There a number of ways for you to finish, or refinish, your wall. Wallpaper and painted murals are two of the more popular options now because of their decorative style. Choosing between the two may be difficult as they are both very appealing. There are several factors you also have to consider when making your decision.

Here are some advantages and disadvantages of each to help you decide on which to choose.

Wallpaper

Wallpaper is one of the most widely used materials to finish the walls, not only in residential homes, but even commercial buildings. Most prefer wallpaper over regular paint because of the designs that are available with these wallpapers which you cannot do with a regular paint.

Wallpapers are available in almost all home improvement shops. You can choose from a wide array of designs and patterns. It is also relatively easy to install. You just need to prepare the surface where the wallpaper will be placed, and paste it in.

All wallpapers can be installed in different types of surfaces. Whether you just have a plain wall, brick, paneling or maybe textured walls, you can hang any wallpaper over these walls. There are just some preparations that need to be done.

Make sure that there are no nails and other obstructions that may be sticking out from the wall. If you have a textured surface, try to get rid of any high points. Clean up the wall with a grease-cutting cleanser. After which, you can hang the bridging wallpaper which is a blank one and is designed for irregular surfaces. The actual wallpaper can then be pasted over the bridging material.

Although cool and stylish, wallpaper can be too expensive. If you are deciding on using wallpaper in your home, it is advisable to be consistent all throughout the home. You should apply wallpaper to all walls of your home and it could be costly.

Since wallpaper is a material that you paste over your wall, there is a possibility of it being torn especially when you have kids around. Of course torn wall paper is not a pretty sight. Though it may be resolved by pasting new wallpaper of the same pattern, there might be visible traces which can be an unpleasant view. And once a tear is made on wallpaper there is a big possibility that it will spread and make a wider hole.

Painted Mural

Painted murals on walls are one of the newest additions to your choices of wall finishings. Painted murals make a very good choice especially on children's rooms. They are images, photos and sceneries painted directly on the wall.

If you are an artistic person, this makes a good choice for you since you can do it on your own. This is where you can show off your creativity and imagination to your guests. If you really have the eye and hand of an artist, this will be simple work for you.

You can even trick your guests with painted murals. You can make a painted mural fireplace which can definitely look like a real one if done perfectly. For your living or dining room, perhaps, you can paint an image of a wall painting in a frame with shadows in the background to make a realistic effect.

There are indeed many ideas that you can come up with if you choose painted murals. If you think you are not capable of doing it, you can get help from a friend whom you think can do it or hire a painter to do it for you. It is also a fun and fulfilling work to do.

Another good thing about painted murals is that it’s less expensive than wallpaper. You just have to buy paints of different colors depending on the design you want to do. And it also lasts. Should there be dirt or stains that would be visible, you can easily retouch your work.

A disadvantage to painted murals, though, is if you are not that competent enough on doing it and you think your work is messed up, you have to redo everything again. And it will be a waste of your time, effort and money because you have to buy more paint colors again. And you have to paint the whole wall with a neutral color to start again.

Also, over the years, the paint may look dull even when the image is full of colors. That would mean repainting again and designing again your wall.

Each of the options indeed has its benefits and demerits. You just need to weigh these pros and cons thoroughly to help you make the right choice. Choose the one that you think will give you more benefits and more value in the long run.