Plastic panel for the bathroom: the nuances of choice, finish and installation

Plastic panels are one of the popular ways of finishing walls in the bathroomroom.

This is a very economical option in terms of repair: the panels are much cheaper than any other finishing materials for the bathroom. Installation will not be a problem, and time costs will be minimal.

Plastic panels are made on the basis of solid polyvinyl chloride, in which a softener is added.

Like any material, PVC panels have their advantages and disadvantages.

The pluses are:

• Elementary and easy to install. Panels are easy to assemble and mount themselves, so you can do without the help of specialists. In order to install a plastic panel, absolutely any surface is suitable, and no preparation is required. And after work there is quite a bit of debris: chips and pruning panels.
• Inexpensive price. If you are planning a budget repair of the premises, PVC panels will do just fine. On average, their cost is 2 times cheaper than the cost of ceramic tiles.

• Practical and reliable material. Plastic panels can be repeatedly assembled and disassembled, which is very convenient when moving. In addition, they do not burn out in the sun and are able for many years to maintain their original appearance.
• Resistance to moisture. PVC panels are not afraid of water, and therefore are suitable for repairing bathrooms.
• Large variety of colors and textures.

Today in stores you can see the widest range of plastic panels. The material can mimic the texture of stone, wood or even skin.

However, PVC panels have a number of drawbacks:

• Plastic panels do not belong to environmentally friendly materials, since they are produced using chemicals. If the panels are of low quality, they can also give off a specific smell.
• Detection of toxic substances in case of fire.
• Panels do not withstand sudden temperature changes - the material can deteriorate.
• Relatively low strength. Plastic panels are very easily exposed to various damages. But fortunately, the spoiled area is easy to replace.

If you decide to buy plastic panels, focus on their quality, size and design. When choosing wall panels, you should be guided by the dimensions of your bathroom.

It is usually much easier with a height than with a width - PVC panels are between 2.5 and 3.8 m in length. And in order to choose the best option for the width of the room, you need to divide the width of the bathroom by the width of one panel.

With regard to quality, it is best to choose panels that have a special protective film coating on the front side. With this material, you will avoid a variety of damages that may occur during installation. And after the installation is completed, the film is removed.

Choosing the color of the panels, it is worth to orient, of course, to your taste. However, in this case there are some nuances that should be considered:

• If your bathroom is small in size, it is better to choose light colors to make it seem much more spacious. Visually expand the room also helps cool tones - all shades of blue and green.
• If you are going to purchase a panel imitating the surface of a tree, stop also on light colors - light beech, maple, etc.

The first stage of finishing the bathroom with plastic panels is the preparation of walls. And to bypass this process in any way it is impossible - it guarantees the long service life of PVC panels and their aesthetic appearance.

Wall preparation consists of dismantling the old coating, removing mold stains, rust and fungi, and also surface treatment with antiseptic solutions and a water-repellent primer.

adhesive This type of panel mounting can only be carried out in the bathroom where all the walls are absolutely level. Fastening of PVC panels to glue is a very simple and fast way of installation, as the panels need only be glued to the wall with liquid nails.

Special features of mounting panels with glue:

• it is necessary to choose an adhesive that contains no organic constituents;
• the adhesive is applied to the wall only by horizontal lines;
• it is necessary to glue panels with a gap on the floor and ceiling( at the end of the work it should be covered with a plinth).

crate This method consists in that the length of the wall is made of wood or metal rails( preferably made of metal, since the bathroom is a place where humidity is always increased), to which the panels themselves are then attached. In this case, you can apply and bracket-mounts, and screws that will be screwed into the panels themselves( the attachment points will be subsequently hidden).

For the crate you will need a rail, the cross section of which is 20X40 mm. It is fixed at an angle of 90 ° with respect to PVC panels through self-tapping screws. Be sure to check the level of how exactly the racks are set, otherwise the panels can be installed unevenly, resulting in a cover with swings. Reinforced roofing should be in steps of 40-50 cm. It is also necessary to take into account the fact that if the walls of the premises are uneven, the lath should be leveled by placing plywood or timber under it.

Installation of PVC panels can be started from any angle, but it is necessary to move to the door or window opening. The PVC panel is equipped with two fastening shelves: on the right is a wide, necessary for fastening the panel to the frame with brackets or screws, to the left - narrow, for inserting the previous element into the groove.

First, the starting plastic profile is fastened to the crate by self-tapping screws. Next, the first panel is inserted into the groove of the corner by a narrow shelf. Then the plastic panel is fixed to the crate, for which you may need a construction stapler or again self-tapping screws. The next step is to fasten the panel on a wide shelf.

To insert the second panel, you must snap it into the groove first. The fastening to the crate is carried out in the same way as in the case of the first panel. Similarly, all other panels are installed.

Sometimes the panel needs to be trimmed to bypass the obstructions( battery or heated towel rail).For this purpose, a Bulgarian, a construction knife or a jigsaw.

The last panel should be pushed into the finish profile. In addition to snapping it into the previous panel, it needs to be aligned. In places where PVC panels are connected, you need to put the F-profile.

The choice of how to fix the panels in general depends on your preferences, but you should take into account some points:

• for installing panels on the crate with screws You will have to drill a lot of holes in the wall and generally spend a lot of time and effort on this kind of installation;installation of panels with glue is a simpler and quicker option, but in the future you will encounter problems when dismantling the surface( glued material is hardly "ripped off" from the walls);
• easier to fix on the surface of the wall "guides", which can be purchased in the construction of stores. They are installed horizontally under the ceiling, from below and in the middle of the wall.

Since the usual whitewashed ceiling is probably already pretty much tired, the ceiling made of plastic panels is an excellent alternative. In addition, by means of plastic panels you can hide any defect of this part of the bathroom.

For the installation of a ceiling from PVC panels you need to know the floor area( it is equal to the ceiling area).Knowing this value, the consultant in the building store will help you calculate the number of panels that will be required for repair.

There are 2 main types of fixing PVC panels to the ceiling:

1. on glue;
2. on a metal frame.

The 1-st way is suitable for those who have absolutely flat ceiling. First, you need to attach a long rail to the level and then work from it. The panels are glued to liquid nails.

2nd method is considered more reliable and suitable for those who have any defects on the ceiling.

1. ceiling frame The frame is made of racks( the slats can be made of plastic or wood), the thickness of which should be from 11 to 21 mm, and the distance between them is about 50 cm.
2. The methodfasteners: if the slats are made of plastic, metal clips will fit, if from wood - special staples or nails.
3. Fastening the frame to the ceiling with dowels and screws. First, join the vertical slats( step - 50-75 cm), they are installed 3 horizontal slats.
4. Panels are put on the frame from corner to corner, i.e. In the corner of the bathroom a starter or corner profile is attached, and each subsequent panel is put in the groove of the previous one.
5. At the end it is necessary to lay a curb or a ceiling skirting around the perimeter.

We hope that our article will help you not only competently choose plastic panels for the bathroom, but also correctly carry out the installation.