One of the easiest ways to give a whole bathroom a quick face lift is to change the wall coverings. There are plenty of options available to you but you do have to remember that bathroom wall coverings have to be able to withstand far more use and abuse than wall coverings in the other rooms of your home. Heat, moisture and frequent cleaning are all challenges that have to be met by a good bathroom wall covering. Here are just a few of the most commonly used ones.
Paint
Having your bathroom walls painted is a very simple way to change the look and feel of the room in just a few hours. Gloss and semi gloss paints work best in a bathroom setting as they repel water and are much easier to clean. On the downside though if your bathroom walls are a little lumpy and bumpy a gloss paint will accentuate all those imperfections.
Wallpaper
Although there are a lot of gorgeous wallpapers available these days, most of them are not suitable for use in the bathroom. Vinyl wall coverings are a much better choice. There are still a great many design options available but these wall coverings are made to be moisture resistant and can be used in a bathroom and remain looking good for years.
Wallpaper borders are a different matter. Many of them are waterproof and a nice wallpaper border used in conjunction with paint is a bathroom décor accent that is easily added in a just a few hours.
Ceramic Tile
Ceramic tile has been used in bathrooms for centuries. Ceramic tile is probably the perfect bathroom wall covering in terms of durability and ease of cleaning but covering all of the wall space with ceramic tile in a medium to large size bathroom can be a rather expensive undertaking. Using ceramic tile as an accent on painted bathroom walls is a less expensive alternative that can still look very striking.
Wood
Some people love the warm look wood panels on the wall can bring to a bathroom. Any wooden wall coverings in a bathroom – whether solid or plywood-backed veneers – must be coated with urethane or another water-resistant coating prior to installation though or they will be ruined by the moisture in the air in just a matter of months.
Glass Block
Glass block is growing in popularity for use in the bathroom and for very good reasons. Glass block has a very sleek, modern look and, being glass, obviously has the ability to transmit light while preserving privacy. It can be used for walls and windows as well, making it a very versatile bathroom choice.
The only downside? The cost; glass block could not be called a cheap bathroom wall covering so, if you are going to make the investment, spend a little more to have a good mason install them since even one slip by an amateur could up being a very costly mistake.
For those embarking upon a kitchen remodel there are many different counter top options available today. While granite is the hot trend right Altura EC now wood kitchen counter tops are still an option well worth considering. Like any other counter top material wooden counter tops come with their own set of pros and cons to weigh up when deciding between wood and other counter top material choices. Here are some of them to keep in mind.
The Pros of Wood Kitchen Counter Tops
Adaptability – Most wooden counter tops will blend in with almost any color scheme or kitchen décor and can be used to create a very rustic feel in the kitchen or as butcher block counter tops to give the space a professional restaurant style feel.
Hygienic – Wood counter tops are considered to be naturally more sanitary than other kitchen counter top options because of their inherent, built in protection against all kinds of nasty bacteria.
Easy to Fix – Bumps and dents can usually be sanded out of wooden kitchen counter tops fairly easily, meaning that such kitchen accidents are not the disaster they may be if they occur with other counter top materials.
The Cons of Wood Kitchen Counter Tops
Moisture Problems – Wood counter tops are prone to moisture damage if they are not sealed properly before they are installed. They also have to be cleaned with great care, avoiding the use of bleaches or other harsh chemicals.