No. 04/2006 – Textile Wall Coverings – Trendsetting – Walls covered in an elegant way
To be comfortable in your own private home – for some people this means reposing and relaxing, for others being active and creative. Why not connecting both? It is clearly visible that walls are inviting to do creative work. And they are of key importance to the well-being and feeling comfortable at home.
Besides plaster and wallpapers textile wall coverings are an excellent possibility to refurbish walls and to create a room full of atmosphere.
Besides plaster and wallpapers textile wall coverings are an excellent possibility to refurbish walls and to create a room full of atmosphere.
Elegant and comfortable
Textile wall coverings give the impression of being particularly noble. Already in the 16th century walls covered with leather or fabrics were considered as indication of elegance and wealth. Particularly during the time of baroque the interior decorations of palaces, residences and rooms in sophisticated buildings were made by so-called “tapissiers”.
For textile wall coverings fabric-backed wallpapers as well as various light and heavy fabrics are suitable – there is a huge choice of material and colours. Whether you choose decoration fabrics, wool felt, cotton, silk or linen, this will depend on your personal taste. See that the material is resistant and light-fast, and you can enjoy this fabric for a long time.
Matching the “wall clothes” you can also choose curtains and cushion covers. The result will be a harmonic overall picture of rooms appearing particularly cosy.
For textile wall coverings fabric-backed wallpapers as well as various light and heavy fabrics are suitable – there is a huge choice of material and colours. Whether you choose decoration fabrics, wool felt, cotton, silk or linen, this will depend on your personal taste. See that the material is resistant and light-fast, and you can enjoy this fabric for a long time.
Matching the “wall clothes” you can also choose curtains and cushion covers. The result will be a harmonic overall picture of rooms appearing particularly cosy.
Gluing fabrics onto the wall
If you are skilled you can fasten the fabric respectively the textile wall covering by yourself. However, support and attendance by an expert would be advisable. Interior decorators offer a great choice of appropriate fabrics and will advise and assist you optimally.
For smaller wall surfaces it would be advisable to glue the textile covering on the wall. If you want to do this work by yourself, it is essential to follow the producer’s instructions.
Normally you can fasten dimensionally stable fabrics or textile coverings on the wall as follows:
Brush the wall with special glue for textile wall coverings. The fabric cut with a selvedge allowance must be rolled up inwards, pressed along the plumb line into the layer of glue and then smoothed out firmly.
Please affix the lengths of the adjacent wall coverings with an overlap of approx. 2 - 3 cm. Then cut the fabric in the middle of the overlap by means of a metal rule and a sharp universal cutter.
Take off the upper waste stripe. Then take the upper length a little off the wall and pull out the lower waste stripe. Now both lengths are connected by a rentering seam. Use a seam roller to press the edges to the wall.
For smaller wall surfaces it would be advisable to glue the textile covering on the wall. If you want to do this work by yourself, it is essential to follow the producer’s instructions.
Normally you can fasten dimensionally stable fabrics or textile coverings on the wall as follows:
Brush the wall with special glue for textile wall coverings. The fabric cut with a selvedge allowance must be rolled up inwards, pressed along the plumb line into the layer of glue and then smoothed out firmly.
Please affix the lengths of the adjacent wall coverings with an overlap of approx. 2 - 3 cm. Then cut the fabric in the middle of the overlap by means of a metal rule and a sharp universal cutter.
Take off the upper waste stripe. Then take the upper length a little off the wall and pull out the lower waste stripe. Now both lengths are connected by a rentering seam. Use a seam roller to press the edges to the wall.
Covering walls with textiles
For covering walls with textile surfaces you need slats to be stuck up, nailed up, attached to or screwed on the wall according to its consistence. Fasten the fabric cut to size on the wall by using a rounded scraper to clamp it into the slats. The fabric should be stretched without any creases.
Alternatively you can also fix the fabrics on wooden frames. Cut the fabric to size so that you can stretch it over the frame and fix it on the backside of the frame. At first fasten the fabric with some clips on the backside of the frame. Then stretch it over the corners of the frame and tack it on the backside. Now the frame covered with the fabric can be directly fixed on the wall with plastic wall anchors and screws or hooked into mountings.
Alternatively you can also fix the fabrics on wooden frames. Cut the fabric to size so that you can stretch it over the frame and fix it on the backside of the frame. At first fasten the fabric with some clips on the backside of the frame. Then stretch it over the corners of the frame and tack it on the backside. Now the frame covered with the fabric can be directly fixed on the wall with plastic wall anchors and screws or hooked into mountings.
Advantages of textile wall coverings:
- Textile wall coverings are very decorative and cosy and also the other advantages of this material are numerous:
- Fabrics are resistant to tear and flaking, even if the construction material of the walls is still working or even if it is getting older.
- Unevenness and fissures can be made invisible by textile wall coverings.
- Textiles on the wall improve room acoustics and room climate because they can absorb sound and control humidity in the air.
- Cotton-lined textile wall coverings are heat insolating and sound absorbing.
- In addition, the air cushions built by the substructure allow an intensive cleaning of the material with a normal vacuum cleaner.
- When renovating you simply need to take off not fixed textile wall coverings.
