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Choosing Wall Coverings

Posted 07/14/09

Walls make a huge statement about the décor in a building. The colors and textures set the tone for the rest of the design elements that turn your house into your home. It's amazing how much a simple thing like new wall coverings can totally make over any room in the house. If you've been thinking about a change but aren't quite sure where to start, use our guide to see what's out there. Lowe's is happy to provide this information as a service to you.

  • Gypsum wallboard is made from crushed gypsum sheathed in paper (smooth on the faced side and natural on the backside). It is the most common wall covering in use today. Gypsum wallboard gives the appearance of plaster without the need for lath backer strips or the high degree of skill required to apply plaster. Gypsum is suitable for painting or as a base for wallpaper, ceramic tile, paneling and most textured finishes.
  • Plank paneling is a solid wood product usually milled from 1x stock or made from planks ranging from 3/16" to 5/16" in thickness. Most plank paneling has a tongue milled into one edge and a groove milled into the other. This design makes it possible to nail through the tongue of one board and hide the nails with the groove of the next. Ordinarily plank paneling comes in widths from 2 1/2" to 8" and lengths up to 10'.
  • Sheet paneling is a 4' x 8' plywood-like product that usually mimics the look of plank paneling. Since the sheets are larger, sheet paneling installs faster than plank paneling. Sheet paneling is also available with wallpaper designs laminated to its face. You can even get faux brick and stone sheet paneling.
  • Tile board is a 4' x 8' sheet wall covering very similar to sheet paneling. Tile board is made from hardboard instead of plywood, which makes it particularly well- suited to applications in high-moisture areas like bathrooms and laundry rooms. Tile board is available in several solid colors, as well as a wide variety of stamped faces that mimic the look of ceramic tile.
  • Wainscoting is available in either plank or sheet form, just like plank paneling and sheet paneling. The difference is that wainscoting usually goes only 1/3 of the way up a wall, where it is capped by chair rail molding. The area above the wainscoting is usually painted or covered in wallpaper.
  • Ceramic wall tile is made from minerals pressed, shaped and heated in a kiln. Most wall tile is either vitreous or glazed, giving it a high resistance to water absorption. This resistance makes ceramic wall tile an excellent wall covering in kitchens and bathrooms and especially good as a backsplash.
  • Wallpaper comes in a myriad of styles, textures and materials ranging from grass cloth to vinyl. In fact, the topic of wallpaper is so broad we decided to give it its own separate article. Read more about Choosing Wallpaper.
  • Rugs of various styles and sizes have been used as wall coverings for centuries. Heavy cloth tapestries were used to slow drafts and help keep in heat in ancient dwellings. As building techniques improved and drafts became less of a problem, large rug wall hangings remained. They are still used today to add texture and as an expression of the decorator's sense of style.

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