Although tile is a very practical, functional material and ideal for decorating a bathroom, it gets boring over time. Novate.ru offers excellent moisture resistant alternatives that diversify the interior of the room and make it more interesting and modern.
Here are some simple moisture-resistant materials that look very nice and are inexpensive. They will not damp, will not provoke the appearance of mold, and it is quite possible to cope with their installation without the help of professionals. In the case of some alternatives to tiles, you don't even need to pre-prepare the surface.
Let's start with wall coverings:
Option 1: Plastic panels
Buyers can choose from two types of PVC panels - sheet and rack. The first ones are wide, and therefore they are faster and easier to mount. The latter look more beautiful and aesthetically pleasing. In any case, whichever option you choose, it will have the following advantages: a large assortment of various shades, ease of care, water resistance, provide additional sound insulation, before installation can not be leveled walls. Unfortunately, with so many pluses, there is also a significant minus - fragility. The material bends and breaks under strong pressure.
As for the installation itself, the PVC panels can be glued on liquid nails or laid on an aluminum profile crate. If the bathroom does not differ in large dimensions, give preference to light shades, a single pattern, an elongated lining. If the room is spacious, you can try decorative inserts, different textures, which will be harmoniously combined with each other. Also an interesting solution will be the alternation of vertical and horizontal installation, the combination of various types of cladding. By the way, this material is suitable not only for wall decoration, but also for trimming pieces of furniture. You can use it to create a bath screen or cover for a vanity unit.
Note: Before installing PVC panels, pay attention to whether there is mold or damp plaster on the walls. If the answer is positive, it must be removed, applied to the wall with an anti-fungal impregnation, putty and only then finish the walls with the selected material.
Option 2: Paint
Despite the fact that finishing with paint is a very laborious process, this material has undeniable advantages: firstly, it will suit any style of interior, from laconic Scandinavian to modern hi-tech. Secondly, the paint is inexpensive. Tools and dye are much less expensive than ceramics.
Professionals advise not to dwell on one shade, but to purchase several at once, so that the room looks stylish and not boring. To make the transition between the selected shades even, use masking tape, which must be glued to the border of the two colors.
The main disadvantage of the paint is that the surface must be well leveled before applying it. To begin with, you should remove all the old coating, wash the walls from dust, treat with an antiseptic and plaster visible defects, if any. The paint can be applied with a roller, brush or spray gun, whichever tool is easier for you to work with. To ensure that the painted wall retains its original appearance for a long time, make sure there is good ventilation in the bathroom and often leave the door to the room open.
When choosing paint, pay attention to acrylic, silicone and latex. They are glossy and matte. The advantage of the former is that they visually increase the space, look beautiful, but at the same time emphasize all the irregularities, and are also easy to get dirty. With the latter, there will be no such problems, but one should not expect the effect of expanding the area from them.
Option 3: Decorative plaster
Considering the fact that only moisture-resistant materials should be used for finishing the bathroom, compositions with a gypsum base will not work. You need to choose from the following varieties:
• Mineral - despite the low price and fire safety, it has a significant disadvantage in the form of low elasticity. In addition, the walls must be carefully primed and leveled before plastering.
• Acrylic - elastic and durable option, but it has a low level of vapor permeability.
• Silicone - is quite expensive, but the price is more than compensated for by its excellent characteristics: the compositions are durable, resistant to fading, and breathable.
Also, before buying, you should pay attention to the texture of the material: some of the compositions are smooth, and some include small fillers that give the plaster a relief. Before finishing the wall, it must be leveled with cement plaster, waterproofed, primed, finished, painted and varnished.
4. Wallpaper
It makes no sense to paste over all the walls with wallpaper, since their moisture resistance is quite low. It would be more correct to combine them with panels, paint or plaster. Choose vinyl, non-woven, liquid or fiberglass wallpapers for decoration and only use them in areas of the room that will not be in direct contact with water.
On the wallpaper, there must be a designation of moisture resistance in the form of a wave or drops. The more, the better. As for the glue, you should use the one that is intended directly for the selected wallpaper. Also make sure there is good ventilation in the room.
Moving on to flooring materials for bathroom decoration
There are not many options here. You can go the simplest way and paint the floor with the same waterproof paint as the walls. Or choose one of the following options:
Option 1: Linoleum
The ideal solution would be a semi-commercial type of coating that is resistant to household chemicals and abrasion. It is also worth paying attention to the anti-slip properties, which are indicated on the linoleum with the letter R. The minimum value should be 10, but the higher it is, the more expensive the coverage. If you want to save money, buy a regular copy, and then place rubber mats on it so that you don't slip after getting out of the bath or shower.
Linoleum has many advantages. Among them: moisture resistance, ease of installation (in the event that there is no furniture in the room yet), a variety of shades and textures, additional sound insulation, the surface is more pleasant to the touch than cold tile.
Among the main disadvantages is the complexity of the installation. To prevent water from getting under the linoleum, it is necessary to carry out high-quality sealing of the seams and the perimeter. This procedure can be carried out using hot welding or glue. Also, before laying, you should take care of leveling the floor. It is very important that no bumps form in the process, otherwise water or condensation will accumulate.
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Option 2: Laminate
There are several types of laminate that can be used to decorate the bathroom floor:
• Moisture resistant - the laminate is made of HDF board with antibacterial additives, which is impregnated with wax. He is not afraid of high humidity, but you should take care of good ventilation.
• Waterproof - it is water-repellent and has a good level of durability. This type of laminate does not absorb moisture.
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Option 3: Vinyl tiles
This type of tile is a finished sheet or roll. Among the main advantages are strength, water resistance, ease of maintenance and installation. In addition, the material does not slip, so you can do without special rugs. With regard to installation, you can purchase self-adhesive vinyl, lock or for glue mounting.
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A source: https://novate.ru/blogs/030820/55372/