Confused Between Wallpaper And Paint? Choose Wisely

We all love to do up our home and add a touch of our taste to every nook and corner of the place but the hard part is to make the right choice i.e. regarding its durability, aesthetics, maintainability and pricing. One such challenge is choosing between a wallpaper and a paint.
Primarily, wallpapers offer more variety in designs as compared to a traditional paint. But with markets inundated with a variety of designs in paints as well, be it stripes or other patterns, making the right choice has become even tougher.
Let's compare the two on varying parameters.

• Preparation time
  A wall paint is much easier to apply and requires less time and effort. On the other hand, sticking a wallpaper requires covering and fixing of imperfections such as plugging holes in a wall or re-plastering. Paint, on the other hand, covers many such imperfections on its own.
  If the home is old and needs a lot of renovation, it is wiser to choose the paint. On the top of it, a wallpaper cannot be used in every part of the house. Areas such as bathrooms which are always damp, a wallpaper will wear off within a year.
•  Cost
  Though the actual cost depends on the brand and the quality of product chosen, a wallpaper is much costlier than a paint. However, there are cheaper options for wallpaper as well but they might not give the same effect as a good quality product. The number of supplies that a painting requires are also few as compared to a wallpaper which needs glue and other material.
  Yet, a wallpaper lasts longer than a paint and hence can be termed as a cheaper option in the long-term in spite of a high initial cost.
•  Labour
  Painting can be done by the homeowner without seeking any external help. Even if painters are hired, unskilled labourers can complete the job without burning a hole in your pocket. On the other hand, attaching a wallpaper is a skilled job. If cheap labour is employed, the wallpaper may not stick well and come out or tear, thus, doubling the cost.
• Time taken
  Oil-based paints take a long to dry. In some cases, they require at least two or three coats, thus, taking a few days to weeks to complete. A wallpaper is a one-time application, and a decent-sized home can be covered in a day.
• Maintenance
  A wallpaper can be easily washed and cleaned, hence, easy to maintain. This is especially true of homes with children. Writings and scribbling on the wall can be cleaned. Yet, a wallpaper has a tendency to get dirty and a simple scratch can damage it permanently. In case of damage, the entire section has to be replaced. If it isn't fixed in time, other areas may get affected and get peeled off as well.
   
• Durability

Paints have to redone once every two to three years. The maximum life of a painted home is five years. A well-maintained wallpaper, on the other hand, can last up to 15 years.

• Safety
  Paint fumes and their damaging health effects are widely known. Some cheaper quality paints have chemicals like resins and pigments which harm the environment as well. Wallpapers are devoid of this disadvantage.
•  Season
  Wallpapers are not suitable for cities that have humid climate. The glue might lose its effect in such areas and the wallpaper comes off easily. On the contrary, paints are resistant to heat and not suitable for areas which are excessively hot. Oil-based paints, in particular, tend to melt and form patches all over the wall.
• Variety
  Wall paper offer a myriad of variety ranging from stripes to geometric patterns to flowers, fuelling the imaginations of an artistic homemaker. Those with a flamboyant taste, prefer to stick wallpapers that depict sceneries like a sunrise or a garden. Children's rooms can be adorned with wallpapers that have cartoon characters and fun designs. Paints come in block colours unless an artiste is hired to form a beautiful pattern.
  A number of home makers prefer to combine both paints and wall papers to finish the look. This gives them the advantage to mix and match to create a beautiful and colourful home.