Sometimes you want to change the interior design,but money and time for full-fledged repair is sorely lacking. You can use budget materials, however, if the "change of scenery" is planned in the bathroom, not all of them will be suitable. Constant moisture, steam and temperature changes can damage the surface with improper finish. But from any situation you can find a way out, and in the case of a bathroom they will become all the long-known ordinary self-adhesive film for the bathroom.
Advantages of
Self-adhesive film and bathroom stickers have many advantages, so they are often used in the interior:
- Variety of color solutions - for film and labels there are no restrictions in terms of color or patterns. In the market of facing materials, you can find a glue with a glossy gloss or matte coating, monophonic or with a pattern, mother of pearl and imitation of various materials: crumpled paper, wood, stone, marble, heat-shrinked foil, leather, etc.
- High level of resistance to aggressive environmental conditions - the film is not afraid of sudden changes in temperature, it is absolutely waterproof. It is capable of withstanding heating to 80 ° C. This is ideal for a bathroom, as the water resistance and steam properties can be equated to a ceramic tile.
- Durability and ease of maintenance - for many years it does not fade and does not wash out. Various contaminants, even cooking oil, are easily cleaned off the surface of the film. As maintenance measures, it is enough to wipe it with a damp cloth.
- Low cost - compared with other facing materials, self-adhesive film is the most budget option. Its low cost does not mean that the attractiveness of the pasted surface will decrease.
- Easy to paste - it can be quickly and easily pasted, and if necessary - removed. This allows you to change the surface of the film-coated surfaces from time to time. A huge plus for fans of change. In addition, it is suitable for gluing on any kind of material.
- A variety of options for gluing - with its help you can create various shapes and patterns on surfaces, zonate space, and easily glue over the protrusions and roundings. The ability to purchase only the right amount of material, rather than a single roll, allows you to combine different color options in the same room.
Cons
- The main drawback of self-adhesive film are the requirements for the surface to be glued: it must be perfectly even and clean.
- It is also not always possible to paste the film yourself onto a large surface.
Stickers have no such drawbacks.
Self-adhesive film( or, as it is also called "self-adhesive") is the best material for "quick repair", including in rooms with frequently changing temperature and humidity conditions.
It will be interesting to look and bulky stickers, which can always be peeled and pasted to another place, and on the surface of them there will be no trace.
Which materials are suitable for pasting
Self-adhesive film and stickers can be used for any kind of surfaces and materials. Equally suitable for both wood and metal. It perfectly glues on plastered walls, ceramic tiles, cabinet doors, glass and even a cork. Synthetic materials are best wetted before gluing, this will quickly and easily align the film.
Recommendations
Like any other material, self-adhesive film has several nuances in terms of installation. If you know them all, the process of gluing does not take much time, and the work will be done qualitatively and effectively.
The first and most important thing is that the surface to be glued should be perfectly flat and free of dust and grease. If this requirement is not observed, the adhesive will lie unevenly, all the convexities and depressions will be visible, and the dust layer between the materials will contribute to the fact that the film quickly lags or does not stick at all. For priming, it is best to use acrylic compounds.
To make it easier to level the material, use a spatula, rubber roller or felt blade.
Preparatory work
The first stage of surface finishing with self-adhesive film is surface leveling and cleaning. The main condition for high-quality work on pasting is a well prepared surface: clean and thoroughly degreased.
Walls and plasterboard need to be ground, then wipe with a fine mesh, wash off dust and apply a primer.
The wood is often ground and covered with a layer of varnish.
Glass and metal are recommended to be slightly dampened.
How to cut the
film Properly sliced material is already half the work done successfully. To competently produce a cutting film, it is not necessary to be an expert in this matter. It is necessary to take a ruler more authentic, a pencil and a cutting tool: a knife or scissors. The main condition - the edges of the glue must be perfectly even.
Depending on the type of coloring, the film is cut on the front( for self-adhesive with a pattern or pattern) or on the reverse side. Ruler measure the necessary dimensions, make pencil marks in several places. We draw a line and cut off the desired size piece with a margin of a couple of centimeters.
In case when you want to create a decorative element or application with the help of a film, you need to circle the image you like with a stencil, and then carefully cut with scissors.
Room decoration
Usually on the reverse side you can find the instruction with a sequence of actions.
First you need to take the cut material and separate the corner of the film from the paper substrate. Apply to the surface and start to glue, gradually separating the film from the remaining paper at first a few centimeters from the edge, and then completely. To smooth the film, gently smooth it with a squeegee, blowing air bubbles from the center to the edges and smoothing the folds.
When the corners are glued, the film is cut at an angle of 45 degrees so that there is no overlap of the layers. And to glue the film on the rounded and convex surfaces you can use a building or even a normal hair dryer. With its help, the self-adhesive is heated and becomes more elastic, which allows it to gain a foothold on the surface of any shape. In general, heating the film promotes better adhesion to the base material.
Fast application on metal and glass surfaces
There is also a fast method of gluing a self-adhesive film. It is mainly used for covering glass and metal surfaces with a film. Water is used for this. It is most convenient to use a spray gun. The surface should be well watered, and then attach to it a film completely separated from the substrate. Thanks to water, it will not stick at once, which will make it possible to level it on the surface. Then with a soft spatula you need to drive out excess water and smooth the folds and bubbles.
Possible problems with gluing to the surface and their solution
In the process of gluing surfaces with a self-adhesive film, things do not always go smoothly, especially if this is done for the first time in life. Minor defects can be eliminated quite easily.
So, air bubbles are removed with a needle. It is enough to pierce a small hole and press the film gently to let air through it, and then smooth it with a spatula.
Jams and wrinkles can be removed within a few hours after gluing. To do this, you need to peel off the film with a sharp movement( but carefully enough not to tear it), and then glue it back.
If, however, the film has lagged behind the surface for several hours after the gluing, it is likely that it was not clean enough. Probably, on it there were particles of a dust or fat stains. In this case, you can try to re-arrange the surface preparation and glue the film back. But if there is a layer of dust on the sticky side of the film, it's unlikely that it will get stuck again. In this scenario, you will have to replace the film in the problem area.
Care
In the care of self-adhesive film is very unpretentious. This is its great dignity.
It is best to use liquid soap and warm water to clean the self-adhesive film.
You can use a dishwashing detergent to remove grease. The film is absolutely not afraid of water, as it is covered with a protective PVC layer. Therefore, you can not worry about that it will roll down like a paper under the influence of moisture, if it is rubbed.
If the above methods are not effective, then you can resort to the help of vodka or ethyl alcohol.
Do not use aggressive abrasive agents or any kind of strong solvents. They can damage the coating with scratches or smudge the paint.
Self-adhesive film - the best material for the bathroom, because it is able to withstand the conditions of the room, and care for it is not difficult. This inexpensive material allows you to turn a boring bathroom into a stylish and bright room according to the latest trends in the design world.
