How to make a wall in the kitchen: choose materials

Gusevsky Andrey Anatolyevich

An example of how to decorate kitchen walls with stone and wood, and how to combine these finishing materials so that they harmonize and decorate our kitchen

How to make a wall in the kitchen is not an easy task, to put it mildly. There are too many factors to consider and too many nuances to combine.

At first glance, the problem may seem unsolvable, but in reality, this is far from the case, and in this article we will tell you how to be guided in choosing finishing materials. And we will conduct a short excursion to the most popular and sought-after types of finishes, which are ideal for the kitchen and will serve faithfully for more than one year.

A few secrets about kitchen finishes and interiors

How to decorate the walls in the kitchen with wood is cool, but problematic, although modern decoration materials for walls imitating wood will help solve this problem.

In order to properly design the walls of the kitchen with your own hands, you must first select the materials (seeMaterials for interior decoration: make a choice), which could withstand the aggressive environment of this room. After all, there is no sustainable climate like in other rooms of the house.

When cooking, the temperature in the kitchen rises quite quickly, and at the end of the process, it drops just as quickly. This factor leads to the formation of condensation on the walls and under the finish, and it is important that it has room to evaporate.

It turns out that the main criterion is vapor permeability, but this is not limited to it, as there are always odors in the kitchen, some of which are so harsh that they quickly eat into the walls and stay there forever. And all would be fine if there was an eternal smell of borsch or fried potatoes in the kitchen, but over time, these smells will begin to mix, and turn into such an amber that you want to escape from this room as quickly as possible.

No less important is the factor of resistance to water. Sooner or later, the walls of the kitchen will have to be washed and it is necessary that the decoration endures such water procedures. Therefore, it is necessary to think in advance how to decorate the walls of the kitchen during repair.

As you can see, there are a lot of selection criteria, but there are no less materials on the modern construction market, but we will talk about this a little lower, but for now, let's open a few small secrets, guided by which you can make the wall repair in the kitchen really high-quality and durable.

So:

• When repairing a wall apartment in the kitchen with hinged finishing materials, which will be discussed below, pay special attention to the construction of the lathing. In such complex rooms, it is better to refuse the use of wood, as it will quickly begin to collapse and become worthless.
• Some finishing materials need additional protection. As a rule, this applies to natural types of finishes, for example wooden lining, which, to extend the service life, is coated with a protective varnish. Do not neglect this rule, otherwise, it is highly likely that the repair of the kitchen wall will have to be redone in a few years.
• Regardless of how you plan to repair the kitchen wall, floor or even ceiling, all surfaces must be thoroughly treated with antiseptics and deep penetration impregnations.The fact is that constant condensate tends to develop into a harmful fungus or mold, which is very, very difficult to get rid of, and impregnations, in turn, do an excellent job of neutralizing it.
• If we are talking about a kitchen of a very small size, then it is better to refuse hinged materials. They significantly conceal the space, and your room can become less by about 15-20 centimeters, and often, this is an unacceptable luxury. Here, rolled materials that are mounted directly on the wall, or even simple painting, are more suitable.
• Some finishing materials can be washed, but only with a small amount of water and without the use of detergents, while others, on the contrary, easily tolerate any water procedures and the effects of household chemicals. You need to know everything thoroughly about the special properties of the chosen finishing option so as not to spoil the repair yourself.

So, we figured out the intricacies of the repair in the kitchen, and we can proceed to consider the materials themselves. In fact, there are quite a lot of them, so we will conditionally divide them into several groups that differ in quality characteristics.

Materials for wall decoration

In the photo we see an example of how to decorate the walls in the kitchen with a tile

Well, here we come to the most important and pressing issue, and then the conversation will go about repair of walls in the kitchenhow best to decorate the walls in the kitchen. For convenience, we divided them into two categories: those that require the construction of a crate for mounting it, and those that are mounted directly on the walls.

The choice is entirely up to you and your budget, as the price of some materials may vary several times. As for the qualitative characteristics, they are all approximately the same, although decorative characteristics may differ in many respects, but here, as they say, it’s a matter of everyone’s taste.

Hinged decoration materials

The panels on the walls of the kitchen can be made of various materials, a large assortment allows you to choose panels for any style of kitchen interior

As we said above, the concept of hinged systems means materials that require a crate for installation. As a rule, this is very convenient, since the walls themselves do not need careful alignment and preparation.

Simply treat them with impregnation and all. It is also very convenient in cases where the wall needs to be insulated, since the empty space can be used for the installation of insulation.

So, let's look at the most popular hinged finishing materials that can be used in the kitchen:

• PVC panels. Planning a low-budget kitchen wall repair? Then this material is exactly what you need. The panels are completely not afraid of water and temperature changes, and besides, they can be with household chemicals. In addition, they are as resistant to ultraviolet radiation, and as a result, such a finish will last a very, very long time. Of the minuses, a low decorative attractiveness can be distinguished, but here it is a matter of taste.
• MDF panels. A little more expensive than the PVC option, but much more attractive. MDF is pressed sawdust and natural glue, and a texture pattern is applied to the surface of the panels, which can be either plain or imitate natural materials such as stone, wood or leather. MDF is afraid of a large amount of water, but wiping it with a damp cloth can be completely fearless.
• Wooden lining. The material used to decorate the premises for a very long time, and over the years has not lost its popularity. It is difficult to argue with the decorative qualities of natural wood, but we recall that it needs additional protection. As a rule, two additional layers are applied to the lining: impregnation-antiseptic and varnish, which protects the panel from moisture absorption.
• Brick siding for interior decoration. The most expensive material of all those listed, but also the most stable. In fact, it is a ceramic tile familiar to many, but unlike it, siding is installed on the crate, which is very convenient if the decoration is done in a new house, the walls of which have not yet had time to give a natural shrinkage.
• Vinyl siding for interior decoration. It is difficult to argue with the strength and durability of vinyl materials, and siding is no exception. Unlike the siding used to decorate the facades of houses, this material has the form of small square or rectangular segments, which allows you to more accurately calculate its required amount.

Advice! If you still decided to use wood for the manufacture of the crate, it must be treated with special impregnations that will protect the tree from moisture absorption and scare away the bark beetles, which are often found in wooden products.

Since our article is not an instruction for installing curtain systems, and you want to clearly understand the whole process, we suggest you watch the video in this article, which details how to make a curtain finish with your own hands.

As you can see, the choice of wall mounted finishing materials is very extensive, and moreover, to decorate the walls of the kitchen, the ceiling can also be sheathed with these materials. It will be a little harder to do, but worth it. Thus, your kitchen will be made in the same style, and it will look very attractive.

So, we figured out the hinged systems, and it's time to talk about roll materials, which are actually more familiar and common when repairing not only the kitchen, but the whole house as a whole.

Wallpaper

We see an example of how to decorate a wall in a country kitchen, wallpaper is just what we need

A few decades ago, all wallpapers were limited only to paper execution, and therefore they did not last long. The paper quickly deteriorated from contact with moisture, and the pattern burned out in the sun. But modern manufacturers took into account all the shortcomings, and began to produce wallpapers with the highest quality characteristics, which can not only be washed, but even rubbed with hard brushes.

The range of modern wallpapers is very extensive, but not all of them are suitable for the kitchen, so let's look at the ones that suit us and which will last a very long time, without requiring replacement or restoration:

• Vinyl. The most popular type of wallpaper used in the kitchen. In the photo above, you can see how the walls of the kitchen will look after repair with vinyl wallpaper. This material is completely not afraid of water and is resistant to household chemicals. In addition, vinyl is not able to absorb odors, and modern production technologies have made them resistant to ultraviolet radiation.
• Fiberglass. The material is known for a long time, but it began to be used as wallpaper relatively recently. Such wallpapers can be washed and cleaned, they will not lose their qualities and shape. Fiberglass is used in many areas of construction and repair, and all this due to its high resistance to chemical solvents, alkalis and mechanical stress.
• Bung. Wallpaper made of oak bark. Lightweight but at the same time durable material with incomparable decorative qualities.The cork easily transfers contacts with water, and does not absorb odors. Such wallpapers are equally well suited for any room in a house or apartment, and only relatively high cost can be distinguished from the shortcomings.
• Metal wallpaper. Know-how of the modern construction market. Wallpaper based on metal is not afraid of anything at all, but there are two significant drawbacks: relatively high cost and high weight. If your kitchen has a light partition, or the walls are sewn with plasterboard sheets, it is better to refuse this finishing option, since it will create a significant load on the surface.

Important! If you prefer vinyl wallpaper, be sure to look for those that have a perforated structure. Such wallpaper has a high vapor permeability, since all condensate evaporates without residue through small holes that are not visible to the naked eye.

As you can see, the choice of wallpaper is quite extensive, and as for the decorative component, modern technologies allow you to apply any pattern or structure to any surface, so you can choose suitable wallpapers for any design idea, regardless of its complexity.

And in conclusion

With the help of decorative plaster, you can originally decorate an empty wall in a small kitchen

As you can see, the question of repair, how to decorate the walls in the kitchen is completely solved. You just need to clearly understand all the requirements that apply to decoration in this complex room.

Previously, such repairs were limited to simple painting, and there was simply nowhere to show imagination. Today, times have changed, and even from the ordinary small-sized kitchen, you can create a real designer masterpiece.