Paneling the bathroom

Today, there are several options for finishing the bathroom and one of the best is considered the paneling of the bathroom panels with PVC.This method allows not only to transform the interior, but also save a lot. In order to make your choice, first you need to consider the "strong" and "weak" sides of PVC panels. We will discuss this further. In addition, in this article we will look at the methods of attaching these panels to the walls.

Advantages of the material

The option of finishing the bathroom panels can be called very economical. The fact is they are relatively inexpensive. This, perhaps, is their most important plus. The difference is especially felt when compared with the cost of finishing the walls of the bathroom tiles. Differences in price here will be very significant.

Of the advantages also worth noting is that this material is simply mounted. PVC panels without any difficulties to fix on the walls of any person who has at least a little building skills. By the way, the fact that almost everyone can install bathroom panels for the bathroom is also an undoubted advantage of this material.

As for the shortcomings, here it follows, first of all, to note the poor environmental compatibility. In addition, the overall appearance is still inferior to the same ceramic tile. Yet any kind of such panels are less aesthetic.

How to choose panels

Among all the variety of PVC panels in the building materials market, choose the right option for your case, sometimes, not easy. With special responsibility it is necessary to concern with arrangement of a bathroom. One of the main rules for choosing is that the color and pattern fit the rest of the design.

If the dimensions of the room are not very large, it is recommended to choose wall panels for the bathroom light colors. This will visually expand it and make it more voluminous. It is best to choose PVC panels in the bathroom, on which there are as few as possible protrusions and patterns. The fact is that the presence of irregularities and depressions on the surface of the panels contributes to the development of mold and the accumulation of dirt.

Special attention should be paid to the stiffeners. It is important to evaluate their qualitative characteristics correctly. In addition, than there will be more, the strength of the material will be higher. These structural elements must be regular in shape, not deformed, not warped. If there are any shortcomings, this indicates insufficient material quality. Perhaps, the rules of its storage or transportation were violated. Next, inspect the surface of the material. The color layer should be applied evenly, without flaws. If there is any drawing, then it must also have a clear shape and boundaries, do not spread and do not spread.

Before buying a PVC panel, it is recommended to perform a simple test: connect two of them together and see if the joint is visible - it should not be almost visible. The strength of the connection should be sufficient.

Please note that the stiffeners are not visible on the front surface. It is best to find out the presence or absence of this defect by looking at the part of the panel at an acute angle. In addition, inspect the underside of the product. It should not have any foreign inclusions. This is considered a sign that the material was made only from high quality raw materials.

An important point is also that the size of the panels must meet the standards. This can be checked with simple measuring instruments. The very dimensions of the product should be indicated on the package.

If you decide to revet the bathroom with PVC panels, then you should not save here. In general, it is advisable to buy materials for repair only in proven retail outlets, where you can get a guarantee of the quality of the purchased goods. Cheap material, especially in little-known places, is not worth buying. Quite possible - this is a cheap fake. Nevertheless, even the most expensive panels are unreasonable to buy. After all, the price does not always reflect the quality of the material.

It is recommended to purchase PVC panels with a margin. The fact is that some of them will have to be cut off in order to install into corners. Therefore, before you go to the store, you should take measurements from all the walls, which will help you calculate the right amount of material. In addition, the calculation should subtract the size of the door in the bathroom. Knowing the number and price of one square.meter of material, you will be able to roughly calculate their costs for conducting future repairs. An example of calculation will be presented below.

Paneling of bathroom panels: materials and tools

Do not rush to buy materials for finishing. In order not to overpay and purchase exactly as much as you need, try to calculate the quantity. To do this, you need to know the area of ​​the bathroom.

The dimensions of the panels you should also be known - they are standard. Knowing this, you can easily calculate how many total panels you need for repair. For example, if the dimensions of the material are 25 by 270 cm( width and length, respectively), then it is easy to find out the area by simply multiplying these values. When the area of ​​the panel is calculated and the area of ​​the bathroom is known, it is easy to calculate the required number of panels, dividing the area of ​​the bathroom into the area of ​​one panel.

In addition to purchasing material, you should take care of the necessary tools. So, to install the panels you need a screwdriver and a hacksaw for metal. You will have to make holes when mounting. For this purpose, you need a drill, or better, a puncher. In addition, during the works you will need a building level and a stapler, as well as a tape measure in order to take measurements. There are two main methods of fastening panels - on the crate and on liquid nails. If the second option is selected, you will need to purchase additional liquid nails.

How to make a bath with panels: preparation

Preparation includes several stages:

1. The first thing to do is to empty the room of all unnecessary things. In addition, if the walls have an old tile, then it must also be removed.
2. Before you begin installing the panels for liquid nails, you need to level the walls. For this purpose, you can use a putty or cement mortar. It still does not hurt to cover the walls with sheets of moisture-resistant plasterboard.
3. For small irregularities, you should not spend time aligning. The fact is that the PVC panels themselves are flexible enough and therefore can smooth the unevenness on the walls themselves.
4. In any case, the walls must be covered with special compounds that protect against the appearance of the fungus.
5. If the panel will be mounted on the crate, then the first one is put it. By the way, in this case you do not need to level the walls, becauseThe panels already adjoin to the leveled crate, and not to the wall.

How to install the panels in the bathroom

Above we dwelled a bit on such an important issue when decorating the bathroom panels, like the need for wall alignment. In general, plastic panels in themselves have a rather important advantage - they make it possible to hide the existing irregularities. But in some situations, before the installation of the panels, it is still necessary to level the working surface. This case, for example, is the presence of large irregularities with a difference of more than 9 mm. Here it does not work tightly at one level to fasten the panels without additional alignment work.

It is worth saying that there is no sense in making walls perfectly flat. It will be enough to remove the irregularities themselves, and all the rest will disappear under the plastic panels.

Next, you need to determine the method of fixing the panels. Here two variants are usually used: self-tapping or glue. But keep in mind that if you put the panels on the glue, they will be difficult to tear off the walls in the future. Landing on the glue, although a reliable method, but not devoid of flaws. For example, this option requires performing such laborious work as preparing a solution and applying it to walls. This disadvantage is not present when attaching to self-tapping screws, which is also important for installing a ceiling in a bath of panels.

General rules for finishing

Perhaps, everyone wants the coverage to be of high quality. This is really easy to achieve. It is enough to follow certain rules:

1. So, the panels can be installed only if the room temperature is at least +11 degrees.
2. In general, purchased panels are not recommended to use immediately after purchase. It is possible that they have been in the warehouse for a long time. Therefore, let them lie down for at least two days at room temperature, after which you can start work.
3. It's also worth knowing that a temperature change of 10 degrees results in at least a small, but still a change in the size of the material. Given this fact, you need to provide a ceiling and floor compensation gaps of 3-4 mm.
4. If there are heating appliances in the bathroom, the panels to be installed in close proximity to them must be separated by a heat reflective screen.

Mounting on plastic guides

This option is considered the best. The guides are mounted horizontally on the wall in two places. In the middle of the wall and from above almost under the ceiling. If desired, you can strengthen the strength of the structure. For this it is sufficient to mount these guides with a smaller pitch.

Now let's take a closer look at the installation sequence:

1. First, the guides are mounted on the walls using self-tapping screws or dowels on three levels. When this is done, starting from the corner, you can install the PVC panels yourself.
2. Mountings are usually sold with the guides. It is with the help of these that the first panels, after trimming height, are fixed in place.
3. The subsequent strips must be firmly inserted into the end of the slats previously installed before fixing in place. This avoids the gap between them. In addition, it will hide the presence of fasteners.
4. All other panels are fixed in the same way. During this work, it is necessary to control the smoothness and level of the joints. This can be done with the help of a building level.
5. The corners of the panel are cut according to previously made measurements. The ends and clearances after the end of installation are hidden by corners or edging.

Installing panels in the bathroom on the crate

As you know, in the bathroom there is always an increased level of humidity. Therefore, the wooden elements for the construction of the frame here do not fit. You need to give preference to metal or plastic construction. If it is not possible to purchase moisture-proof materials, it is allowed to use a wood pre-treated with protective compounds and painted. When building a frame, you need to follow some recommendations. So, the slats should be fastened in steps of 500 mm. And they need to be installed so that they are located strictly perpendicular to the previously mounted panels. Details of the battens are installed at the beginning or at the end of the wall, which is exposed to the bathroom with plastic panels.

If there are irregularities on the wall during the installation, the level of the crate must be checked. If the potholes are large enough, they can be compensated for with lining of wood or plastic.

When you are finished with the installation of the battens, you can start mounting the PVC panels. This is done in the following order:

1. First in the corner on the screws or stapler fixed the start profile. It is from here that you need to start the installation.
2. In the lower corner of the profile in the direction of travel direction, a mounting shelf is installed. The panels themselves to the crate are attached to the screws or staples of the stapler.
3. All subsequent panels are mounted in the same way. Connecting the two straps together, carefully monitor the dimensions of the joints.
4. The panels should fit tightly to each other. There should be no gaps between them. Also, they should not overlap.
5. Near the doorway, the slats should be secured with special corners. Formed joints can be hidden using a skirting board.
6. If individual panels form joints, they should be covered with any suitable sealant. If the panels are of high quality, and the lath has been installed exactly, then such joints should not appear.

As you can see, assembling panels in the bathroom is not very difficult, and also fast.

Bathroom panels: photo

Bathroom panels: video