared to, say, residential premises, the choice of wall coverings here is very limited. Before choosing a material for the walls in the bathroom, you should decide on the factors that will influence its “viability”.

Among them:

Constant high humidity
Direct exposure to water
Not very good ventilation
Regular influence chemical compounds– soaps, shampoos, powders, toothpaste
Increased likelihood of mechanical impacts due to the small volume of the room
Potential for bacterial infections to occur in damp environments

Not all finishing materials are able to withstand such a complex of aggressive factors for any reasonable time. Therefore, when deciding what to decorate the walls in the bathroom with, you should immediately discard obviously losing options, such as paper wallpaper or water-based paint.

Better yet, outline the circle of optimal “candidates” and choose the best from among them.

Moreover, the choice will also depend on the existing one, if the apartment is not new. After all, the labor intensity of preparing them for use will depend on what the walls are now covered with. new material, and it can vary very significantly.

If the walls are currently covered with tiles, the process of dismantling them and subsequent leveling of the walls can be very difficult.

Preliminary preparation

In any case, the walls should initially be smooth. How even it is depends on the subsequent planned finishing. For painting or gluing roll materials– this stage should be carried out especially carefully. These coatings cannot tolerate any significant defects in terms of surface evenness. They will catch your eye no matter what.

The situation is somewhat simpler with preparation for various tiling works - a layer of glue under the tiles can even out quite serious differences in depth, and panels made of plastic or other materials will simply hide them underneath.

But, in any case, pre-treatment of the walls in the bathroom will require work to organize waterproofing and protect against bacterial contamination. For this purpose they serve either plaster mixtures with appropriate additives, or, if plastering is not planned, special compounds applied directly to the wall.

One of the most difficult cases in terms of preparation is new cladding for a wall that was previously covered with tiles. After all, with high-quality masonry, it is very difficult to clean this material from the wall.

In this case, most real way replacement of the coating - this is the preliminary application of a soil-concrete mixture - they are produced different manufacturers, and using this composition you can apply new plaster or a layer of tiles over the old coating.

It is possible to carry out very high-quality repairs to the walls in the bathroom using moisture-resistant plasterboard sheets.

However, this option is not suitable for small rooms - installing plasterboard on profiles will reduce the size of the room by at least 50 mm on each wall, which is unacceptable in small bathrooms.

Material selection

Based on specific operating conditions, not all materials are suitable for use in bathroom cladding.

From the generally accepted practice, Mosaic is still relevant and is finished most often:

ceramic tiles
oil paint
mosaic
painting the walls in the bathroom with various waterproof paints
synthetic waterproof wallpaper
pvc panels
plastic lining
tree

Among the new products on the market, we can mention self-adhesive film- this is something similar to wallpaper, but on the front side it has a pattern, perhaps in the form of a panel, and the back side has an adhesive layer.

It is much easier to use than wallpapering the walls in the bathroom. More recently, agglomerate has appeared - a material in the form of tiles made of cement and various synthetic fillers. By performance qualities it is not inferior to tiles, but by heating it to a temperature of 650 ° C, the tiles can be bent, giving them a curved shape, which is very convenient.

Also, several manufacturers have begun producing so-called linoleum for walls. With a thickness of about 1 mm, it’s difficult to call it linoleum, but it’s still much more than ordinary wallpaper. It is made from PVC with various additives, is flexible and very resistant to mechanical stress.

Before covering the walls in the bathroom with any material, you need to carefully weigh the pros and cons.

It is possible to properly cover bathroom walls only with the help of synthetics - fiberglass and similar materials. Regular options for paper based will last 2-3 watering cycles hot water. Therefore, at a minimum, you should focus on fiberglass or other materials on a fiberglass backing or vinyl base.

An original result can be achieved if you paint the walls in the bathroom using wallpaper for painting. Naturally, with any pasting you should pay attention to water resistance - on a roll of such material there is an icon in the form of three waves.

Important information!

Despite the fact that manufacturers of various synthetic materials They claim they are completely environmentally safe, but this is often not entirely true.

Harmful substances are released to varying degrees. Therefore, experts do not recommend using synthetics in rooms where the volume-to-area ratio is less than 8/1.

For example, in a bathroom with an area of 4 m2 the volume should be 32 m3.

In general, the bathroom renovation process itself has several main stages.

Among them:

Measurement of the room. The results must be reflected in the form of a drawing, and the installed or planned installation of plumbing, furniture, household appliances.
Naturally, if redevelopment is planned, one should proceed from its design
Choosing a material - what to cover the walls in the bathroom with, how to finish it
Selection of required material sizes, calculation of their quantity. It should be remembered that the size of the same tile can add coziness to a spacious room, or, on the contrary, make a small one even more cramped
Choosing bathroom wall color, you need to remember that it also greatly affects visual perception. Warm, and even more so hot tones, for example, red, will narrow the room, cold ones, on the contrary, will expand.
An increase in volume is also achieved by the arrangement of the material - ceramic tiles, for example, with a diagonal offset in rows

Special cases

The simplest question of all that arises when finishing is how to treat the walls in the bathroom before applying the coating material. For indoor spaces old building it is not even discussed - a layer of antiseptic is necessary.

But it won’t hurt in new bathrooms either, because if the fungus gets under the lining layer, no matter what it is, it will be very difficult to remove it.

It is better to use special compounds with the addition of water repellents (water repellents). Extra protection will not interfere with the walls, regardless of what material is used for cladding. Also, the weakest point of the coatings is the seams, and they should be sealed especially carefully.

Another fairly common problem is the insulation of walls in the bathroom. It occurs when one or more walls of the room are external or open into some unheated rooms. Thermal insulation can be installed from the inside of the bathroom or from the outside.

In the first case, it is possible to use roll insulation, with their subsequent sewing moisture-resistant plasterboard, or polystyrene foam. In the case of foam plastic, it is secured with an adhesive mixture and mushroom brackets.

A mesh is attached to it and plastered, after which it can be faced with any material. It is problematic to use roll thermal insulation outside, so polystyrene foam is usually installed in the same way. However, before you insulate the wall in the bathroom from the outside, you should coordinate the issue with the housing office and with your neighbors.

Often homeowners decide to expand the area of the toilet and bathroom by combining them. This solution has its pros and cons, but before you break down the wall in the bathroom, you also need to coordinate this with the housing office. In some cases, it is absolutely impossible to make such changes to the layout.

Since the decoration of the bathroom usually does not change too often, before doing so, you should think carefully about what to glue the walls in the bathroom with. Each material has its pros and cons, and the final decision is always up to the owner. Well, the market provides a huge selection of finishing materials that will allow you to “dress” the walls of any room with high quality.

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Decorating the walls in the bathroom: 6 ways to satisfy the sophisticated artistic taste of the district police chief

September 2, 2016
Specialization: Capital construction work (laying a foundation, erecting walls, constructing a roof, etc.). Internal construction work (laying internal communications, rough and fine finishing). Hobbies: mobile communications, high technology, computer technology, programming.

I recently received a new order for a bathroom renovation. I would not have told you about this case if it were not for the fact that the owner, who, by the way, heads the district police unit, had not decided on how to decorate the walls in the bathroom before concluding an agreement with me. That is, he, of course, said that it was possible to tile the surfaces, but asked me to help select alternative options for finishing the plumbing room.

I told him in detail what materials there are for decorating walls in the bathroom, what their pros and cons are. I will describe in detail the finishing options that I offered him in this material, so that everyone interested can also choose something for themselves.

Well, at the end I’ll tell you what wall covering my client chose. You might want to decorate the walls of your own bathroom with it yourself.

Existing finishing materials

First, I’ll tell you what materials can be used for decorative design plumbing facilities, and then together we will decide how best to decorate the bathroom. I’ll warn you right away that there will be subjective assessments, so if you don’t agree with my opinion, you can express yours in the comments.

So, in my practice, during renovations in bathrooms and toilets, I used the types of finishing materials that are listed in the diagram above. Not all options were given excellent result, and in each specific case you need to choose based on the area of the bathroom, the presence of a window, height, installed plumbing equipment, and so on.

Features of individual decorative materials

I will tell you about the pros and cons of the most common options, and you are free to choose what to cover or cover the walls with yourself.

Method 1 - Ceramic tiles

Long service life. Despite significant temperature fluctuations and high air humidity, ceramic tile cladding will last you for several decades. If, of course, you glue it correctly.
Antiseptic properties and hygiene. The tile has a smooth and dense surface without pores, so dust and dirt do not stick to it, and it can be washed without any effort, using ordinary household detergents.
Aesthetics. IN construction stores You can find such a wide variety of tiles that even the most experienced buyer in this matter can make his choice.

Tiles come in different colors, sizes and textures. You can make plain walls, lay out some kind of ornament and even a pattern (for example, from a mosaic).

The same applies to cost. The price of tiles depends on many factors, so you can always choose affordable option. But here I advise you to pay attention to one nuance. To the costs of the material, you need to add the amount of remuneration for the workers who will line the walls.

Of course, you can do everything yourself, but for this you need to have certain skills.

As I already said at the beginning of the article, the customer of the renovation just wanted to move away from the classics in the form of tiles, so I won’t focus on this, moving on to describing alternative options for finishing the walls in the bathroom.

Method 2 - Wallpaper

So what can I say about the wallpaper? First of all, ordinary paper varieties will not work here. If you are looking for something to cover your bathroom with, you should immediately pay attention to moisture-resistant wallpaper that can withstand exposure to humid air well.

Despite its apparent unusualness, this finishing material for a plumbing room it has certain advantages, although it is not without its disadvantages. So that you can objectively decide what you can use to cover your bathroom walls, I suggest comparing the pros and cons of the option under consideration.

Pros	Cons
The wallpaper itself costs little, as does the work of covering the walls with it. Moreover, there is hardly a person in our country who has not glued wallpaper himself at least once in his life. That is, if you are looking for the most economical option, you don’t need to look further, you have found it.	Paper, no matter how well it is protected, deteriorates when wet. Therefore, no matter how much your grandmother, who still has a large stock of wallpaper from the last renovation, would like it, I categorically do not recommend gluing it in the bathroom.
The wallpaper is easy to stick and remove. Therefore, if your significant other is suddenly tired of the appearance of the bathroom, within one or two days you can radically change the design of the room.	After gluing, glue may appear on the wallpaper, which increases in size under the influence of moisture. As a result, your brilliant design idea will be hopelessly ruined.
A wide variety of options makes it easy to combine various wallpapers, which gives the room a truly unique character. You can do the same with tiles, but in this case there is simply an unlimited field for imagination.	Paper is a hygroscopic material. Therefore, if you cover the walls with such wallpaper, during operation they will absorb water vapor dissolved in the air, which will sooner or later cause them to collapse.

But, if you are determined to use wallpaper to decorate your bathroom, I will give you some recommendations on how to glue the walls so that they look perfect and do not change their appearance during use.

So, I suggested to my client (and I suggest you) to use the following wallpaper:

Washable. They have a protective coating that prevents water vapor from penetrating into the deep layers of paper. Such wallpaper does not increase in size or swell during use. They have a relatively long service life.

Another advantage is ease of cleaning. Dust and dirt can be easily removed from the surface of the protective layer, and if it appears, mold and mildew can be removed. In this case, after processing, the pattern of the material remains intact.

Vinyl. Ideal for finishing walls in rooms with high humidity levels. They withstand not only water vapor, but also direct contact with liquid (albeit short-term).

I consider the main disadvantage of this material to be high cost. Typically, wallpaper is chosen to save on room decoration. But in this case it won’t be possible to do that. But in defense of vinyl wallpaper, I can say that they have a huge service life. In the coming years, you definitely won’t have to decide what to cover your bathroom walls with.

Self-adhesive. These wallpapers, in truth, are a type of vinyl, but I decided to separate them into a separate block.

They differ in the method of gluing. Already applied to their back surface adhesive composition. You just need to moisten the surface of the wallpaper with water, then press it onto the surface to be treated.

Liquid. This wallpaper, on the contrary, is not wallpaper in the classical sense of the word. They are a dry powder, from which a kind of decorative plaster is then made, which is used to treat the walls.

This material has a long service life, is resistant to moisture and is easy to clean. Moreover, I can say with confidence that with the help liquid wallpaper You can decorate your bathroom very effectively.

Glass wallpaper. A unique type of finishing material that looks like wallpaper and adheres the same way, but is absolutely impervious to moisture. Therefore, they are simply ideal for furnishing a bathroom.

Another huge plus is the ability to paint the surface on which the wallpaper is glued. That is, you can combine any colors, patterns, shapes, and so on. And the special texture of the wallpaper will only add sophistication to the interior of the sanitary room.

By the way, changing the appearance of the bathroom is very simple. Take a brush or roller and repaint the walls. Your significant other who wants to feel like a designer will really like this.

Photo wallpaper. Another way to inexpensively and effectively decorate a bathroom. I advise, as in all other cases, to choose moisture-resistant wallpaper that does not deteriorate from exposure to water or water vapor.

As for gluing, there are no subtleties here. The main thing is to combine the canvases correctly so that the drawing looks solid.

Whatever type of material you choose, you need to maintain a sense of proportion and select wallpaper to suit the overall interior design. Otherwise, you will end up with a kind of eclecticism that will cause confusion, not tenderness.

Method 3 - Paint

Another extremely simple, fast and inexpensive way to decorate walls in the bathroom is painting. As with wallpaper, you need to choose and buy moisture-resistant paints and varnishes. If this is not done, mold stains will soon appear on the treated surfaces.

To avoid such troubles, I advise you to buy paint that contains fungicides - substances that prevent the formation and development of microorganisms on treated surfaces.

Most often I had to use water-based paint for bathrooms. If it is correctly applied to thoroughly dried surfaces, it penetrates deeply into the mineral surface, after which it retains its characteristics and attractive appearance for a long time. However, it is necessary to choose a latex-based water-based emulsion, which is more durable, strong and can withstand moisture well.

Construction stores offer a huge number of colors and shades. If for some reason you don’t find something suitable, you can contact specialists who will tint the paint using special equipment, adding the necessary pigments.

Paint, among other things, allows you to significantly save on the finishing work itself. A pre-prepared surface can be painted with a brush or roller in a matter of hours.

Additional benefits of using wall paints in bathrooms are:

high resistance to water vapor and splashes of water;
ease of surface care;
no abrasion during operation;
high hygiene.

It is possible to beautifully paint the bathroom walls, as well as paste them with wallpaper, only if the surfaces of the room have been thoroughly plastered and puttied beforehand. Otherwise, all defects and other imperfections will be visible.

Therefore, giving preference to the options listed above, immediately decide how to plaster gas silicate block, brick or monolithic concrete so that later you can easily hang wallpaper in the bathroom or paint the walls with water-based paint.

Method 4 - Plastic panels

IN lately Plastic panels are becoming increasingly popular, which can be used to decorate various rooms, including the bathroom.

Structurally, this finishing material consists of rectangular sheets of plastic (reminiscent of wide lining), which are equipped with a system of tongues and grooves at the ends for tight joining to each other, as well as special perforations that facilitate installation.

The panels can be painted in a specific color or have a pattern that imitates a mosaic. Some types of materials are decorated with three-dimensional images that allow you to effectively decorate your bathroom.

This finishing material for bathrooms has the following advantages:

Economical. The material itself is inexpensive, especially compared to tiles or, for example, wood panels. In addition, the process of installing polymer panels itself does not require any special qualifications from the master (as is the case with tiles).
Easy to install. To install the panels, a wooden lathing is required, with which you can easily level the walls. Therefore, you will not need to plaster or putty them, achieving a perfectly flat and smooth surface. I would say that paneling a bathroom is even easier than painting the walls.
Long service life. Plastic perfectly withstands the effects of aggressive environmental factors that are typical for the microclimate in the bathroom. At the same time, he not only preserves his technical specifications, but does not change the appearance.
Waterproof. The polymer surface does not absorb water even in direct contact with liquid. Therefore, moist air in the bathroom does not in any way affect operation. plastic panels.
Wide variety of designs. In stores you can find various panels: from simply painted ones to models with flowers and animals. Therefore, the scope for your creativity will not be limited in any way.

Now as for the shortcomings. I consider only one significant disadvantage: poor environmental friendliness. Still, polymers do not have the best effect on human health, releasing substances harmful to humans during operation.

However modern manufacturers They are constantly working to improve the panels and, perhaps, when you read this article, the store is already delivering material that has minimal, if not zero, emissions of harmful substances.

I would like to devote a few words to the choice of colors and patterns. I have extensive experience in finishing bathrooms with panels, so although I do not have a designer’s education, I can still give some practical advice:

Choose panels based on the area of your plumbing room. If the bathroom is small, give preference to light shades and small patterns. This visually expands the space.
You can make the walls plain or combine several colors. If you bought non-white panels, make sure that their color matches the overall design style, as well as the color of the plumbing fixtures.
I advise you to buy panels for the bathroom with a minimum of catchy flowers and decorations. Especially if they are embossed. Dirt often accumulates in the folds of the surface, and in case of poor ventilation, mold and mildew grow.

By the way, plastic panels allow you to mask everything without any problems. engineering communications. To do this, you need to make the lathing above or in front of the pipes. There is no need to resort to additional tricks.

Method 5 - Decorative plaster

The performance properties of modern materials are constantly improving. And if earlier I would not have advised you to use decorative plaster to decorate your bathroom, now I not only advise, but recommend. By the way, my client settled on this particular design option for the plumbing room.

Modern decorative plaster compositions are made on the basis of acrylic with special additives, which makes the materials waterproof. They do not lose their color throughout the entire period of operation and can withstand significant temperature fluctuations in the air in the bathroom.

In addition, I can name a few more significant advantages of this type of material:

High coefficient of vapor permeability. Decorative plaster capable of absorbing water vapor in the air and releasing it back. Therefore, unlike tiles, this finish is able to regulate the humidity in the room, creating a comfortable microclimate.

For example, I like that in plaster-finished bathrooms the mirror does not fog up after taking a shower, even if you forget to turn on the exhaust fan.

Easy to care for. Modern plaster for decorative wall decoration is not the delicate material with which I began working several years ago. Now the coating has excellent mechanical strength and is not damaged chemicals contained in detergents.

Moreover, after application, some compositions acquire antistatic properties, due to which they do not attract, but rather repel dust from the surface.

Possibility of creating unique designs. Decorative plasters are not only beautiful in themselves, but can also imitate surfaces made of other materials, such as marble.

In addition, if you have the appropriate abilities, you can paint a whole picture with this finishing material. But here everything depends only on the firmness of your hand and confidence in the impeccability of your artistic taste.

If I have convinced you of the need to use this particular material, then you will learn how to plaster the walls in the bathroom, that is, what specific type of finish to choose.

There are two large categories of plasters:

Smooth. The most common in this group is the so-called Venetian plaster, which is most often used for finishing plumbing blocks. It has a glossy surface that does not allow water to accumulate on the surface.

Venetian plaster appearance imitates marble, so it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to make your bathtub unique with it. You can only vary the colors and some effects. For example, I plastered the walls, making them look a little cracked.

Also in my practice, I worked with plaster using pre-made stencils. With their help you can create paintings on the walls. But know that such a service is quite expensive, since the process takes a lot of time.

Structural. After processing the walls, they form a certain ordered relief. You most likely know similar materials under the names “bark beetles” or “pebbles.”

Before purchasing such plaster, it is important to know that the textured surface retains liquid. If it's not for long, nothing bad will happen. But if the plaster gets wet all the time, it can sometimes affect its appearance and strength.

This plaster can be used to decorate walls in the bathroom, but its service life will be much shorter than the service life of a smooth composition.

Finishing the conversation about this type of finishing material, I’ll give you a few more tips that once helped me:

Plasters are sold dry building mixtures and ready-to-use formulations. Buy dry powders. Ready-made plaster cannot be thinned by adjusting the viscosity. This often makes it difficult to work on walls.
If you buy material with coarse filler, do not mix it with a mixer mounted on a drill. In this case, you will have to achieve uniformity manually, using a trowel or spatula.
I find plasters with decorative fillers of different sizes to be the most difficult to use. If you have no experience working with this material at all, it’s best to hire a specialist or choose a different finishing option.
Do not buy water-soluble plasters. They are more environmentally friendly, but do not tolerate humid air well. If you had to plaster with this composition, after drying, treat the surface with protective wax.

Method 6 - Wood

Decorating a bathroom with wood is a very exotic and rare way to decorate a sanitary facility. And we are talking here not only about the high cost of the material, but also about its inability to withstand external destructive factors characteristic of the bathroom.

Therefore, if you decide to use wood to decorate a room, I recommend following a few tips:

It is necessary to select wood species with a minimum deformation coefficient. This means that the workpieces and cladding parts will practically not change their original dimensions under the influence of high temperature and humidity.
It is advisable to buy panels or lining made of wood, which has high antiseptic properties. That is, mold and mildew will not develop on its surface. It's best if they are exotic plants, but you can take oak or hornbeam.

In any case, you should not forget about treating surfaces with antiseptics. However, you should make sure that they do not cause harm to humans, otherwise all your efforts to create an eco-friendly bathroom will be nullified.

When choosing a finishing material, you should check the humidity level. Only completely dried wood can be used. Otherwise, during operation it will be deformed, which will disrupt the harmony of the interior.

Remember that wood gets wet differently in the same bathroom. For example, a section of walls located near a sink or toilet will get wet more often. Therefore, to design such areas, I recommend using:

beech elm or oak;
larch or cedar;
merabu or ebony;
bamboo.

In all other zones, you can choose the type of wood yourself.

Remember that no matter how you protect the wood, it will warp in humid air. Therefore, wall cladding should be laid with small gaps. It is better to generally use the tree in fragments.

After installing the surface from natural materials must be treated with varnish or paint. By the way, I recommend repeating the treatment every 5 years so that the wood lasts as well as possible.

Varnish can also be replaced with oil, which gives the wood excellent hydrophobic properties. However, the instructions for its use suggest that impregnation of surfaces must be repeated at least once a month.

But a bathroom decorated with wood will be truly unique. I can count on one hand the times I have used this material for decoration.

Conclusion

The choice of finishing materials is a subjective matter. I told you about the options that I like. You also learned how and with what to plaster the walls in the bathroom. If you are interested in the technology of covering surfaces with plastic panels, you can watch the video in this article.

And if you have decorated your bathroom in some exotic way, I and my readers would be interested to know about it. In the comments to this material, you can tell what and how you did to create a masterpiece of home design.

Wall decoration

Ceramic tiles

Decorating the walls in the bathroom with ceramic tiles will always be classic. The tile has certain qualities that explain its popularity:

even with the highest humidity in the room, tiled walls in the bathroom can last several decades;
the tiles are easy to clean;
a variety of decorative solutions, bathroom wall tiles can be used different colors, size and texture.

Bathroom wall cladding can be done in several ways:

the tiles cover the walls completely;
the tiles are glued halfway;
tiling only some areas of the room.

Wall cladding for a small bathroom can be done using the first and second methods. For a large one, all three are allowed. The bathroom floor should also match the tiles on the walls.

You can lay tiles in different ways:

uniform laying of seam to seam vertically and horizontally;
laying diagonally;
laying in the form of a chessboard;
modular installation method (tiles of different sizes);
finishing the bathroom walls with tiles in the form of an ornament (tiles of different colors or tiles with a pattern are used);
patchwork (tiles with a pattern that is not united by a common theme).

Ceramic tiles take their name from ancient Greece. The word "keramos" is translated as "to burn." This name is explained by the method of obtaining this finishing material.

Mosaic finishing

How to finish a bath other than tiles, but of the same quality? Using mosaics, you can achieve a similar effect, but at the same time create unique design your bathroom.

In order for the mosaic wall covering in the bathroom to hold firmly, you need to choose the right adhesive for it. It must be moisture resistant, viscous and have high adhesion qualities. Mosaic glue should be white. This will allow the transparent mosaic pieces to look most impressive.

How to cover the walls of any surface in the bathroom? A mosaic will do just fine. This material can be used to decorate walls:

concrete;
metal;
wooden;
plastered.

Agglomerate finishing

Comes into fashion modern finishing agglomerate bathroom walls. This is a new finishing material that looks like ceramic tiles. Finishing with agglomerate significantly benefits installation. Securing it in place is much easier than tiling your bathroom walls.

Its main advantage is considered to be flexibility when heating, which allows you to finish not only perfectly flat surfaces. Covering bathroom walls with agglomerate is recommended in new buildings. Its plasticity will prevent the appearance of cracks on the walls.

Finishing with plastic panels

Plastic is a modern finishing material with many advantages. It is resistant to moisture and steam. This finishing material for bathroom walls is quite durable. Plastic is also environmentally friendly, very easy to install, and has a low cost. And the biggest advantage is low cost.

To ensure that the design of the walls in the bathroom creates a pleasant atmosphere, you should pay attention to several factors when purchasing. Plastic panels should not be deformed and should have the same shade.

Installation of plastic panels on walls can be done in two ways. Before covering the walls in the bathroom with plastic, sheathing is attached to the walls themselves. In the second case, the panels are fixed with glue, for example, “liquid nails”.

The first mounting method is not suitable for small room, since it will additionally take up some of the space. The second method requires repairing the bathroom walls to align them.

Thus, plastic finishing is much more advantageous in many respects. Many people prefer to use this material rather than tiling the bathroom walls with tiles or mosaics. Plastic is also used for finishing the ceiling.

Finishing with self-adhesive film

This is the cheapest bathroom finish. The film is a thin layer of PVC on an adhesive paper base. The top layer of the film is covered with a protective material that protects it from dust, moisture and damage.

Options for finishing bathroom walls with film have their advantages:

low cost;
ease of use;
ease of care;
variety of colors and patterns offered;
Possibility to cover any surface.

Before covering the bathroom walls with film, you should degrease them. If the surface of the walls is porous, then several layers of primer must be applied to it.

This finishing option can be called cosmetic. Doing this kind of work is much easier than covering the walls in the bathroom, for example, with wallpaper. To make the film stick better and stay on the surface, you need to use an acrylic-based primer.

Wallpaper finishing

Another cheap option bathroom finishing is wallpaper. You can use liquid wallpaper, but covering the walls in the bathroom with vinyl wallpaper is recommended. They are not afraid of moisture.

There is no need to look for cheaper material than covering the walls in the bathroom. Because when temperature changes, inexpensive wallpaper can release harmful substances.

Finishing using paint

Today's paints are much better quality and not as toxic as before, which allows them to be used as a modern finishing material. In addition, this is a fairly cheap bathroom decoration.

When choosing paint for the bathroom, you should consider its moisture resistance. The following paints and enamels have this quality:

alkyd;
latex;
acrylic;
oil

The latter are used less and less in finishing.

Materials for bathroom walls need to be selected correctly. No matter how moisture-resistant the paint is, you need to use something else in the area of the bathtub and sink, since the paint will quickly deteriorate from constant moisture.

The paint color should be light shades. For example, blue walls they'll do it in the bathroom small room even less visually.

Before applying paint, you need to prepare the walls:

remove remnants of previous materials;
plaster the surface;
the surface must be treated with a primer to make the walls in the bathroom protected from bacteria.

Options for painting bathroom walls involve applying paint in several layers. Before applying the next layer of paint, you need to give the previous one time to dry.

When decorating a bathroom, much attention should be paid to plumbing. Read about this in this article. Well-designed lighting in detail can give a room a special look.

Requirements for finishing materials for the bath

The main purpose of the bathroom is to perform hygiene procedures using water. Therefore, it is not surprising that the air in it is saturated a large number water vapor, which can have a destructive effect on finishing materials and enclosing structures.

Also, while taking a bath or shower thermal energy water is transferred to the air, which becomes very hot. Then, after finishing washing, the room cools down again. Constant temperature fluctuations also damage the lining of the walls, floors and ceilings of the bathroom.

Tile resists the described factors best. However, the price of this material is quite high and it is quite difficult to install. To hang ceramics on walls, you must have certain skills and abilities.

Therefore, if, due to the complexity of implementation or for other reasons, you do not want to use this cladding, you can use other options. However, the alternative to tiles in the bathroom must meet the following requirements:

Characteristic	Description
Moisture resistance	Decorative wall cladding in the bathroom should retain its performance properties regardless of the level of humidity in the room. In addition, the finishing should not allow water to pass through to the enclosing structures in order to protect them from destruction.
Durability	The longer the service life of the alternative finishing material, the better. After all, you don’t want to redo the renovation after 2 years. Please note that the finish will be affected by moisture and high temperature.
Antiseptic	Since the bathroom is a symbol of cleanliness, the surface decorative material must have antiseptic properties. Pathogenic microorganisms should not appear and develop on the walls and floor.
Strength	The bathroom is always heavily used and not everyone is careful about decorative finishing. Therefore, you need to choose an option that can withstand mechanical stress, including impact. In addition, plumbing and household appliances create a large load. This also needs to be taken into account.
Easy to care for	The less the surface of the walls and floors gets dirty, the less often they need to be washed and the less effort will be spent on it. I recommend buying a finish with low porosity, as dirt does not linger on such a surface.
Easy to install	If you are going to do the repairs yourself, choose a material that can be easily installed on the surface without the use of special tools and equipment. It is also best to avoid “wet” construction processes that generate a lot of dust.
Environmental friendliness	The material must be safe for humans and environment. Moreover, this property must be preserved regardless of wetting and heating.
Chemical resistance	Check that the chosen finish is not damaged by household detergents and cosmetics. It is better if the decorative material can withstand exposure to aggressive chemicals.

Several species that I personally used in my work meet these criteria to one degree or another. practical activities. I will describe them below.

Types of decorative finishes

Of all the existing decorative materials, I have chosen several options that are more suitable than others for decorating a bathroom:

Wall panels: alternative No. 1

The first thing that comes to mind when thinking about how to replace tiles in the bathroom are plastic panels. However, in addition to polyvinyl chloride slats, there are wall panels made from other materials on sale, many of which tolerate operation well in humid air.

Using some options, you can decorate your bathtub in such a way that it will give a hundred points head start to ordinary tiles. True, you will have to shell out a fair amount of money for this.

During my considerable career, I had to use the following wall panels to decorate bathrooms:

Made from natural wood. They are usually made from valuable wood - oak, maple, alder, cedar. They are very environmentally friendly and make it possible to decorate the interior in a classic style.

They can be used in rooms with high humidity, but they require special treatment - impregnation with wax, oils or other substances that repel water and dirt.

I don't recommend installing wood panels in areas of the bathroom where they may experience direct contact with water. Although the moisture dissolved in the air is subject to constant renewal protective coating, does not harm the finish.

Wood-based panels. Cheap alternative to the previous option. The products are made from shavings and sawdust, which are glued together with phenol-formaldehyde resins.

Decorative chipboard panels have little strength and do not tolerate moisture well. Therefore, they are practically not used for decorating bathrooms. As a last resort, you need to take care of very effective ventilation using a powerful suction.

Wood-fiber boards. They are also made from wood waste, but long plant fibers are used here, so they have improved water-repellent properties.

In the bathroom they can be used to finish surfaces that do not come into contact with water (humidity zone 4).

MDF panels. This material appeared not so long ago, but is already widely used in construction, furniture production etc. The boards are made by pressing very fine wood chips under high temperature and pressure.

When exposed to heat, a sticky substance, lignin, is released from wood residues, which plays the role of a binder.

This material is able to withstand significant loads (they even make furniture and shelves from it), tolerates moisture well, has a low thermal conductivity coefficient and is quite hygienic. Therefore, it can be safely recommended for finishing wall surfaces in the bathroom.

Glass panels. Made from tempered glass, which tolerates mechanical loads well. Due to high strength, absolute hydrophobicity, hygiene and other positive qualities glass panels are perfect for bathroom decoration.

The material can be completely transparent, painted in some color, or have an ornament, pattern, or print. I have also seen glass panels decorated with carvings.

The only negative is that glass is not suitable for all interior styles and is quite expensive. But a high-tech glass bathroom is simply a pearl of interior design.

Gypsum vinyl panels. An advanced version of widely used plasterboard sheets. Structurally, such products are ordinary gypsum fiber boards, but their outer layer is covered with vinyl film, so the material can be used as an independent decorative finishing.

Products can imitate natural materials in color and texture, be painted in certain colors or painted with ornaments.

They are characterized by high strength, reliability and moisture resistance. Suitable for installation in the bathroom.

3D panels. A unique decorative material that allows you to decorate a plumbing room in an original style. The products are separate sheets, on the surface of which a clearly visible relief pattern is applied.

Ready-made parts are available for sale for installation on walls or slabs with a primed surface, prepared for further painting with acrylic or silicone paints.

The disadvantage of this design method is the cost. But the appearance of your bathroom will not make you regret the money spent.

Plastic panels. Most common alternative ceramic tiles. The popularity of this material is due to its high performance properties and low cost.

Plastic slats are great for decorating a bathroom. They can even be placed in a shower stall, where they are constantly exposed to water. It will not affect either the appearance or the duration of operation.

Since PVC panels are the most popular in our country, I will further focus on describing the properties of this particular material. So, what are the advantages of plastic slats for walls and ceilings in the bathroom:

Environmentally friendly. Polyvinyl chloride used in the manufacture of lamellas is absolutely harmless to the human body. By the way, the same plastic is used to make, for example, food packaging and water pipes.
Thermal resistance. The material retains its original dimensions and integrity at very high temperature air. Combustion and melting are possible when exceeding + 370 degrees Celsius. In case of fire, the material emits low-toxic smoke, which does not complicate the evacuation of people and the elimination of the source of fire.
Moisture resistance. Wall panels are completely waterproof. To prevent moisture leakage at the joints, the ends of the lamellas are equipped with locking connections. The material has low porosity, therefore it is slightly contaminated and has antiseptic properties.
Easy to install. Unlike tiles, the panels are easily glued directly to the walls or installed on a frame. The last method allows you to minimal costs level surfaces, lay utilities, insulation, etc.
Wide range. Nowadays there is a huge variety of plastic panels on sale that will satisfy the artistic taste of even the most picky buyer.

As for the shape and size, here I can highlight the following options:

Lining. Plastic slats are 3 cm long and 10 cm wide. Although there are models 12.5 cm wide. Most often, such panels are painted white, although I also came across colored options. The ends are decorated with European (wide lock) and Polka (narrow) lock joints.

Panels. This is the most popular finishing option. The length of the wall panels varies from 2.6 to 3 meters, and the width from 15 to 50 cm. Most often in my work I used 25 cm slats. The outer surface can be painted, varnished or covered with thermal film. The parts fit together very tightly, the seam is almost invisible.

Plates. In this case, the width of one element is from 80 to 200 cm, and the length is from 150 to 400 cm. The material for manufacturing is foamed cellular polyvinyl chloride, but the top layer is still formed smooth and able to withstand external loads.

Paint: alternative No. 2

Now let's look at what else can replace tiles in the bathroom? Naturally, this is paint. Painting walls in sanitary facilities has the following advantages:

Saving cash. Even the most expensive paint costs less than tiles and any other decorative materials. Therefore, if your goal is to save as much as possible, use it.
Variety of appearance. By combining certain colors or shades you can easily decorate your bathroom unique style. And if you have artistic talent, best option It's not worth looking for. A landscape or still life depicted on a wall or ceiling will make even the most sophisticated connoisseur gasp.
Ease of work. I think each of us has held a brush in our hands at least once, so the process of painting walls should not pose any difficulties. This is not gluing tiles or constructing frames for panels.

It should be noted here that all the benefits of paint are revealed only when the walls in the bathroom are already leveled with plaster (or gypsum board), carefully puttied and sanded. Otherwise, there can be no talk of saving money, time and effort.

If the enclosing surfaces have significant vertical deviations, it is better to give preference to other finishing options.

To achieve an ideal result, it is also important to take care of choosing the right coloring composition. Only those types of paints that tolerate exposure to water are suitable. Ordinary water-dispersion paint will not work, since it will wash off upon contact with liquid.

Therefore, I recommend using the following options:

Acrylic. It tolerates operation well in humid air and can be applied to any surface except metal. This paint is not very expensive, and there are a huge number of colors to choose from. In addition, you can tint the compositions in the store using pigments, creating your own shade.

Latex. A material that is distinguished not only by high water-repellent properties, but also by good elasticity. The paint is not washed off with water and does not form cracks with minor movements of the walls during shrinkage and thermal expansion. Can cover small (up to 1 mm) cracks.

Silicone. High-strength paint, which is usually used for facade work. It is ideal for painting walls and ceilings in the bathroom; it can withstand significant mechanical loads and direct contact with water. The big disadvantage is the high cost.

On Russian market building materials you can find paint from various manufacturers. All of them comply with current standards, so they can be safely used in work. As an example, I can give several options:

Tikkurila is a company from Finland that has been supplying paint to interior decorators around the world for several decades. I can separately recommend paint made on the basis of a moisture-proofing primer, which prevents surfaces from getting wet.
Dulux is one of the world market leaders among manufacturers paint and varnish materials. The product range of this company includes very high quality paints at a very affordable price.
Jobi is a German company whose paints are of unsurpassed quality, but you will have to pay a considerable amount for them.

Plaster: alternative No. 3

I have already listed two ways to decorate walls, besides tiles - what else can you decorate a bathroom with? I suggest using decorative facade plaster for this. Although this material was originally intended for finishing the external surfaces of buildings, it is excellent for decorating a bathroom.

Here are a few features that allow me to draw this conclusion:

High degree of vapor permeability. Frozen structure facade plaster is such that it does not prevent air infiltration through the walls, and therefore promotes self-regulation of the microclimate in the bathroom. Moreover, when high humidity air, the material is able to absorb water vapor, and as the air dries, release it back.
Easy to care for. Decorative plaster is far from being as delicate and fragile a material as it might seem at first glance. Modern materials resist well mechanical impact and withstand the effects of sponges and household detergents during cleaning without damage. And the surface itself has an antistatic effect, thanks to which dust does not stick to it.
Unique appearance. With the help of facade plaster you can decorate the walls in the bathroom very beautifully and unusually. Specialists using this material can create real artistic masterpieces. However, for this, of course, you need to have considerable skills.
Hydrophobic properties. Since this material was originally intended for use in difficult external conditions, it feels quite comfortable in the bathroom, without collapsing even if a stream of water from the shower is directed at the plaster. This result is achieved thanks to a thin film formed on the surface.
Resistance to salt precipitation. Despite the presence of a cement binder in the plaster, other components of the decorative material prevent the appearance of efflorescence on surfaces.

To finish the bathroom I had to use two groups of facade plasters:

With a smooth surface. The most popular representative of this category is the Venetian. It was from her that the fashion for using facade finishing in sanitary facilities.

After hardening, a glossy finish forms on the walls. smooth surface, along which water rolls down and is not absorbed by the walls. Plaster usually imitates natural stone, in particular – marble.

Therefore, it will not be possible to achieve too much variety here. All that remains is to vary color scheme and dilute the design with some effects (for example, an artificially aged surface).

As an option, I can advise using stencils when finishing, but this significantly complicates the finishing process (or makes it more expensive if you use paid services master).

Structural plasters. In this case, various mineral components (granite stones, mica, etc.) are added to the composition of the initial mixture, which make it possible to form a characteristic relief on the surface. Prominent representatives These types of plasters are pebble or bark beetle.

It is better to use this material to finish surfaces that will not experience direct contact with water during operation. The liquid does not roll down, but gets stuck in the depressions, which negatively affects the sanitary condition of the room and the integrity of the walls.

To prevent the finish from deteriorating for as long as possible, you can increase the water-repellent properties of the surface by additionally covering it with wax, varnish or other similar composition.

Wallpaper: alternative No. 4

Another option for decorating walls in the bathroom is wallpaper. But not the usual ones that you are used to seeing in residential areas, but waterproof ones. Like paint, this type of decorative finishing is very cheap, and any of us can hang paper rolls on the walls, right? Naturally, the surfaces must be pre-leveled.

Apart from this, using wallpaper in the bathroom has several other benefits. First of all, this is the variety of design. You can choose wallpaper with a pattern already applied, a relief texture, or white, which is subsequently painted in the color you like.

What I also like is the possibility of spot repairs. If any section of the wall is damaged or heavily soiled, you just need to re-paste a sheet of wallpaper on it to once again enjoy the exquisite appearance of the room.

But in order not to be disappointed in the purchase, you need to choose only those types of wallpaper that can withstand use in humid air. The following options are more or less suitable:

Washable wallpaper. They are ordinary paper wallpaper, the outer surface of which has a waterproof coating in the form of a thin transparent film. Thanks to it, moisture does not penetrate into the thickness of the material, the finish does not delaminate, does not swell, and retains its performance properties for a long time.

Another advantage of washable wallpaper is that dirt, dust, fungus and water marks are easily removed from their surface. Well, the main thing is the affordable price.

Vinyl wallpaper. An excellent option for decorating a bathroom. The outer decorative layer of the material not only withstands exposure to humid air, but also does not collapse upon direct contact with water.

However, you will have to pay quite a lot of money for this option, so you won’t be able to save significantly on plumbing repairs. However, the price is entirely justified long term service, durability and attractive appearance.

Self-adhesive wallpaper. Here we are talking about a polymer film, on the back surface of which glue is applied, protected by anti-adhesive paper. To stick such wallpaper, just remove protective layer and press the material tightly to the surface.

Self-adhesive film tolerates direct contact with water, so I recommend using it to decorate sections of walls near a bathtub, shower stall or washbasin.

Liquid wallpaper. They are a dry mixture (like plaster) of binder And decorative elements(pigments, cellulose fibers, etc.). Before use, they are mixed with water and applied to the walls with a spatula.

This finish is perfect for the bathroom. With the help of liquid wallpaper you can perfectly diversify your design; the surface of the material is not damaged by water and has great mechanical strength.

Glass wallpaper. Rolled finishing material based on fiberglass. The finish is absolutely impervious to moisture and has increased strength characteristics.

Fiberglass wallpaper is usually supplied in the form of white canvases with a surface textured with a fine pattern. After gluing to the walls, the wallpaper is painted desired color and can subsequently be repainted up to 10 times.

Photo wallpaper. Another popular trend in bathroom design. Modern drawings and photographs are distinguished by very high print quality and resolution. With the help of photo wallpaper, you can radically transform your bathroom in a couple of hours, surprising your significant other.

Thanks to the hydrophobic film on the surface, the finish tolerates use in the bathroom well (if you choose a material with the required designation).

Resume

Now you know what you can do in the bathroom instead of tiles. Some ideas for decorating sanitary facilities alternative types You can see the finishing details in the video in this article. It also describes how to install them.

You can leave your opinion on the information presented in the material in the comments below.

Finishing the bathroom with combined materials. How to decorate bathroom walls: rules for choosing materials and tips. Preparing walls for finishing

Wall decoration

Dye

Plastic panels

Moisture-resistant wallpaper

Decorative plaster

Floor finishing

Linoleum

Moisture-resistant laminate

Risk factors

Preliminary preparation

Material selection

Special cases

Decorating the walls in the bathroom: 6 ways to satisfy the sophisticated artistic taste of the district police chief

Existing finishing materials

Features of individual decorative materials

Method 1 - Ceramic tiles

Method 2 - Wallpaper

Method 3 - Paint

Method 4 - Plastic panels

Method 5 - Decorative plaster

Method 6 - Wood

Conclusion

Ceramic tiles

Mosaic finishing

Agglomerate finishing

Finishing with plastic panels

Finishing with self-adhesive film

Wallpaper finishing

Finishing using paint

Other solutions

Requirements for finishing materials for the bath

Types of decorative finishes

Wall panels: alternative No. 1

Paint: alternative No. 2

Plaster: alternative No. 3

Wallpaper: alternative No. 4

Resume