Decorative plaster or liquid wallpaper: what to choose

Selecting the proper material for wall finishing can be a little challenging. Decorative plaster and liquid wallpaper are two common choices. Both have special benefits and can add a modern, chic look to your area.

A room can be elevated to a truly remarkable level with the array of textures and patterns available in decorative plaster. It is long-lasting, resilient, and adaptable to any design concept you may have.

However, liquid wallpaper offers a more delicate, organic look. It is eco-friendly, simple to apply, and effective at covering up small wall flaws. Moreover, it gives any space a comforting, cozy vibe.

How then would one choose between the two? Whether you prefer the soft charm of liquid wallpaper or the rough elegance of plaster, it all depends on what you value most. Let’s examine the benefits and drawbacks of each to assist you in selecting the best option.

The appearance, maintenance requirements, and longevity of each option should be taken into account when choosing between liquid wallpaper and decorative plaster. Decorative plaster is perfect for people who want a distinctive, long-lasting surface because it offers a textured, luxurious finish that can be customized in many ways. However, liquid wallpaper has a smooth, seamless appearance that can give a room coziness and warmth, and it’s simpler to apply and fix. Your final decision will rely on your personal taste in style, your financial situation, and the particular requirements of the space.

How to make the right choice

It is first necessary to consider the unique features of the space as well as its intended use. Selecting a finish for a bathroom or kitchen can be particularly difficult (see. Materials for Kitchen Finishing: Selecting the Best Choice). Temperature variations are constant for them, and even the most dependable coating can be destroyed by shifting humidity levels.

However, the selection criteria are somewhat lessened if the room in question has a low level of aggression. Nevertheless, impacts on the walls are still taken into consideration, even in the living room or bedroom. For this reason, we will highlight a few key criteria that all wall coverings in the home should, if at all possible, meet:

• Vapor permeability. One of the main criteria that must be taken into account when choosing. It is the vapor permeability that will determine how long the coating will last, and whether fungus and harmful mold will form under it.
• Resistance to abrasion. This aspect is especially relevant for hallways and children"s rooms, where the walls most often become objects of touch.
• Ease and convenience of application. A point that must be taken into account if the repair is done with your own hands, but there are no relevant skills and experience.
• Moisture resistance. Any wall covering sooner or later becomes dirty, and therefore needs to be washed and cleaned.
• Finishing material should be presented in different colors, for example, liquid wallpaper and decor ideas will then become more diverse.

Crucial! The harder it is to maintain wall coverings that are more pronounced and textured. This is particularly valid for ornamental plasters that have a noticeable textured design.

After settling all the minor details regarding the room’s design, we can proceed to the debate of whether decorative plaster or liquid wallpaper is preferable, but first we must take a closer look at each material.

Decorative plaster

A variety of finishing materials that can differ greatly from one another in terms of both external features and quality indicators are collectively referred to as decorative plaster.

Plasters can first be classified according to their primary binding element, which determines the material’s quality attributes:

• Mineral plaster is a cement-based material. Such plaster also has a decorative effect, and is characterized by high vapor permeability and moisture resistance. A significant disadvantage of cement plaster is that it has a natural shrinkage after application, but if you follow all the application instructions, then these problems can be completely avoided.
• Gypsum plaster. It has high plasticity and is easy to apply to the wall, in addition, gypsum does not have a natural shrinkage, which greatly simplifies working with this material. But there is also a significant disadvantage, namely, fear of moisture, therefore gypsum plasters (see. Dry gypsum plaster mix: features of use) cannot be used in rooms with high humidity.
• Silicate mixtures are distinguished by high performance in all parameters, so they are often used not only for interior finishing work, but also for facade repairs. The only drawback of silicate plasters is their high price, which, in principle, is more than compensated for by the durability and resistance of the material to all types of impacts.
• Polymer or silicone plasters, are not much different in structure from their silicate counterparts, but due to their high plasticity, they are somewhat more difficult to work with, although each can of ready-made mixture contains detailed instructions for dilution and application.

Furthermore, based on the characteristics of their textures, decorative plasters can be classified into multiple types:

• Structural. Contains particles of different fraction sizes, due to which, as a result of application and leveling, an intricate and unique pattern is created.
• Silk plaster contains small silk fibers that lie on the surface in an even layer, that is, without relief, but with pronounced veins.
• Textured plaster is a material that can imitate natural stone.
• Stone plaster contains natural marble chips, after complete drying, such a coating turns out to be very durable and at the same time looks aesthetically pleasing.
• Venetian plaster. The most expensive and difficult to apply material. In the photo above, you can see how original a pattern made of Venetian plaster can be.

Since the technology of applying mixtures will not be covered in-depth in this article, we will instead provide a video that thoroughly explains the entire procedure, including all of its subtleties.

Fascinating! Many plaster mixtures are only available in white; however, these plasters can be tinted separately, allowing the user to select the shade that best complements both the overall design and a specific room.

By the way, just to clear things up, liquid wallpaper and decorative plaster "Danish" are the same material; they just go by different names.

Liquid wallpaper

While the application techniques are nearly the same, the composition of plaster and liquid wallpaper differs significantly. Wallpaper is really just paper flakes combined with glue that are diluted in water and applied to the wall, assuming plaster is a strong substance that can tolerate numerous knocks.

Additionally, decorative glitter or silk fibers are frequently added to liquid wallpaper. While this adds an interesting appearance to the material and essentially has no effect on the coating’s quality, it greatly increases the designers’ ability to create a one-of-a-kind interior.

Sadly, the perfect finishing material has yet to be created, and liquid wallpaper, while very expensive, has a lot of drawbacks that you should be aware of before selecting them for your home.

Disadvantages of liquid wallpaper

• Liquid wallpaper is very afraid of moisture, so it can only be wiped, and of course, it cannot be used in rooms with high humidity.
• The coloring pigment in the wallpaper has poor resistance to ultraviolet rays and can fade after a few years.
• Low resistance to abrasion. First of all, liquid wallpaper is paper, which quickly becomes unusable if touched frequently.
• Quite a high cost of the material.

However, because they have a list of their benefits, none of the listed drawbacks can deter a buyer from purchasing this material.

Advantages of liquid wallpaper

• The structure of liquid wallpaper is able to cover the unevenness and flaws of the surface on which they are applied, so you do not have to pay special attention to leveling the walls.
• Completely environmentally friendly. Liquid wallpaper does not contain any chemical components, even the glue has a natural structure and is completely harmless to health.
• Very easy to apply, and you don"t need any special skills or a clever set of tools.
• A wide variety of colors and textures. Liquid wallpaper can not only be combined, but also used to create a wide variety of designs.
• High vapor permeability. Liquid wallpaper does not retain moisture underneath itself, and accordingly, condensation does not form on the surface.

Fascinating! You can also add a layer of water-based varnish to the liquid wallpaper coating to enhance its quality. You can already wipe and wash such a coating, but vapor permeability is out of the question.

As you can see, liquid wallpaper has nearly equal benefits and drawbacks. The most important thing to remember is that some rooms strictly prohibit the use of liquid wallpaper.

Both liquid wallpaper and decorative plaster have special advantages that make them great options for various applications. Decorative plaster gives your walls a chic, classic appearance and comes in a variety of textures and finishes. It is also long-lasting. It’s perfect if you’re looking for something unique and long-lasting.

However, liquid wallpaper is a fantastic alternative for people looking for a more flexible, gentler, and environmentally friendly wall covering because it is simpler to apply and take off. One major benefit is its ability to conceal minor flaws and create a warm and inviting atmosphere.

Your decision will be based on your personal preferences, needs, and the design aesthetic you want to achieve for your room. Think about what matters most to you: comfort and ease of use with liquid wallpaper, or durability and design flexibility with plaster. In either case, these choices can elegantly improve your walls.

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