Wall Finishes

pages 245-257 in "Interior Construction and Detailing"

Wall finishes include:

those applied as a single, thin decorative covering, such as paint,
wallpaper, and vinyl wallcovering,

and those composed of several construction elements that can add

substantial thickness to a wall, such as ceramic tile or stone panels.

Acoustical panels

when a high degree of sound absorption is desired, acoustical

panels can be a good choice.

Two primary decisions regarding acoustical panels:

fabric type
core material

fabric for acoustical panels must be permeable, to allow for sound

energy to pass through.

this also means that the fabric should not have a backing.

fabrics for acoustical panels should be 'hydrophobic' which means

that they do not hold and absorb moisture.

Acoustical panels:

expanded polypropylene:
moisture resistant, impact resistant, tackable, lightweight, indoor-outdoor

High impact fabric covered panels:

compressed figerglass core, class A fire rated, chemically hardened edges

glass reinforced gypsum ceiling panels

sometimes used for acoustical purposes

For acoustical panel covering, it is important to use fabric that

does not absorb and retain moisture.

Hydrophobic fabrics do not absorb and retain moisture.

These include polyester, acetates, nylon.

Hydrophillic fabrics absorb and retain moisture.

These include cotton, wool, and silk.

Stone used as a wall finish

typical stone used for wall finishes include:

granite, marble, limestone, slate, sandstone.

manmade products, such as cast stone, can mimic the visual and
material qualities of natural stone.

Stone tiles and panels

stone tiles, and panels, used as wall finish materials have definite
size constraints.

the term tile means a small, (generally no larger than 12x12) thin,
modular piece of material. tiles can be made of metal, glass, wood,
leather, plastic, ceramics, cork, and nearly any other material.

tile does not always mean ceramic.

the table on page 252 of "Interior Construction and Detailing" lists a

variety of stone types and size limitations or requirements.

details in stone wall finish installation

stone used as a finished wall surface can be achieved using two

different approaches:

tiles: thin, small, modular, pieces, typically no larger than 12" x 12".

panels/slabs: 3/4" up to 4" thick.

Stone tiles:
granite, quartzite, multi colored slate, black slate, green slate, multi-colored

Stone wall panels:

marble panels attached to a sub-surface wall

Olivetti showroom, Venice, Italy:

designed by Carlo Scarpa
marble stairs, bench, balcony low wall

stone tiles

stone panels

marble floor tiles, wall tiles

granite wall panels

marble floor tiles

pattern making using tiles

slate flooring

slate

Ceramic tiles with LED lights embedded in

each tile.

Finnish designer Maija Puoskari has taken inspiration from nature to create this concept of snow print
tiles. Each tile looks like a silver patch of snow which is adorned with footprints of an animal.

Studio JSPRs Cover-Tiles collection is a series of tiles that cover pipes, connections and water taps which are
normally enclosed in the wall. With Cover-Tiles, these elements are all visible on the outside.

Wood tiles from DeckTiles.org at ICFF

These tiles snap together.

MIO's modular 3D Wallpaper

Create pattern variation by rotating the tiles or painting them. The lightweight
recycled paper modules can be installed temporarily with double stick tape or
permanently with wallpaper paste. A box of 12 tiles (12 x 12 x 2 1/4) sell
for about $32.

Mio Culture - Ripple Paper Forms

Acoustic Weave 3D Wallpaper

Designed to diffuse sound, reduce acoustic glare and eliminate standing waves; add to that it's green credentials
(100% recycled and recyclable paper made in closed-loop manufacturing from locally sourced materials)

wall flats
Designers: Mike & Jennifer Tuttle

Wall Flats are Inhabit's take on a modern, eco-friendly wallpaper.

A modern embossed three-dimensional wallcovering that is good for the
environment.
Wall Flats are made from 100% bamboo pulp, one of the worlds most
renewable resources. No trees were harmed in the making of this product:)
They are a sustainable wallcovering that is free of chemicals and will not be
a burden to the environment at the end of it's lifecycle, since the tiles are
100% bio-degradable.
Wall Flats are designed to expand in any direction with an automatic pattern
repeat and can be painted to coordinate with decor. You can cover a existing
wall with Wall Flats, help disguise a not-so-smooth wall or add a modern,
green wallpaper to any room setting through patterning.

wall flats Designers: Mike & Jennifer Tuttle

ceramic tile

ceramic tile

Ceramic tile is especially useful in kitchens and bathrooms because

it is water-resistant and easy to clean and extremely durable.

Made from a mixture of clays and fired at high temperatures, tile is

used for wall coverings, floors, showers, countertops, bath
surrounds, and more.

Tiles used on walls and counters are generally glazed

 Grout, a kind of mortar, is spread between

tiles to lock them in place and fill the joints
between them. Grout may be white or
colored with pigment.

 Ceramic tile may be applied directly over

drywallif the room is likely to be damp,
special moisture-resistant drywall should
be used. Or tile may be applied to a
mortar bed or a backer board made of a
ceramic aggregate core that is coated with
a thin fiberglass mesh.

mosaic tiles are typically joined into a sheet

Ceramic tile: pattern making

Mosaic tiles

Paints and Coatings

What is paint?
Paints are made up of four components:
pigment, binder, solvent/liquid carrier, and
additives.
Varnishes, which form transparent or semitransparent films, are made up of the last three
components, with colored varnishes containing
small amounts of pigment.

Paint is manufactured to meet specific needs

Types of Paint
water base paint
solvent base paint
these are the two basic types of paint generally available.
paint may have physical or chemical characteristics such as:

matte surface, semi gloss surface, high gloss surface

non-drip paint, primer, undercoats, anti-condensation,
fire retardant paint (intumescent), metallic, concrete floor
paint, porch paint, anti-fungus paint, heat resistant paint

 Pigments, which give color and

opacity/covering power, are finely
dispersed solid particles. In some cases
they can be used to impart certain
protective properties, eg rust prevention,
and to control gloss levels

 The binder is the material that forms the

film, giving protection to the substrate and
keeping the pigment in place and evenly
dispersed. It may be made up of a single,
or a combination of polymers. The binder
may be dissolved in a solvent, or in the
form of an emulsion or colloidal dispersion
in water. This results in solvent-borne and
water-borne paints, respectively.

 The solvent/liquid carrier is used to effect

application of the coating. It may be water or an
organic solvent, or a mixture of both, and thins
the paint or varnish, allowing it to be brushed,
sprayed, dipped or rolled.
Once on the substrate, the solvent evaporates,
leaving the dry film coating. The term 'liquid
carrier' is preferable because the liquid may not
be a true solvent for the binder.

 Additives are used, in small amounts, to

modify the film or paint. Examples are
driers, which promote the drying time of
some coatings; flow-control agents, which
give a smooth surface; defoamers, which
prevent the formation of bubbles that
could dry in the film; and anti-skinning
agents to prevent the paint from forming a
'skin' in the can

Water Base Vs. Solvent Base

Water-based: non-flammable, clean up

with water, quick drying in good conditions,
low VOC content, low odor, non-yellowing
Solvent-based: better drying in cold, damp
conditions, better low-temperature storage,
no can corrosion problems, less woodgrain raising, higher gloss

Fire retardant and fire resistant coatings

flame retardant paints slow the rate of flame spread

intumescent coatings bubble up, or expand, when exposed
to extremely high heat
fire resistant paints are not as effective at controlling the
spread of flames as intumescent, or fire retardant paints.
fire resistant paint does not burn, but it also does not help
control the spread of the flames

 Washing machine manufacturers do not need to

buy cans of paint to give color to their products.
Instead, they buy huge rolls of sheet steel
already treated and coated with flexible and
durable paints that allow the appliance casings to
be cut and formed into shape without damage.

 This technique, known as 'coil coating', used to

make this 'bendable' paint. A thin coil of the metal
to be painted is cleaned and pretreated before
being fed along a coating line whereby the primer,
top and back paint layers are applied in two stages.
After each paint application, the coil is oven cured
and allowed to cool before the painted coil emerges
at the end of the process. The coating is formulated
to have great flexibility, allowing the coated metal to
be manipulated without the paint cracking.

Wallcoverings
Wallcoverings offer improved durability over typical
paint finishes while providing texture and pattern to
the wall surface.
The most widely used wallcoverings for commercial
use are vinyls.
There is a classification system used to compare
all types of commercial wallcovering.
This is the ASTM F793 Standard Classification of
Wallcoverings by Durability Characteristics.

Wallcovering Classification
Category 1: decorative only
Category 2: decorative with medium
serviceability
Category 3: decorative with high serviceability
Category 4: Type I Commercial serviceability
Category 5: Type II Commercial serviceability
Category 6: Type III Commercial serviceability

Vinyl Wallcoverings

There is a special standard that describes

vinyl wallcovering as:
Type I: light duty, with a minimum weight of 7
oz/sq. yard
Type II: medium duty, with a minimum weight of
13 oz/sq. yard
Type III: heavy duty, with a minimum weight of
22 oz/sq. yard

Materials & Backings

Vinyl:
scrim, a loosely woven fabric backing used on Type I
vinyls
Osnaburg, a loose open weave fabric used on Type II
vinyls
Drill, a dense woven fabric with good dimensional
stability used on Type II and Type III vinyls
Nonwoven, a paperlike backing used on Type I vinyls.

Surface Materials for Walls

Wood Veneer: bonding wood veneer (about 1/64" thick)

to a woven backing material.

Textiles: paper backing or a latex coating

Fiberglass: a fiberglass fabric that is applied to a backing.
Fiberglass wallcoverings must be painted after they are
installed.

Wallpaper: paper wallcoverings are generally restricted to

residential use because of fragility and poor wear resistance.

Wall Preparation

Four traditional ways to prepare a wall

surface to receive a wallcovering:
Seal: usually oil based
Size: reduces the absorbency of the surface
Prime: assure proper adhesion
Wall liner: nonwoven sheets; cover cracks or
holes in preparation for a finished wallcovering

Upholstered Wall Systems

site constructed coverings that stretch

fabric taut over a frame and infill material.
the frame material is typically either a
plastic extrusion, or a wood frame.

Upholstered Panels

Ceiling Finishes

Ceilings are central in defining the volume

of a space and shape the diffusion of
sound and light within a space.
Ceilings also typically conceal an array of
systems components, in a plenum space.
Ceilings in a space can be:
suspended
exposed
tightly attached

Ceiling Components Manufactured by

Armstrong

GRG: glass reinforced gypsum

glass reinforced gypsum (GRG): is used to make shapes
that used to be made of plaster; column covers, domes,
and molded to nearly any shape.
GRG is much stronger than standard gypsum board.