Floor and Wall Coverings

The walls of human dwellings have been decorated since the first cave paintings and petroglyphs. Purely functional walls are not very interesting, so decorating them has been a continual challenge. In addition to decoration, wall and floor coverings can add to the [Page 152]insulation of buildings, making them more energy efficient

In the Middle Ages, tapestries were used for decoration and for the warmth they provided as insulation against the cold in castle walls. Victorian-era wallpaper was used extensively for decoration, but it also had the effect of blocking drafts of air coming from between the cracks in the boards of the wall. With the development of drywall, wallpaper declined as a decorative material in part because of the additional cost of wallpaper (including hanging it) ...