Would tin foil be a good wall "paper"...?

Question

How could I stick it to the walls? and should I crinkle it first?

me and my neighbor are doing a home video of our own Trading Spaces....she doesn't know about the tinfoil yet...

Answer 1

Good for the bedroom ceiling

Answer 2

No sweetheart. Not that it wouldn't look great crinkled and then swiped with black paint to "antique" it but it's just too weak for a wall covering and getting it to stick... well take it from an "ahesive expert", regular wall paste won't do it.

Now, i have covered walls using brown paper bags crinkled and torn (not cut and avoiding all seems in the bags) into pieces, pasted to the wall, then glazed with a commercial glazing compound, then sealed with polyurethane. It can be given the effect of stone, almost marble and several other surfaces. People seem not to know exactly WHAT it is but it does look rich when one right.

If you just insist on trying the foil, YES, do crinkle it first, otherwize it will NEVER be smooth and only look poorly done. It will also show every little flaw in the wall. Really, I don't recommend it at all.

Oh and what ever you decide to try, do a test on a piece of scrap harboard first. Or even drywall if you can snag some. That should give you a better idea of what pittfalls you may face in adhearing it to the wall and sealing it. I'm all for experimenting!

Answer 3

Tin foil is not a good wallpaper. It would require contact cement to bond to the existing wall and you would need several rolls to cover even a small area. It would also radiate heat if it is near a furnace register and cook what ever is near it. If the sun were to shine on it through an open window or door it would be blinding. There are a lot of things that make fun wallpaper; comics from the newspaper, maps, old fabric swatches, etc. You can also sometimes find funky wallpaper from the sixties or seventies at wallpaper outlet stores if you have any in your area. Your friend may become unfriendly if you cook her houseplants or cat... just a thought. Best of luck.

Answer 4

It is possible to do but a headache to say the least. Find a willing partner to help because this is going to be almost impossible by yourself.

Start by using a thumbtack & piece of weighted string at the top near the ceiling. Let the string hang and using something to mark a dot on the wall, make marks down the string to create a plumb line or straight edge and place the foils edge on those marks. Naturally you'd want to use the widest foil possible.

Use a hot glue gun to secure the foil to the wall, it only takes a tiny dab so don't over do it. Repeat the process and depending on the size room and monies it can be done but very difficult and expensive.

Answer 5

Cheaper, & the next best thing to Mylar. Spray adhesive made for Formica & vinyl, or linoleum tile paste should work. Put it up "shiny side out" on a wall that's as smooth as possible. Minimize the "crinkle" by dispensing it right from the box to the walls, & you'll wind up with mirrored walls (& ceilings, unless they're textured). Maybe you can use invisible tape on the seams, & bathroom-white plastic trim strips in the corners. Don't expect a TV with an "indoor" antenna to get very good reception in a room done this way. Have fun!

Answer 6

I wouldn't think so. It tears so easily. Consider this...she has a nice ring and is wiping off a table/dresser (whatever) and her ring hits the wall...it will rip it or put a hole in it. The glue backing would be a pain to get off when/if she ever goes to redo the walls. And how would it do with dust/pet hair? I'd think about that and test it out on a board for a few weeks to see if you really want to go that route. They do have metallic silver wall paint. (Which would probaby save time and be reasonable in cost.) Be careful, though, and prep well....the shinier the paint, the more the imperfections show through. Good luck!

Answer 7

If you are wanting the metal look certain home decor places carry thins sheets of metal just for these purposes. May be a little more expensive than the tin foil but i think it will hold up a lot better.

Answer 8

No, it's a terrible idea. Have you seen the movie "Bug" with Ashley Judd? Movie sucks, but anyway, they did her rooms with tin foil and it was BAD! Horrible idea and what a mean thing to do to a friend!

Answer 9

I am getting ready to do it to a small area above my stove in my camper. Don't let the neigh sayers bring you down. After perusing 50 web sites, and blogs, the method I am going to try is elmer's glue to paste it on the wall. I am going to crinkle it, but not a lot.One of the sites mentioned using brown ink to give the wrinkles a touch of color. Someone else mentioned using polyurethane on top of it. I'm not going to. That's just my input. Good luck and you two are lucky to have one another. :)

Answer 10

I would think it would rip very easily. Go to Home Depot or Lowe's and ask them if there's some kind of paste that will make it not rip. That would be cool if you painted the foil, too!

Answer 11

Hildi, is that you??

Just kidding...my friend papered her room in foil in college, and she used spray glue...whatever you use will probably be a big mess (she had to scrape it off in the end) - you could try a home improvement store for wallpaper glue. I wouldn't crinkle it first, since it will crinkle anyway.