Eco-Friendly Wall Treatment Primer

Transcription

1 Eco-Friendly Wall Treatment Primer by Matt Tanin Brought to you by Read-Online-Ebooks.com page 1 / 22

2 Eco-Friendly Wall Treatment Primer > Free Home Improvent Ebook Eco-Friendly Wall Treatments Primer You may give away this ebook. It may not be modified in any manner. Disclaimer Reasonable care has been taken to ensure that the information presented in this book is accurate. However, the reader should understand that the information provided does not constitute legal, medical or professional advice of any kind. No Liability: this product is supplied as is and without warranties. All warranties, express or implied, are hereby disclaimed. Use of this product constitutes acceptance of the No Liability policy. If you do not agree with this policy, you are not permitted to use or distribute this product. Neither the author, the publisher nor the distributor of this material shall be liable for any losses or damages whatsoever (including, without limitation, consequential loss or damage) directly or indirectly arising from the use of this product. Use at your own risk. page 2 / 22

3 Contents Benefits of Fabric Wall Coverings and How to Apply Them Bamboo Wall Treatments - Ideas and Tips Change Your Space with Wall Treatments Discover Natural Venetian Plaster: Basics and Benefits Eco-Friendly Wall Treatments on a Budget How to Use Recycled Materials to Cover Your Walls Interior Paint: Natural versus Conventional Options for Eco-Friendly Wall Treatments Removable Wall Treatments Ideas and Tips for Decorating with Vinyl Wall Art Benefits of Fabric Wall Coverings and How to Apply Them When you think of wall coverings, do you consider fabric? Most of us think of covering furniture with fabric, not walls. But you can achieve a lovely look to a room with fabric-covered walls. And it's not a new concept - medieval castles were often hung with tapestries and other fabric pieces. There are all kinds of benefits of fabric wall coverings, and here are some tips on how to apply them. Renter-Friendly Don't you hate living in an apartment with bare white walls, and not being able to change them? Many renters are concerned about not getting their original deposit back if they move. Fabric coverings are a great solution. You use liquid starch to paste the fabric to the wall, and when it's time to move, sources say you just peel it off. Damage Prevention Think about it - a covered wall may be less likely to sustain damage. Recliners, rocking chairs, and just everyday wear-and-tear can easily damage a wall and its paint. Fabric covering puts a barrier between your wall and your household page 3 / 22

4 activities. Customizable Fabric offers a look for every personality. Bold colors and designs are just as easily achieved as restful, demure designs. Think about all the different designs and colors available - it would be hard not to find one that suited your taste. Functional A fabric wall can act as a fun space for hanging and pinning objects up. All you need is a safety pin to attach a note, lightweight object, or even holiday cards. Application Tips As mentioned above, you use liquid starch to adhere the fabric to the wall. Liquid starch is usually available in the laundry section of most retailers, but some sources say you can simply mix corn starch and water in a ratio of 1 to 2 (1 part corn starch to 2 parts water). Use a paint roller to apply the liquid starch to the wall, and when you apply the fabric, smooth it out with a flat putty knife. Then roll more starch over the top. To keep it from sliding around when the starch is wet, you can secure the fabric temporarily with thumbtacks. You may experience some bubbling of the fabric as it dries. No worries - rolling more liquid starch over the problem area will usually take care of the problem. If it continues, make a tiny pin-prick in the bubble before smoothing it out with starch. This should let the air out of the bubble and help it adhere to the wall. Bamboo Wall Treatments - Ideas and Tips page 4 / 22

5 As a beautiful, sustainable wood, bamboo is gaining popularity as a wall treatment. It's an extremely fast-growing plant, replacing itself rapidly. It's also durable, attractive, and versatile. It's best to keep this option for indoor walls only, though, experts advise. Bamboo can rapidly become invasive if planted outdoors. There are various ways you can use bamboo to decorate your walls. It's quite versatile, suiting the taste of those who like dark woods to lovers of blond wood finishes. In fact, bamboo can be lovely even with minimal finishing. Here are some ideas and tips on bamboo wall treatments. Grow Your Own A living wall is a creative, unique, and attractive way to give a whole new look to a wall. Because it grows so fast, a few pots lined up along the base of a wall will grow up and take over much of the wall space. Vary the height by placing some of the pots on shelves or small tables along the wall. You might want to use stakes in the pots to encourage the bamboos to grow more upward than outward - bamboo can get very curvy and entangled with neighboring plants. Keeping the pots at least 15 inches apart will help prevent entanglement as well. Make sure the pots have trays under them to catch excess water. Wallpaper Bamboo can be made into wallpaper, thanks to its fibrous nature. Bamboo wallpaper is not always in a bamboo design; in fact, some designs are indistinguishable from traditional wallpaper. But if you like a textural effect, bamboo wallpaper with a three-dimensional texture is available. There is even wallpaper that features realistic photos of bamboo. Tiles page 5 / 22

6 Unlike flat, square tiles, bamboo tiles are curved outward. The flat side is mounted to the wall while the curved side faces out. It can make a room look very interesting from a textural standpoint, and might look particularly nice in a room with a low ceiling. Bamboo tiles provide a natural look, and such a wall could make a great place for your houseplants. Styles run from complex to simple, with intricate patterns bringing a higher price tag than the simpler styles. Floors and Walls Some designers sing the praises of using flooring on walls. Bamboo flooring especially lends itself to this kind of treatment, creating a warm, simple, woodsy look to the area near the wall. If you use flooring, you can arrange the boards horizontally or vertically. Vertical boards can give the illusion of height to the ceiling, and horizontal ones tend to have a more anchoring effect. Change Your Space with Wall Treatments Have you ever wondered if a wall treatment can really impact the look and feel of your home's space? Surprisingly, wall treatments can really change your space. Here's how various wall treatments can change a room. The Illusion of Space One of the big reasons why people do wall treatments is to create an illusion of more space than is actually there. Here are some techniques that are used to make a space seem larger. * Light Colors - This seems pretty basic, and it is, but you'd be surprised how often just painting a room gets overlooked as a legitimate wall treatment to increase the feeling of space. Another tip from experts is to go neutral as well as light. Neutral colors do not call attention to themselves, giving the room more of a "wall-less" feeling. page 6 / 22

7 * Mirror, Mirror on the Wall... - While too much stuff on your walls can look crowded and cluttered, a few strategically-placed mirrors on the walls can really enhance the feeling of space. If you position a mirror so that it reflects a window, it increases the natural light and can even look like you have another window. * Windows - Windows are part of your wall, and how you decorate them can affect the look of your room dramatically. If you are trying to make a small room look bigger, consider no window treatments at all. If privacy is an issue, you might simply cover the glass with sheets of clear plastic that blur images - light gets in, but prying eyes don't. To make the room look like it has a higher ceiling, you can hang drapes that go from ceiling to floor. Sheer, light fabric lets in light and doesn't make the room look too close. Leather Luxury Doing a faux leather treatment on your walls definitely changes the look and feel of the space. Leather gives a cozy, study-like feeling that speaks of luxury. This is because real leather is pricey! So if that's a look you like, a faux leather treatment might work well for you. Paneling Paneling shouldn't be ruled out as a wall treatment that can bring great change. There are so many options for paneling these days, either something you make yourself or buy pre-made. Panels no longer mean the fake wood look! You can even use tile for a sleek look, metal for an industrial look, and even wood blocks for a warm, woodsy feel. Personality Various wall treatments can say a lot about your personality and make a page 7 / 22

8 statement. Some interesting things you can hang on your wall include road maps, post cards, pages from old books, paper restaurant menus, and vinyl records. A whole room can go from boring to bold with just one wall (or part of one wall) decorated in a unique way. Discover Natural Venetian Plaster: Basics and Benefits Venetian plaster is actually a modern term for an ancient wall covering technique. It's so ancient, in fact, that remnants of Venetian plaster walls have been found in Pompeii (talk about durability!). Venetian plaster enjoyed a resurgence in the 15th century in Venice, which is how it became associated with the Italian city. 1. Natural Venetian Plaster Today, there is synthetic or acrylic Venetian plaster, which is different from natural Venetian plaster. Natural Venetian plaster has several characteristics: * It's made with natural ingredients, such as lime and marble dust. There are no synthetic pigments or chemicals. * Natural Venetian plaster is odorless. * It can have a burnished or rough finish - burnished finishes are shiny and glossy, while un-burnished surfaces remain rough and stone-like. 2. Benefits of Natural Venetian Plaster There are all kinds of reasons to use natural Venetian plaster. Here are some of the benefits of this technique. * Durability - Natural Venetian plaster is quite durable, particularly if it's burnished. The un-burnished finish may be subject to chipping and damage as it's more brittle. But as we learn from Pompeii, this kind of plaster can last a page 8 / 22

9 very long time. * Versatility - Besides being able to add natural pigments to your specific tastes, natural Venetian plaster is also versatile enough to be used for columns, curvy walls, and other structures. It can also be used in areas where a marble look is desired but is not practical to install. Natural Venetian plaster can also be applied over a variety of surfaces, such as drywall, brick, wood, tile, and cement. * Mold-resistant - Natural Venetian plaster creates a natural moisture barrier, and is resistant to mildew and mold. * Insulation - In the winter, natural Venetian plaster is said to keep your home warmer, and in the summer, it may keep things cooler. In addition, natural Venetian plaster has a reputation for acting as a sound barrier. * Eco-Friendly - Thanks to the above characteristics, natural Venetian plaster is a "green" option. 3. How Is It Applied? You apply the plaster with a trowel held at an angle of 15 to 30 degrees. The first layer is thin, even to the point that the wall beneath shows through a bit. Sources recommend wiping the trowel frequently in order to prevent dried bits of plaster getting mixed in with a fresh application. Once the top coat dries (about 4 hours - longer in humid weather), you apply the second coat of plaster. This time, sources suggest you hold the trowel at a shallower angle, about 60 to 90 degrees, so that the trowel is almost flat against the first coat. This second coat needs to dry about 24 hours. If you are going to burnish the surface, now is the time. To burnish, rub the plaster surface with fine sandpaper (400 to 600 grit) in a circular motion; or use page 9 / 22

10 the flat side of the (clean) trowel to get a shinier surface. The top coat is applied last, and is considered optional. You use a trowel for the top coat, too - just make sure it's the right top coat for your manufacturer's plaster. Eco-Friendly Wall Treatments on a Budget One of the great things about eco-friendly wall treatments is that they tend to be budget-friendly as well. This is partly because eco-friendly wall coverings can be made from recycled material you have in your own home, making them extremely affordable. Store-bought, eco-friendly wall treatments can get pricey - vegetable dyes for wallpaper and fabric, chemical-free adhesive, "green" paint, sustainable wood panels...but there are budget-friendly options at your retailer, too. So here are some ideas for eco-friendly wall treatments on a budget. Scrap Paper If you need a wall treatment, particularly on one wall, scrap paper may be your answer. What a functional way to use some of those junk mail catalogues and old phone books. You may even be able to tear into some old books, like those 1973 encyclopedias. Raid your basement and attic and look for interesting paper items, and sift through those piles of paper and junk mail. You may be amazed at what you'll find! If you are doing this in the summer, look at yard sales and garage sales for scrap paper. You may find some actual wallpaper that someone didn't need - usually left over from wallpapering a room - that may cover one wall in your home. Used Covering page 10 / 22

11 If you have a second-hand store or home supply store that sells used items in your area, this is a great place to look for wall treatments. Habitat for Humanity has "Re-Stores" around the country that are in this vein. These are great places to find used paneling and other potential wall treatments for little money. Papier Mache Yes, you can papier mache your walls! Soak strips of newspaper in flour and water paste, apply the strips to the wall, allow to dry, and then paint (with eco-friendly paint, of course). This is a great way to recycle those old newspapers, too. Scrap Fabric You don't have to be an expert in needlework to have scrap fabric around. What about old scarves? Clothes that don't fit? Using liquid starch, you can apply all kinds of fabric to your walls in various designs. Other ideas might include old t-shirts (great for a game room), lacy scarves (imagine a light-colored scarf on a dark wall and vice versa), doilies, and old blankets. Purchased Wall Treatments Don't have anything around the house you can use? There are still budget-friendly options that are good for the environment. Look at antique stores, second-hand stores, and other places where people sell used items for little money. Look for materials like old road maps, books (like old encyclopedias and dictionaries), and even used paneling and wallpaper. If you have something in mind, you can often find an eco-friendly "steal" at some of these places! How to Use Recycled Materials to Cover Your Walls Looking for a creative wall covering for your home or apartment? Concerned about your renter's deposit, the cost, and/or the toxicity of the materials you page 11 / 22

12 use? If you have these or any other concerns, you may be able to solve these issues by using recycled materials to cover your walls. Here are some tips, ideas, and "how tos" for using recycled materials for your walls. 1. Paper There are really so many paper options out there that only a few can be covered here. Think about all the scrap paper in your life, and then envision it positioned in a cool pattern on your walls! Here are some ideas and suggestions for other paper sources. * Cards - From holiday cards to postcards, you can cover your walls with various designs made from these colorful items. You can just cover the wall from one side to the other, or arrange the cards to form a spiral, flowers, or other shapes. Don't forget business cards. As long as you are getting creative, why not use those subscription cards that come on the inside of magazines? * Newspapers - Once the insulation of choice for the impoverished, newspapers offer a modern look when applied to a wall. You can use color photos, comics, headlines, or the whole paper. * Paper photos - In this day and age of digital photography, many of us have old paper photos sitting in boxes. Arranging them in photo albums is becoming a lost art! But the new art is putting them on the wall. If you don't want to put them directly on the wall, you can apply them to large pieces of plywood or poster board and hang them on the wall. Then, if you move, you can take them with you. * Magazines - One of the fun things about using magazine pages to cover your walls is that magazines reflect your personal interests and tastes. Kitchens can benefit from magazines about food and cooking; living room walls might look good with some pages from a home decorating magazine. Dens and bathrooms page 12 / 22

13 can sport pictures of nature, the outdoors, or sports. * Paper bags - Using adhesive and paint, you can recycle paper bags into a wall covering with a leather-like look. * Books - Old encyclopedias, phone books, and any other book you no longer use could provide a very interesting wall cover. * Maps - Road maps are attractive and interesting, and would lend a well-traveled, adventurous look to a rec room or reading room. 2. Cloth Covering your walls with cloth is a time-honored method of room decorating. You can recycle old bedsheets, shower curtains, and fabric scraps this way. You can adhere the cloth directly to the wall using spray starch, or make a panel by covering plywood with fabric and hanging it on the wall. Interior Paint: Natural versus Conventional Interior paints can be a source of confusion these days. VOC-free, low-voc, conventional paint, non-toxic, water-based, natural pigments...it's hard to figure out which one is best, and perhaps most important, which paint is the best paint for your needs and for the environment. Is there really a difference? Here is some information on natural versus conventional interior paint. 1. Standard/Conventional Paint When you are shopping for standard or conventional paint, you'll find a list of ingredients that includes some substances that are considered toxic. Here are two of the substances that may cause problems. VOCs page 13 / 22

14 VOCs are volatile organic compounds, and this is one type of "organic" that may not be healthy! VOCs are, in large part, responsible for the distinctive smell of interior paint and the headaches some people experience when they use them. Exposure to these chemicals can also cause irritation to the eyes, nose, and throat. More seriously, VOCs may affect the nervous system (hence the headaches). Pigments Pigments found in standard paints are typically synthetic. People sensitive to chemicals may find this to be a significant problem. 2. Natural Paints Natural paints are a relatively broad category of interior paint. You will find low-voc, VOC-free, milk-protein-based paint, and other varieties under the "natural" heading. Truly natural paint does not contain synthetic chemicals. VOC-free and low-voc paints may still contain artificial (and potentially toxic) chemicals. Low-VOC paints are not free of VOCs, but they do have much less than standard paints. VOC-free paints may still contain some VOC - as long as it has less than 5 grams of VOCs per liter, the manufacturer can claim it's VOC-free. Truly natural paints contain no VOCs at all, and are colored with natural pigments. Another natural option is the powdered pigment itself. It comes in a powder and is mixed with a milk protein, and you mix it with liquid as needed. You can get really creative with this option, even mixing the pigment into plaster or other wall treatments. And if you want a layered look or some areas light and page 14 / 22

15 others richer, you can vary the amount of water you add to the powder. 3. Benefits of "Green" Paint Paints made from natural ingredients are considered much healthier. Their pigments are usually clay-based, and they don't have the toxic chemicals found in standard paint. Natural paints do not have the odor associated with VOCs and other chemicals, either. If you have chemical sensitivities, most people find that natural paints do not cause the same problems with headaches and respiratory distress that standard paints do. And finally, if you have children and/or pets that might ingest some of the paint (such as chips off the walls), then it would give you peace of mind to have natural paint only. Options for Eco-Friendly Wall Treatments When it comes to wall treatments, many people have concerns about the toxicity of various materials. From paint to vinyl, the materials used to cover walls can come with warnings about toxicity. Thankfully, there are options for eco-friendly wall treatments. Some you can do yourself, while other products are on the market that are considered eco-friendly. Here are some ideas and tips for eco-friendly wall treatments. Fabrics One of the latest trends in wall treatments is to cover a wall (or walls) with fabric. However, if you use a spray adhesive and synthetic fabric, it's hardly environmentally friendly. If you're looking for a way to cover your walls with fabric without the chemicals, consider these points. * Natural fabrics and materials like cotton, wool, linen, and hemp make fine wall coverings, and they are made from natural fibers. page 15 / 22

16 * Look for fabrics that are dyed with natural pigments, such as vegetable dyes. * For adhering your fabric to the wall, you can use liquid starch or mix corn starch with water in a 1 to 2 ratio (1 part corn starch to 2 parts water). This is more eco-friendly than chemical adhesives. Another alternative is to hang the fabric and skip the adhesives altogether. Textured Tiles There is an innovative wall treatment out there that's eco-friendly and adds a three-dimensional texture to your walls. Tiles made from bamboo pulp can be purchased in various textures and patterns, and you can paint them in any color you like (they usually come in white). Eco-Friendly Paint Mainstream manufacturers have figured out that customers are looking for environmentally friendly paint. It's not too hard to find paint without toxic chemicals (such as VOCs, or volatile organic compounds) in your local store. You can even get powdered paint from natural pigments made with milk protein, and mix it with liquid as needed. Natural Plaster The ancient process of adobe and other natural plasters has been revisited. You can purchase all-natural products made from materials such as clay, sand, and cellulose that you can apply to your walls and add texture as you please. You can even press leaf images into the wet plaster on the wall, or mix shells or straw into the plaster before applying. Bamboo One of the most sustainable woods available, bamboo can be used for a number of wall treatments. Wallpaper made from bamboo - textured or flat - is page 16 / 22

17 available, as are panels made from bamboo. You can find dark and light finishes in bamboo, and can even mix them for a striped look. Removable Wall Treatments When you want to adhere something to your walls to create a wall treatment, you may be concerned about getting it off again without damaging your wall. This is particularly a concern for renters. Homeowners, too, may not want their wall treatments to be permanent - especially if you're using something like family photos for a creative wall cover. You can adhere things to walls temporarily. Here are some ways to create removable wall treatments. Liquid Starch It is a bit old-fashioned, perhaps, but liquid starch is said to make a great adhesive for wall treatments, especially fabric. Liquid starch acts like a glue, but it is not strong and hard like traditional wallpaper glue. Liquid starch creates a stiff, smooth finish (it's starch, after all), but it's said that you can pull the treatment right off the wall whenever you need to remove it. Liquid starch works with materials like paper and fabric. Even shower curtains can work, but you may have to do several coats as you'll be working against a water-resistant material. Liquid starch works best when it can penetrate the material. If you can't find this temporary adhesive in stores, you can make your own with 1 part corn starch to 2 parts water. It's likely that the thinner you make it (that is, the more water you add), the weaker the adhesive quality. Temporary Wallpaper Yes, they actually make ready-made wallpaper that is intended to be page 17 / 22

18 temporary. Mainstream manufacturers are starting to catch on to the peel-and-stick wallpaper idea, meaning that major retailers may be carrying this temporary wallpaper in stock. Temporary wallpaper is sort of like contact paper for your walls, and it is supposed to peel off with no trouble. Double-Sided Tape Often used for mounting carpets, double-sided tape can work. It might pull underlying paint off the walls, though, so look for a variety that is not very sticky. Keep a bottle of "goo" remover handy in case the tape leaves residue. Staple Gun It may seem a bit crude at first, but many apartment dwellers say that the tiny holes left by staples are too small to be noticed after you take down the paper. Staple guns can be very handy at making a piece of thick paper or fabric look smooth. You can pull it tight as you work, going from one side to the other, starting in the middle of each side. Panels Perhaps the most commitment-free type of temporary wall treatment is a panel or panels. Stretch fabric over a piece of plywood and staple it on the back; set the panel up against the wall. You can also cover plywood with traditional wallpaper and make a panel that way. Ideas and Tips for Decorating with Vinyl Wall Art Vinyl wall art is something like wallpaper, something like stickers, and something like a mural. It's a way to customize a room and add color, design, and personality to an otherwise blank wall or empty area on a wall. You may wonder if there is appropriate vinyl wall art that fits your personality and decorating tastes. Actually, vinyl wall art is highly customizable; not only page 18 / 22

19 is there an enormous variety of ready-made designs, but you can also design and make your own. Here are some tips and ideas for decorating with vinyl wall art. 1. What's Available? If you are going for ready-made decals, you will be amazed at how many different designs there are. Regardless of which room you plan to decorate, there is probably a vinyl wall art design that fits! Here are just some of the designs and themes that are available: * Lots of animal designs, from cats to jungle animals to birds * Forest trees and plants * Flowers and vines * Faces, eyes, lips, etc. * Kids' themes like robots, toys, trains, etc. * Geometric designs like checkers, argyle, and lines * Food themes 2. Where to Put Your Vinyl Wall Art What kind of wall or room would benefit most from vinyl wall art? Here are some tips. * Wherever you put the vinyl decals, make sure they don't get lost in a cluttered room. Vinyl decorations may just end up adding to the cluttered feeling. page 19 / 22

20 * Reading nooks can benefit from some vinyl wall art, such as bamboo or trees. * Restful designs like ocean waves and swirling tree branches look nice in a bedroom. * In the kitchen, you could put vinyl wall art on the front of cabinets and/or the refrigerator, or on the wall next to or over them. 3. Vinyl DIY If none of the ready-made designs strike your fancy, you can make your own vinyl wall art. Just trace your design onto the back of a piece of contact paper in the color of your choice, cut it out, peel off the backing, and stick it to the wall. Sources say that this can even be used in an apartment, as the contact paper does not stick too firmly to the walls. You also might want to draw on a large sheet of paper taped to your wall first to get an idea as to the size and look of your design. 4. Functionality While vinyl wall art is not particularly functional, it can partner up with something functional for a unique look. For example, a vinyl tree with many branches would make a great backdrop for coat hooks. You could also put a pots-and-pans decal up in your kitchen, hang real hooks, then store your pots and pans there. There are so many possibilities with vinyl wall art! Home & Eco Info Products Food Storage Made Easy Ebook Know What To Buy. Know How Much To Buy. And Know How To Actually Use Your Food Storage. Over 100 Pages Of Checklists. Recipes. And Articles All Designed To Help You Get Organized And page 20 / 22

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