Wall Coverings

Every room of your home has a background that sets the tone of your house. These backgrounds are your walls. Today's wall covering options are limitless: from paint to wallpaper to leather. Changing the mood of your room has become easy and fun.

Since wallpaper and paint have unlimited possibilities, we have given them their own space. Take a look at the many other options out there for your interior.

Gypsum wallboard (aka plasterboard or drywall) is most common due to the flexibility it provides. It can be a base for wallpaper, ceramic tile, paneling, textured finishes, or simply painted. Gypsum wallboard is sold in panels. It's made of crushed gypsum then papered on one side and natural on the other with the appearance of plaster. Regular gypsum is fire resistant and averages around 15 cents per square foot. You may want to consider paying an extra few pennies for actual fire proof at around 20 cents per square foot and/or waterproof at 30 cents per square foot.

Plank paneling looks natural like solid pine or cedar planks. It is wonderful in appearance and can be worked with in any space. You can install it vertically, horizontally, diagonally, or in a herringbone pattern. Place it on walls, wainscot, accent walls, and ceilings. Plank paneling averages about $3 to $5 per square foot, but will vary depending on the manufacturer.

Sheet paneling comes in many style, patterns, and colors. It can be purchased with or without grooves, real wood veneer or photo finish, light or dark. Sheet paneling is a plywood type of material, which basically mimics plank paneling. It comes in 4'x 8' sheets at a lower cost than plank paneling.

Tile board is similar to sheet paneling with the exception that instead of being made from plywood, it is made from hardboard. It also comes in 4' x 8' sheets. This type of wall covering works well in areas like bathrooms and laundry rooms that have a lot of moisture. Tile board is available in a variety of solid colors and stamped face that give the look of ceramic tile.

Wainscoting adds a lot of character to a room. It is commonly found in the dining room (generally installed a third of the way up the wall and capped by a chair rail), but can now be found in stairways, in the study, on a kitchen island or surrounding a breakfast nook. Use your imagination the possibilities can be endless.

Traditional wainscoting is made of solid wood and uses a system of vertical and horizontal wood members that surround raised or flat wood panels of various styles and sizes. This older system is usually found in older homes because only a seasoned carpenter could properly install it.

Because wainscoting has become so popular, manufacturers have been producing a new raised wainscoting system. This new wainscoting is made up of thin veneers, applied to a dense core of either engineered wood or a unique wheat board core that recycles wheat straw. These can be found in finishes of cherry, oak, maple, and a paint able grade. This wainscoting is very stable. It will not contract and expand in humidity. Other modern systems blend solid wood and plywood raised panels covered with hardwood veneers. This allows for more species of wood like walnut, cherry, poplar, and oak.

If you feel certain that you want to use solid wood in your home, it may be beneficial to check your local yellow pages and find a woodworker in your area that could customize a wainscoting system for you.

Ceramic wall tile has become popular in rooms outside the bath. These tiles now come in more than just glazed and unglazed. They range from deep textured to high-definition relief to hand painted with rugged, aged appearances. Ceramic tile comes in many new shapes so that you can create a mural if you like. Average tile runs from about $2 to $75 per tile, but the range is dramatic depending on variable factors of the tile you choose. The price does not include installation.

Don't Forget to Look Up
Most people forget to consider their ceilings as part of the home decor. There are tons of options available to decorate the ceiling to add personality and appeal to your home. Knowing this, you can do something besides leaving it boring plain non-textured white.

Drop ceilings are attractive and easy to install. These are available in 2' x 2' and 4' x 4' panels that rest in a grid suspended from the ceiling joists. This makes it easy to level up a ceiling and create easy access to pipes and wiring. To create a sleeker look, use tiles or planks that mount directly to the ceiling, which also allows more, headroom and design options.

The most common ceiling covering is the gypsum wallboard. Its smooth surface allows for painting or base for popcorn or other textured finish. You can also use texture paint to achieve popcorn, stucco, sand, or other texture effects. Textured paint is a thick paint form infused with particles that give a three dimensional look. It can be mixed before hand with your paint color or painted after it dries. You can get a rustic look by applying plank paneling. The things mentioned in this article should show you the multitude of endless options available to create the look you want.