Bamboo wallpapers, their types and properties, preparation for installation and the choice of adhesive mixture, pasting technology and care of the finished coating. Fastening of bamboo slats to the fabric base of the wallpaper is carried out using a special adhesive or threads that create a decorative seam on the surface of the material. Threads can be natural or nylon.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Bamboo Wallpaper for Walls
Due to its superior qualities, bamboo wallcoverings have earned success among designers, buyers and decorators. The list of advantages of this material is quite large:
- The volumetric texture of products allows you to hide small flaws in the walls.
- The bamboo flooring has good heat and sound insulation, which is important for the inhabitants of city apartments. It can withstand significant temperature changes.
- Despite the fact that bamboo is a wood-based material, it has exceptional moisture resistance. Wall decoration with such wallpaper can be done not only inside, but also outside the premises, as well as in the bathroom or kitchen.
- The mechanical strength of bamboo wallpapers is so great that they are not afraid of the claws of pets. Blades are difficult to scratch or otherwise damage accidentally. This quality provides the wallpaper with significant durability.
- Bamboo wallpaper does not fade from sunlight and does not absorb dust, which is significant for people prone to allergies.
- The material can be in harmonious combination with paper wallpaper, wood, decorative plaster and tiles of any kind. Thanks to the rich color scheme of bamboo, slats on the canvas can be combined and create a pattern or pattern on it.
- High environmental friendliness allows you to glue such wallpaper even on the walls in children's rooms.
- Bactericidal - bamboo fibers prevent the growth of microorganisms on the walls.
Bamboo belongs to exotic plants in our latitudes, therefore it has a fairly high cost. The price of wallpaper made from this material depends on its type, type of processing and quality. On average, one square meter of coverage will cost the buyer 200-400 rubles. Excess bamboo wallpaper, which inevitably remains after finishing the walls, can be used to make original ornaments on furniture or to decorate any part of the room with them.
The only drawback of natural bamboo wallpaper for walls is the peculiarity of their installation. The material is cut with a hacksaw for metal, so it can be difficult to match the pattern and color of the blades with great precision.
Choosing a bamboo wallpaper adhesive
With a high degree of reliability, you can fix bamboo wallpaper on the walls using only certain types of adhesive. Such canvases are quite tough, so the glue must have high adhesion. Water-soluble PVA-type adhesives are not suitable in this case.
The choice of methods for fixing wallpaper on the wall is not very large:
- "Liquid nails" is a good option, with the help of this glue the bamboo wallpaper adheres firmly to concrete, plastered and brick wall surfaces.
- Special adhesive based on vinyl or chloroprene. Stir this glue thoroughly before use. It has a rather pungent odor, so it is recommended that wallpapering be done in a respirator, protecting the respiratory system.
- You can use a Velcro adhesive such as Pufas K12. In special cases, the use of parquet glue is allowed.
- Fastening bamboo wallpaper to walls lined with plasterboard, chipboard or fiberboard can be done with decorative wallpaper nails or staples using a stapler. In this case, no glue is needed.
Glue consumption per 1 m2 the area of the wall and the back of the wallpaper will be about 400 g. Knowing the total area of finishing, it is easy to calculate the required amount.
Preparation for installing bamboo wallpaper on the walls
This type of finishing materials requires the preparation of the surface of the walls or their individual sections. It is strongly not recommended to glue bamboo wallpaper on a chalk whitewash or paint layer. Therefore, before starting the decoration, the walls should be cleaned of old coating and dust. In case of unevenness of the surface with differences of more than 3 mm, it must be leveled with a plaster and treated with a penetrating primer.
For the correct positioning of the canvases, it is necessary to first apply vertical markings on the walls, made using a plumb line or a building level. Before starting preparatory work, furniture and the floor should be covered with a film to protect them from accidental splinters, dust and dirt, often accompanying any dismantling.
After preparing the walls, rolls of bamboo wallpaper must be rolled out and the material must be given time for two days to acclimatize in the room where the decoration will be carried out. He will acquire the necessary moisture or let go of the excess.
In addition to all of the above activities, you must have a special glue for attaching this type of coating, overalls, a respirator and a set of tools:
- Spatula for applying glue: its working edge should have small teeth, which ensure uniform application of the composition to the surface.
- A rubber roller is necessary to press the canvases against the walls when pasting.
- Scissors and a hacksaw for metal are needed for cutting wallpaper during installation.
The further process will require special care and attention.
How to glue bamboo wallpaper on walls
At the first stage of work, it is necessary to cut the rolls of material into canvases of the required length and width. It is easy to divide them along the fabric base with a sharp knife. Cutting wallpaper across the canvases is a bit tricky. An electric jigsaw or a hacksaw for metal can help in this matter. To make the edges of the cuts even, you need to use a tool that has fine teeth on the working edge.
The next step is to apply the glue. First, with a thin layer of it, you need to cover the surface of the wall section on which the installation of the canvas is planned. This work is done with a notched trowel. Apply the glue to the back of the wallpaper with a brush. In this case, you need to monitor its amount so that later it does not appear on the front of the material.
After 10-15 minutes, the canvas should be applied to the wall and rolled using a rubber roller. After this procedure, no air should remain under the wallpaper. If excess glue appears on the bamboo planks, they must be removed immediately with a soft, clean cloth without smearing over the surface.
Subsequent canvases of wallpaper must be glued in the same way, end-to-end. After 2-3 hours, you can check the adhesion of the coating to the base. If necessary, roll it again. If a cavity is found under the wallpaper, it should be filled with glue with a syringe, and then compacted with a roller.
When using "liquid nails", the adhesive must be applied in stripes. As a rule, the back of bamboo canvases has a mesh fabric, alternating with a denser one, on which "liquid nails" should be applied. In this case, the canvas smeared with glue must be applied to the wall, slapped a little with your palm and removed. It should lie down for five minutes, after which the material must again be glued completely, pressing it tightly.
Bends and corners of bamboo wallpaper are masked by decorative moldings of the same color. They are fixed with glue and nails for added security. After fixing these profiles, the surface of the coating takes on a finished look.
As additional guidelines, you can add the following:
- To get a neat cut when cross-cutting bamboo strips, you can pre-wrap them with masking tape.
- If you cut along the slats of the canvas, and then dock them, the seams on the surface will be completely invisible.
- For exterior wall decoration with bamboo wallpaper, it is recommended to use the most reliable adhesive mixtures, for example, Nairit. Internal gluing can be done with any brand of chloroprene-based adhesive.
- In the process of pasting walls, it is important not only to use a gas respirator, but also to comply with fire safety rules. Before the final polymerization of the adhesive, it is necessary to periodically ventilate the room.
Advice! For outdoor decoration, after the glue dries, the joints of the bamboo wallpaper canvases must be treated with a sealing compound, and then the entire surface must be varnished.
Features of caring for bamboo wallpaper
Wallpaper care rules are quite simple:
- In order for the natural bamboo flooring to retain its original attractiveness, it is recommended to periodically process it with the usual means that are used when caring for furniture.
- Dust that can accumulate between the wallpaper strips can be sucked up with a vacuum cleaner.
- Do not clean bamboo wallpaper with tools that have stiff bristles.
- Direct contact with water should be avoided, as it can cause compression of the cloths and the appearance of cracks at their joints.
How to glue bamboo wallpaper - watch the video:
Bamboo is an excellent natural material, it would be a shame to waste it due to careless handling. However, following the above recommendations and observing the pasting technology, you can get an excellent work result that will transform your interior beyond recognition.