What Can I Use For The Bathroom
Instead of Paint?
There are two factors to consider in bathrooms that are usually not found in other rooms: size and humidity. Nowadays many new homes are being built with large bathrooms, to accomodate other non-traditional furnishings such as exercise equipment, jacuzzis, and so on. But if you are renovating an older home, the bathrooms will almost always be smaller than other rooms in the house. And even in larger bathrooms, moisture will be a problem.
So when you are deciding what materials you could use for your bathroom walls instead of paint, there are a limited number of choices which take these two factors into consideration.
Mosaic Tile Wallpaper
396x20.5x0.25, $62.99
Bathroom Wallpaper
This traditional wall covering is not usually considered for bathrooms. But thicker, vinyl-coated papers are now being made that are water-repellant. Even so, you will need to replace the wallpaper in a bathroom much more often than you would need to repaint.
In addition to providing interesting patterns, wallpaper can be used to make the size of your bathroom appear larger. In a vertical pattern, the eye is drawn in an upward direction, making the room seem taller. Horizontal patterns and light colors make it seem wider.
If you want an original touch, try using bathroom wallpaper borders along the top of the wall. That way, if the paper peels, it's not as much work to replace.
Subway Tiles
96 sq ft, $138.57
Bathroom Tile
With tiling, of course, there is no problem with moisture. But tile must be laid using grouting in between, so this gives rise to a new problem -- keeping the grout clean. Also, most people will not want to extend the tile all the way to the ceiling ( except perhaps in the shower stall ), since it gives a public-restroom look. This is fine, as it allows you to use a different material for the top of the bathroom wall.
There are numerous varieties of tile that can be used, each having a different look. Bathroom tiles can be made of natural stone, glass, or ceramic. The stone may be marble, limestone, granite, or slate. Glass may be clear or colored. And there are varieties of ceramic tile as well: porcelain (glazed) or terra cotta (unglazed).
Paintable Beadboard
56 sq ft, $30.00
Bathroom Wainscoting
Wainscoting panels run from the baseboard up to a height of 3 - 5 feet on the wall. Since Victorian times, wainscoting has been made of wood, and this style has recently begun making a comeback. The wood can readily be sealed with a good varnish to keep out moisture. And now you can even get beadboard wainscoting wallpaper, which is easily painted any color, to suit your decor.
Three Panel Shower Wall
$810.35
Bathroom Wall Panels
Waterproof bathroom wall paneling is now available, which greatly simplifies your task of decorating. It has tongue-and-groove installation, and the panels can be fitted tightly against one another, so as to prevent moisture from seeping through the cracks. Panels come in a wide variety of faux surfaces to simulate tile, mosaic, wood, or marble.
Phoenix Canoe Mural
$104.00
Bathroom Murals
And finally, the latest trend is to cover an entire wall with a mural. They can be purchased relatively cheaply, so you can change them out when you tire of the picture. So why not pretend you're on a Caribbean island?
You can see that using other materials for your bathroom walls allows you considerably more options in your decorative scheme. Why not try using a combination of one or more of these other coverings along with a bathroom paint?
