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Basics of Wallpaper as a Wall Covering
Though once relegated to Grandma's house in the 1970s, wallpaper has enjoyed a bit of a comeback in home decor. That's a good thing: The old stuff could be as gaudy and over the top as it was unhealthy, and the environmental health implications of wallpaper have improved right along with the svelte new design. You still have to watch out for polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and toxic adhesives, but there are a host of ways to go green when wallpapering a room. Here's the skinny.
Pros of Wallpaper
From a design perspective, wallpaper can add a wonderful pop of color and texture to a room, providing more graphic options than paint. Wallpaper, when installed properly, tends to be more durable than paint, since it tends to be more resistant to scratches and other regular wear and tear; you can get 15 years, or more, from carefully-installed wallpaper. And, if you live in a old house, with cracking plaster walls, or in a place where the walls aren't completely flat for whatever reason, wallpaper is a great way to cover them up.
Cons of Wallpaper
Both installation and removal are tricky and messy, so you aren't likely to want to do it very often. Improperly installed wallpaper can lead to the dreaded peeling corners and edges, which are tough to fix — it often requires replacement — and the peeling may happen eventually anyway, especially if the room is exposed to lots of moisture. And, if a bit of wallpaper gets damaged, it can be pretty tough to match up the replacement sheet — a lot more difficult than touching up some paint.
How Green is Wallpaper?
There are two aspects of wallpaper that determine how green it is: the wallpaper material itself, and the adhesive you use to stick it to the wall. Many conventional wallpapers are coated with PVC — in short, pretty much one of the worst things on the planet — and adhered to the wall with a toxic slurry that'll off-gas volatile organic compounds, like polyurethane, during installation and for years afterward.
So, steer clear of coated wallpapers — go for vinyl-free papers, decorated with non-toxic, water- or vegetable-based inks, instead. And, rather than having to read a hundred ingredients lists, you can make your own wallpaper paste (though there are non-toxic alternatives out there, if DIY isn't your thing).
Where Do I Get It?
There are a handful of designers doing some really fabulous things with wallpaper these days: Mod Green Pod has wonderful, modern prints on vinyl-free paper. MIO makes some fabulous 3-D wallpaper from recycled paper, and it doesn't require paste to be installed. Though they technically aren't "paper," Phillip Jeffries creates some excellent paper-like wallcoverings from green materials like jute and hemp.
Where Do I Use It?
Wallpaper is suitable for most places, though it can be adversely affected by extreme heat, cold, and humidity, so bathrooms and dank basements might not work so hot.
What Does It Cost?
Basic wallpaper can be as cheap as $1 per square foot, but the price escalates quickly when you start adding fun designs; prices also varies depending on whether or not you install it yourself. Wallpaper is also often sold by the roll; inexpensive green wallpapers start at about $50 per roll, and go up depending on design. Wallpaper is generally more expensive than paint; it's not unusual for one large room to cost several thousand bucks.
Can I Install it Myself?
Many people who install wallpaper themselves only do it once, but it can be done. Similar to painting, you have to take care to not mess up the floors, baseboards, and furniture in the room, and it takes two or more people to carefully cut the wallpaper, apply the adhesive, stick to the wall (straight!) and make sure it matches up like you want it to. It requires some pretty meticulous work, and takes some practice to get it right, but it can be done. DoItYourself.com has some handy tips.
More on Wallpaper
Mod Green Pod: Organic Cotton Fabric & Vinyl-Free Wallpaper
Acoustic Weave 3D Wallpaper from Mioculture
Phillip Jeffries natural wallcoverings
Solar-Powered Wallpaper
Graham & Brown Eco- wallpaper
Make Your Own Eco Wallpaper Paste
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