What is a border on the wall, what varieties of this decorative element exist, how to properly place the product in the room, the rules and methods for sticking stripes, the peculiarities of making it yourself. A wall border is a decorative element for interior decoration. It can be installed at the junction of the ceiling and walls, floor and walls, at any height. With the help of this product, you can select mirrors, door and window openings, niches, as well as play around with various interesting objects in the room.
The main types of borders for walls
Wall borders are decorative strips of a variety of materials that can be used to decorate the surface of the walls. The material for the borders can be:
- Paper … This is an economical material that will cost significantly less than other types of borders. Typically, these items are sold in rolls or as stickers. The downside of the decorative element is that it is flat. However, if you choose it correctly to match the color and texture of the wallpaper, then it will look advantageous.
- Gypsum … Such a border will retain its original elegant look for many years. Gypsum is environmentally friendly and suitable for use in rooms with different levels of humidity and temperature. Fantastic drawings are often made on it, and all the nuances of the relief are perfectly readable.
- Wood … Decorative wood borders are considered the most expensive. The cost of such elements depends on the complexity of the pattern and the types of wood used. It is appropriate to install such a border in houses where wood is widely used in the interior.
- Polyurethane … Such curbs have become a good budget replacement for plaster curbs. They have a simpler relief, but are cheaper, easy to paint, install, have a high level of strength and do not burn.
- Styrofoam … This is another inexpensive curb material. It is quite easy to install such elements, but its disadvantage is its softness. The material is easy to wrinkle and ruin. The decor of this type of borders for walls is not rich.
The most common are wallpaper borders. They are also divided into several varieties:
- For paper wallpapers … These curbs are the easiest to stick on and remove. They are good for those owners who prefer to renovate frequently. But the strips are not durable, fade quickly, do not tolerate washing.
- For vinyl wallpaper … These borders are much more practical than paper ones. They can be washed, cleaned, they retain their color for a long time. They can be used to decorate a bathroom, kitchen, toilet, hallway.
- For textile wallpaper … Such products have a two-layer composition: paper bottom and fabric top. They look rich and elegant.
- For acrylic wallpaper … Such curbs are analogous to vinyl with the difference that an acrylic emulsion is applied to the base.
If you wish, you can make a border on the wall yourself, showing a little imagination and patience.
Design features of placing borders on the wall
Usually, wallpaper manufacturers offer additional borders. Combinations can be based on the presence or absence of a pattern and color. For example, a light green wallpaper with a floral pattern can be supplemented with a wallpaper border for walls in a dark green or white shade with or without the same floral pattern. It is even easier to choose a border for a plain wallpaper: it can be a contrasting one or darker (lighter) than the main color.
Curbs are most often glued along the perimeter of the ceiling at the top of the wall or in the lower third. By gluing the border along the top of the wall, the room becomes cozier and more comfortable. In the case when this element is glued in the middle of the wall, the border serves as a border between wallpapers of different colors, such as. You should not glue the products strictly along the central part of the surface, because in this case the room becomes visually lower. Designers call the ideal height 1/3 of the floor. It happens that the border is glued to the very bottom of the wall near the floor. In most cases, this technique is used in order to hide flaws when pasting wallpaper: when the pieces of canvases are too short and do not reach the floor. Borders can be glued not only horizontally, but also vertically. Thus, a visual accent is made on this or that element of the interior, the functional area. Borders can be used to frame interior doors, mirrors, furniture, and more.
How to make a border for a wall with your own hands
On sale you can find many varieties of borders for wall decoration. But if you want to add a touch of exclusivity to the interior of the room, then you can make the product yourself. Moreover, in order to install such an element of decor, there is no need to carry out repair work, and the border will add variety to the boring interior and significantly transform the room. We make it according to the following scheme:
- We cut out plywood planks measuring 14x14x1 centimeters.
- On one side, we cover the boards with wallpaper glue and glue pieces of wallpaper 20x20 centimeters on them.
- Cut out the corners of the wallpaper in small squares and glue the boards so that there are no protruding corners and sides.
- After the glue is dry, you can varnish the planks if you want to give them a glossy shine.
- We make markings on the wall and fasten at the level of the plank with double-sided tape.
This is just one of the varieties of homemade wall borders. Having shown imagination, you can experiment with this decorative element on your own. The main thing in this work is to choose the right border color. It can contrast or softly complement the overall tone of the room.
Wall mounting technology
You can attach a decorative border to the wall in different ways. The choice of technology depends on the material from which this element is made.
Securing the curb made of solid material
Such borders include wood, plaster, polyurethane and foam. The technology for their installation is generally the same. In order to install this element on the wall, you will need the following tools: a miter box, a knife or a hacksaw, glue, sealant, putty, masking tape and paint (if needed). The most difficult moment in the installation of a decorative border for walls is the plastic of the latter, namely, corners and radii. Products should be cut at an angle of 45 degrees. For this, a miter box and a hacksaw are used. In the case of Styrofoam, a sharp knife is sufficient for cutting. Take your border glue seriously enough. It should be suitable directly for the material from which your decorative element is made. If you choose the wrong composition, you can damage the part, or it will not adhere to the surface.
In the process of installing borders on the wall, follow these instructions:
- We prepare the ceiling for painting or paint.
- We carry out finishing work on the walls: gluing wallpaper or laying tiles, panels.
- We mark the wall and cut the border according to the measurements.
- We glue it carefully, applying glue to the wall and to the part itself. Press lightly. We follow the joints, they should be unobtrusive.
- After the glue has dried, we coat with sealant, plaster or putty the gaps that have formed between the wall and the curb.
- We glue the area around the product with masking tape.
- Apply a layer of paint. Repeat the procedure if necessary.
Wall decoration with a border can be started only when the wallpaper is completely dry after gluing.
Sticking paper borders on walls
Paper borders can be sold in self-adhesive rolls. It is enough to simply apply such products evenly to the surface of the walls and press down. They are glued without problems.
If you purchased curbs in rolls that require glue, then it is best to select an acrylic composition. It does not need to be diluted with water, it is ready to use. For convenience, this glue is in a tube with a brush or brush applicator.
Before starting work, make sure that the surface you will be gluing the curbs to is clean. This is a guarantee that they will hold on securely. Use soapy water to clean if necessary. In the process, follow this scheme:
- Prepare the walls before gluing.
- Make sure the corners are free of defects: holes, voids, cracks. Otherwise, all these flaws will show through the thin paper border.
- We paste over the wall with wallpaper and wait until it dries completely.
- We cut the border into pieces, according to the perimeter of the room.
- Apply to pieces and leave to soak for 4-5 minutes.
- We glue the strips on the necessary sections of the walls end-to-end.
- If you have wallpaper with a high relief (foamed vinyl, embossing), then you need to stick the border on the wall back to back with the main canvas. In this case, you should use the glue that was used for the wallpaper.
- When gluing the border in the corners, try to put its end on the adjacent wall. We glue the second strip with an overlap on the previous one. This way, no gap will be visible in the corner.
If you glue the border as a horizontal separator of two types of wallpaper, then you can do it like this:
- Along the perimeter of the room at a certain height, mark a horizontal line with a simple pencil.
- We glue the upper part of the wallpaper, which is above the border.
- We cut the lower edge with a sharp knife along the marked line on the wall.
- Saturate the border with glue and apply it to the wallpaper. We leave its lower edge free, without pressing it against the wall.
- We start the "lower" wallpaper under the decorative strip and cut it at the bottom.
- Remove excess edges, and glue the border tightly to the wall.
If you want to give your room a more decorative look, then it is recommended to pasting with borders the openings of interior doors and windows. The main condition for high-quality gluing is accurate cutting of the strips and the connection in the mustache (45 degree angle). Try to select the stripes so that at the joints there are as few patterns, colors and large patterns as possible. In the process of sticking a border for walls, follow these instructions:
- We apply curb strips at the overlapping joints.
- Take a ruler and place it diagonally. Using a sharp knife, make a cut through two strips.
- Delete the line segment horizontally from the border.
- Bend the edge of this border and remove the vertical section of the border.
- We put the horizontal edge back and press down, smooth the seam.
In the same way, you can finish various decorative details of the room. How to glue the border on the wall - watch the video:
Before installing the border on the wall, think about how to choose the most effective shade of it, which will favorably emphasize the size of the room, the texture of the wallpaper or certain areas.
