Fans of traditional tiles in the bathroom or banal painting of surfaces can say one thing - it's not the best options for decorating walls for such a particular room. At least because of the complexity of working with piece material and the need to regularly update the paintwork.
The specifics of the bathroom
Any of us will answer this question without difficulty. And nevertheless it is useful to recall the main points, so that the criteria for choosing plastic panels and the method of fixing them become more clear.
Limited space
Therefore, firstly, it is unreasonable to reduce the useful area of the bathroom, as it is more than modest in most standard apartments. Secondly, willy-nilly, but the plastic panels, fixed on the walls, will regularly experience mechanical impact( someone sloppy turned, stumbled, hurt, and so on).
Excessive humidity and sharp temperature changes
All this initiates the emergence and development of mold and fungus. And if you consider that in the bathrooms, as a rule, there are vent / holes( under the ceiling), then biological pests will be added to this.
Availability of communications
Pipes, stop valves, no matter how wonderful they look, hardly add to the appeal of the bathroom. If the repair is started, it is better to disguise them - the panels allow it.
Material selection
Special plastic panels, specifically for the bathroom, do not exist, as these PVC products are universal in use. Therefore, when buying, you need to take into account a number of points.
Manufacturer
The market is literally full of PVC panels. The choice of their color, texture, "environmental" - at the discretion of the owner of the home. And what to consider? It is better to buy products made in Europe or Russia. Domestic manufacturers use, as a rule, technology and equipment of the category "euro".Concerning the same plastic panels "made in China", despite their attractive price, it is necessary to warn. Reducing the cost of production is not the least due to the use of low-grade raw materials. In a bathroom environment, harmful fumes will be quite intense.
Panel thickness
As already mentioned, the risk of their damage is high. Therefore, for finishing the bathroom it is desirable to purchase samples with a thickness of at least 8 mm. You should pay attention to the parameters of the upper layer. Its thickness in different plastic panels is not the same. If you think in advance about the durability of the finish, then you will have to look for such products.
Stiffeners
You can see them by looking at the end of the panel. The more of them, the better for a bathroom, since such a product is stiffer and stronger.
The way of fastening plastic panels
There are only two of them - frameless and fixing on the crate. Which one to prefer? For the bathroom is more suitable first option, and that's why.
Disadvantages of frame technology
- The installation of rails reduces( and already insignificant) the useful volume of the bathroom.
- Space under the plastic panels over time will become the habitat of various insects. And if they are not immediately detected, then it will not be possible to withdraw quickly and without losses.
- Framework - cellular structure( lattice).Therefore, to push the panel in the space between the slats is not so difficult, even purely by accident.
- Additional spending on fastening elements, guides, drills for concrete and so on.
Procedure for paneling
In each dwelling - its way of life, and bathrooms( if the house - not a high-rise, erected on a standard project) differ in size, geometry, interior design. Therefore, it is advisable to give only a list of the main activities that are carried out during the decoration of this room, the more so that the preparatory ones are the same for any method of attachment.
Removing the old
cladding What is it for? To assess the condition of the substrate and identify possible defects. Particular attention is to the wall that is common with the entrance or the adjacent apartment. It is through the cracks( cracks) in it - the maximum heat loss, as well as the penetration of dampness. Well, what to do - sealant, mortar, putty - it's easy to solve.
Aligning the walls
The plastic panels are bent, but there is a limit to everything. Since the products differ in regular geometry, the maximum allowable height difference over the entire area is 3 mm. Small shells( pits) - it's not scary( in extreme cases, you can putty), but the bulges( bumps) will have to be unambiguously knocked down. This work should not be brought to the point of absurdity, trying to give the wall an ideal evenness. Enough of those 3 mm, of which it is said.
In the bathrooms of apartment buildings, the absence of right angles is not uncommon. The most common are rounded, especially in block( panel) buildings. Hence, it is necessary to attach corners to the "correct" form, otherwise there will be great difficulties with the adjustment of plastic panels on the joints of the walls. Than( if it is still necessary) to make a selection of material along the whole vertical, is decided on the spot. Someone will manage a hammer and chisel, and someone will need a punch with a suitable nozzle( for example, a cone-shaped cutter) or "Bulgarian".
Processing
As the base is closed with plastic panels, care should be taken to maximize the life of the wall material. What and how to permeate, depends on the features of the structure. The choice of special preparations is huge( antiseptics, fire retardants).
Often the issue of priming surfaces is not given importance. People who do not have enough experience consider this a waste of money and time. Still, the final stage of preparation is soil application. There are several reasons, but the main thing is that such treatment of the wall significantly increases its adhesion and the quality of gluing of plastic panels( the strength of the base-adhesive bond increases).
How to hide pipes
If repair is done, it is better to replace metal pipes with plastic ones. Unlike the first, there will be no leaks at the joints, as the docking of the samples is not threaded. There are several options for camouflaging pipes, to whom it is more convenient.
First. Shrink the wall and lay the trunk in the grooves. From above all the panels will be closed. Long, but high quality.
Second. Put the pipes close to the wall, lowering the threads. In this case, you can mount a box of metal, which is also paneled. The work is somewhat more complicated in execution, but taking into account the small dimensions of the structure, its construction will not take much time.
It is necessary to consider where to locate the shut-off valve, if it is in the bathroom( there are also such engineering solutions).Access to it must be free. On the topic of masking pipes in the bathroom there is excellent instruction.
Fastening of panels
It is understood that all samples are already cut to size and ready for installation.
Application of the adhesive compound
It is better to use "liquid nails".Practice shows that with careful use of 1 tube( 350 ml) is enough to handle 4.5 m² of surface. The application scheme depends on the width and length of the samples - diagonals, in the form of a chessboard, pointwise.
The adhesive should not be applied near the edges. Otherwise, after pressing the panel against the wall, its excess will come out at the edges. Clear the front side of the drops of the adhesive will be quite problematic.
Fastening of plastic panels
It is made in two approaches. First, the panel is applied to the intended place, "claps"( smoothed) over the entire length, and then removed and left for a few minutes, similar to the "Moment"( waiting time is indicated on the package).Secondary installation, again smoothing - everything, the panel is securely fixed on the bathroom wall.
The overall quality of the finish depends on the correct installation of the 1st panel. To further not go "skewed", you should put the bottom and the guide rail. On the construction level it is easy to orient in a horizontal plane, and to fix it on the wall is not a problem. For example, dowels. It will not be necessary to remove it, since its skirting board will securely cover it. In particularly difficult areas instead of reeds, corners, starting bands are mounted.
The final stage of the
If it is decided to trim the plastic panels and the ceiling, then the operating procedure is the same. After fixing all the samples, it remains only to put the corners of the PVC to hide the joints of the panels at the corners of the bathroom, and the plinth( lower and upper).
Good luck to you, dear reader, in the repair of your bathroom!
