Decorative Wallboard

Decorative wallboard hasn’t always been well received by discerning homeowners who are particular about their interior design scheme. It is also commonly referred to as paneling, which was widely used in the 1970s to cover rooms, wall-to-wall in faux wood and vinyl. While durable, these older wallboards weren’t exactly attractive or ideal because it was nearly impossible to paint over them once they were affixed to the wall.

However, today, decorative wall panels are becoming popular once again because new manufacturing techniques, finishes, and choices in finishes make them attractive to homeowners who are looking for a durable wall finish that is relatively maintenance free.

At its most basic, decorative wallboard is a series of panels that can be mounted directly to wall studs or can be layered over drywall for a beautiful, simple finish to your room. Utilizing decorative wallboard is an economically friendly way of finishing your rooms and can help you save a step or two when completing a remodeling or new home project.

This type of wallboard comes in a variety of styles and colors, as well as textures such as wood grain, stripes, leather-look, floral patterns, and more. It is incredibly durable and performs just like a gypsum wallboard (also known as drywall, which is a critical component of interior building systems).

One of the most attractive characteristics of decorative wallboard is that it comes prefinished, which means that you don’t need to paint, stucco, or finish the wall with wallpaper once it has been attached to the wall. Another attractive characteristic is that you can have a manufacturer produce a custom color or design to match the materials or design scheme in your home.

Needless to say, having relatively maintenance free walls is a wonderful boon for any homeowner, but particularly for those with kids or pets. Because this type of wallboard is so durable it wears well and is resistant to the standard bumps and scrapes that you might get with a regular painted or wallpapered wall. It is ideal for areas such as:

• Nurseries
• Playrooms
• Mudrooms
• Kitchens
• Bathrooms

Grubby fingerprints, dog paw marks, spills, bathroom film, or food stains typically wipe up with just a damp sponge or a mild soap and water solution.

If you are stuck with an unattractive wallboard in your home that you would like to paint or wallpaper over, there are a few things to consider before delving into a do it yourself project. The most important thing to note is that you can’t directly paint or wallpaper over vinyl wallboard without doing proper prep work. Here are a few tips to consider before painting over existing wallboard.

First gather a good set of tools. The more prep work you do, the better the outcome.

• 40 or 50-grit sandpaper or,
• Electrical sander
• Water-based primer
• Epoxy paint
• Paint brush

1. First sand the wall to a very rough finish similar to that of cement
2. Next apply the primer to the roughened surface in a thin, even coat. This step is important because it will make certain that the paint will stick to the wallboard
3. Then apply a coat of epoxy paint, which will stick to the surface better than a regular paint, so don’t skimp in this area
4. Finally, add as many coats of paint as you feel necessary to coat the entire wall. Let each coat dry and continue painting until you can’t see the wallboard through the paint.

Before you get started on a search for the perfect decorative wallboard, check out the following resources to get an idea of what types of patterns and finishes you have to choose from. Then head to your nearest home improvement store and get started!

• Fashion Wall by DPI - This website has a plethora of ideas to look through, including AquaTile, which is embossed tileboards that are perfect for high-moisture areas where you would normally install tile. They also have some beautiful panels with a brick or stone look, called EarthStones, and textures panels with a wood grain or stucco look.
• Georgia Pacific has an excellent selection of wood grain panels in every kind of wood finish, from American Oak to Cedar, or a bleached Coastal Cedar look. They also provide ready-to-paint wood beadboard and tiled finishes.

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