MDF panels

The paneling of MDF panels has recently become more popular, thanks to the fact that with them you can quickly put in order the surface of a sufficiently large area. In addition, the installation of panels will not take much time, as it does not have to wait for the drying of numerous layers, as, for example, in the case of plastering. On hand, and plays that the leveled surface does not require any additional finishing, as in the case of plasterboard. Another advantage of this material can be called quite affordable price for it.

MDF panels are wall-mounted assemblies with their own hands which can be carried out even if absolutely no experience in this work is established simply enough. The main thing is to understand the principle of carrying out such a cladding, to prepare the surfaces and pay special attention to precise calculations and markings.

What are MDF panels?

Abbreviation "MDF"asshifrovyvaetsya as finely-dispersed fraction of that and made this decoration material, including - and wall panels. The production of MDF is a process of dry pressing of fine particles from sawdust and chips, using high temperatures and pressure. To bond the mass, carbamide resins modified with melamine are added to it, which prevents the evaporation of formaldehyde by chemically binding it( the class of formaldehyde emission is E1).MDF panels are considered environmentally friendly material, so they are not forbidden to use for interior decoration of premises. The principle of mounting panels is similar to the installation of a natural wooden lining, but they have a lower price than the latter.

The installation of MDF wall panels can be carried out in two ways - fixing them to the frame crate or fixing to the wall surface with the help of a glue composition such as "liquid nails".This glue is used not only for mounting products made of wood and its products, but also for sealing gaps, since it contains a filler made of wood chips. If shpatlevanie defects will be carried out on the remaining visible sections of the wall, then you should choose the adhesive mass in color so that the embedded areas do not stand out against the general background.

MDF panels are produced in a wide variety of shades and can have a textured microrelief pattern imitating different types of wood or stone, so they can be selected for any interior decoration. In addition, the panels are easily combined with each other and can be installed vertically or horizontally, depending on what effect the owners want to achieve.

For example, if the ceiling is too high and makes the room uncomfortable, you can install the panels horizontally, using different shades alternately. If you need to visually raise the wall, then the panels are installed vertically.

Panels are produced in different lengths and widths, therefore, before choosing the color and shape of the material, you need to think about what effect will need to be achieved.

Tools for finishing works

To work was comfortable, you need to prepare in advance the tools that will speed up the installation of the finishing material, making it as simple as possible. So, the tools will need:

• Electric jig saw or vertical saw.
• Construction level and plumb line.
• Roulette, metal ruler and construction corner, simple pencil or marker.
• Electric drill, screwdriver or even a conventional screwdriver.
• Building stapler.
• Hammer.
• Pliers.

The main ways of installing MDF panels and the necessary materials for this

For the installation of MDF, certain auxiliary materials will be required. Moreover, the purchase of some of them will depend on the choice of the method of attachment.

Wall panels can be installed in two ways:

• Adhesive.
• Wireframe.

Both methods can be used to install panels both in a private house and in an apartment, but for gluing installation it is necessary to observe the basic condition - the wall should be perfectly flat. Therefore, if the panels are glued to the surface, then it must first be leveled with plasterboard or plaster-putty method.

How to level the walls in the home?

There are several available technology for wall leveling in rooms .You can find them by clicking on the recommended link to the special publication of our portal.

For the installation of panels on the glue, very few auxiliary materials are required - this is the composition of "liquid nails" and fittings.

If you want to level an uneven wall using MDF panels, while concealing communications or conducting insulation and sound insulation, you will first have to install a framework that will lead the entire future surface into one plane.

The frame for the installation of panels can be made of a wooden beam or metal profile. It should be said that MDF fastening is easier to carry out on wooden material, as for this purpose nails or even stapler staples are suitable. When installing the panels on a metal profile, self-tapping screws for metal will be necessary, and in this case it will not be possible to manage without a screwdriver.

When using a frame, a gap inevitably forms between the main wall and the lining, in which there is no ventilation air circulation - these conditions are very "attractive" for mold and fungus. Therefore, before installing the battens, it is necessary to perform a revision of the wall. If it is wet, then it must be dried first, and then treated with special antiseptic compounds. On external thin walls, it is better not to install such a lining at all, as it will quickly become unusable, and in addition, an unfavorable microclimate will develop in the room with time, which can cause allergic reactions in residents.

The following materials are required for the installation of the cladding panels on the frame:

• A wooden beam treated with antiseptic compositions, section 15 × 30, 20 × 30, 20 × 40 or 20 × 50 mm, or a metal galvanized profile is the same as used for the installation of gypsum plasterboard.
• Thermal insulation material - foamed polyethylene of the chosen thickness.
• Metallic straight hangers, which will help to set the guides exactly in one plane.

• Klyaymery for fixing the panels on the frame.

• Small nails or staples for the stapler.
• Dowels for fastening brackets( hangers) or directly to the wall.
• Wood screws.
• Fittings for corner and skirting. It should be noted that the design of the corner for MDF panels is convenient in that it can be used for decorating both external and internal joints of planes, even at different angles.

Preparing the wall surface for facing with MDF panels

Surface preparation can only be carried out if it is dry. If there are signs of high humidity on it, you must first determine the cause of this phenomenon, and then try to eliminate it. A wet wall can not be closed with any panels.

If such obstacles are not available for mounting MDF panels, then both the framework system and the gluing are approximately the same preparation of the wall surface. It consists of several operations:

• Cleaning the wall.

If the wall is covered with wallpaper, then they must be removed completely, otherwise in an enclosed space they can become a nutrient medium for mold or even insects. Qualitatively pasted wallpaper, which is difficult to remove, first you need to soak it with water or steam it off using an iron, and then brush off with a spatula. Sometimes you have to resort to the use of special compositions for removing wallpaper.

If the wall is plastered and whitewashed, or is painted with water-based paint, then cleaning it is not necessary.

• Wall processing.

If there are spots of mold on the wall, the surface should be treated "by treatment" with "Antiplexen" with a special composition or with the usual concentrated bleaching agent - "Whiteness".Before treatment, the surface should be cleaned with the spatula as much as possible. When the applied compound is absorbed and dried, the wall needs to be cleaned again with a spatula, and then the treatment is repeated. It is advisable to clean the area affected by the fungus to the base, that is, remove the plaster in this place completely and treat the wall itself well.

antiseptic preparations. This work should be carried out in compliance with mandatory safety measures, in a respirator or in a special mask, in order to avoid the inhalation of particles affected by the fungus plaster.

• Fracture sealing.

If, after removing the wallpaper or "weak" plaster on the wall, cracks are found, they are recommended to be closed, especially when planning placement of heat and soundproof materials under MDF panels. Cracks must be sealed in order that they do not become bridges of cold, and also where dampness accumulates, different insects or still the same mold can find shelter.

To put the putty or plaster solution well into the crack lumen, it needs to be slightly expanded and deepened. Then it is cleaned of the remnants of the old plaster and treated with a brush primer of deep penetration.

repair mortar. After drying out the primer, the cracks are sealed with putty mix or plaster mortar. At the same time, it is necessary to try to ensure that the extended gap is filled to its full depth. Primer surface.

The next step is priming the entire surface of the walls. Moreover, it is necessary to choose a primer composition containing antiseptic components that will resist the occurrence and development of mold, as well as other manifestations harmful to humans.

If you plan to wall wooden walls, it is recommended to choose a soil, which includes not only antiseptics, but also fire retardants - they will increase the fire resistance of wood.

Primer is applied to the wall with a roller by two to three layers, each of which must be thoroughly dried before applying the next one.

• Installation of insulation material.

Further, in the event that the panels are fixed to the crate, you can proceed to gluing the insulation material. For this purpose, "foam foil", which is glued to the primed surface, is suitable.

Today on sale you can find a self-adhesive "penofol" - it is very easy to fix it on the wall with foil towards the room, removing the protective film backing. If such a material is not found, then the usual "penofol" is obtained. It is cut along the height of the wall and glued to the glue "Teploflex", applied evenly to the surface of the wall or directly to the heater. Cloths of "foamfoil" are pressed against the surface, and with the help of a rubber spatula, air is expelled from under it.

tape. The sheets of material are mounted butt-end, and then the glue should be allowed to dry, after which the joints are glued with special foil tape.

Assembly of frame structure

Marking

If the decision is made to install MDF panels on the frame, you first need to determine how the elements will be installed vertically or horizontally, as this depends on the location of the rails. For horizontal orientation of the panels, the battens are mounted vertically. Conversely, if the panels are mounted vertically, the frame elements are perpendicular to them, horizontally.

The frame is fixed over the insulation material, The step between the bumper guides is usually selected within 500 ÷ 600 mm from each other, and they must be installed perfectly evenly.

To find the ideal vertical, you need to use a plumb line with a colored cord, with which the smooth lines fend off the wall. If the lines are beaten on the foil surface, immediately after punching, each of them is additionally allocated with a black marker using a ruler.

To determine the horizontal I resort to the help level. The most accurate result will be laser or water. If there are no such tools, then you can use the usual construction, driving the bubble to the middle with special care. Having planned currents, they are also connected by lines using a colored cord.

According to the markings made, it will be quite easy to fix the curtain rails correctly.

When marking, it must be taken into account that the first frame guide is installed on the joint of two surfaces, that is, in a corner of the room or along the floor surface. The first racks will serve as a reference line for the remaining elements, with the holding of the established step.

Wooden frame

Wooden bars, despite the marking lines, are still checked for construction on a wall when installed on a wall. Then, they are fastened to the wall by dowels, for which straight holes are drilled through the bars, plastic dowels are hammered in, then screws are screwed into them( or dowel-nails are used).Fasteners are installed at a distance of 350 ÷ 400 mm from each other. The length of dowels or screws is chosen in such a way that they enter the wall thickness not less than 50 ÷ 60 mm, and to this parameter the thickness of the beam bar is added, taking into account that the self-tapping screw is fully recessed into the wood.

It is more difficult to bring all the racks of the crate to one level if the wall requires alignment with a crate, and the bars themselves will have to be fastened to the hangers. In this case, the carcass assembly is made equally for wooden bars and metal profiles.

. On the wall, the hangers are fixed first to the marking lines. They are fixed on the wall with two dowels withstanding the step between adjacent ones of 350 ÷ 400 mm from each other. The shelves of the hangers are bent perpendicular to the wall surface.

Then, the two extreme ones on the wall of the bar are installed, leveled and relative to the wall. They are attached from both sides by screws to the hanging shelves. The protruding parts of the shelves bend backwards, towards the wall.

The installed edge guides are connected along the outer edge by tensioned cords from above and from below( or to the right and left - with the horizontal orientation of the frame) - this will become reference lines( beacons) for the correct installation of the other guides in a single plane.

Metal frame

Pre-sized metal profiles are fixed on the wall in the same way as wooden bars, but sometimes for structural rigidity they make liners from the bar. For fixing the profile, hangers are always used, even if the wall is perfectly even and the posts will fit closely to it.

suspension. If the frame is mounted on a wooden wall, the rails for fixing the battens are fixed to the wall using wood screws. If it is necessary to install on a different base of the wall, then the hangers are best secured with drive-in dowels-nails.

If the finish is fixed on a wall with a window or doorway, then the appropriate guides are installed along its edge, on which the lining will be first fastened, and then the slopes and platbands.

Mounting of MDF panels on the

frame Before beginning the installation of the cladding under the frame, conduct and fix all electrical or other cable communications, immediately identifying the locations of the sockets and switches, if they are provided on the wall being trimmed.

Installation begins with the preparation of MDF panels - they need to be cut to the height or length of the wall. The panels are marked with a tape measure and a building corner, the corresponding lines are made along which the cut is made using a jigsaw, a manual vertical circular or even an ordinary hacksaw.

• The first panel is necessarily set in order to achieve the ideal vertical( or horizontal), otherwise the entire lining will go further with a skew.
• The starting panel is set by the thorn in the corner and fixed to the guides from the angle side in two or three places by screws. On the opposite side, in the groove of the panel, in the places of its intersection with the rails of the battens, the kleimers are embedded, through which it is finally fixed with studs or staples to the wooden frame. When using a metal frame, fixing the clamps is carried out with small self-tapping screws with a small head so that after complete screwing it does not interfere with the subsequent installation.

• hidden kleimer The thorn of each next panel is tightly pushed into the groove for the beginning, already installed - this docking edge is already fixed. Compulsory adjustment of the panel by level is carried out, since the configuration of this connection allows a certain play. After the exact setting, the panel is also fixed in the same way by the Kleimers.
• So continue the lining to the end of the wall( or until the end of the site, for example, to the doorway).The last panel on the plane is cut in its thickness so that it freely enters the groove, leaving a gap in the corner of the order of 5 mm. The final fixation of the finishing panel is carried out by screws, directly through it. It's okay - the fasteners' hats at the beginning and at the end of the wall will be hidden by decorative corners.

Horizontal installation of panels is made in the direction from floor to ceiling, and the first sheet must also be perfectly leveled. The fastening to the crate passes exactly according to the same principle as in the vertical arrangement.

• In the panel on which the socket or switch is to be installed, a circular hole is pre-cut in advance with a diameter corresponding to the size of the standard podzheetnik( usually this is 67 mm).Drilling is carried out using a drill bit.

The socket must be secured securely, and not bend when inserting the plug of electrical appliances. To ensure a rigid stop in the wall, it is recommended to additionally fix wooden fragments of suitable thickness on the back side. The façade part of the socket and the switch is screwed onto the cladding panels or to the corresponding jacks of the receptacle.

Mounting of MDF panels on

adhesive. It is somewhat easier to install MDF panels on glue than to crate, but applying this method, the insulation can not be established.

• To install the first panel, a vertical or horizontal line must be cut off on the wall, depending on how the installation is planned.

When gluing, the panel position must be controlled by level.

• Special attention should be given to the choice of glue for working with MDF panels - it should have some special properties:

- The adhesive must remain sufficiently plastic even after its initial hardening, otherwise there is a risk of deformation of the panels. A composition must be chosen that will not be affected by humidity and temperature changes.

- The glue must have a sufficiently thick consistency, so that it can be applied in a thick or thin layer, as appropriate, and evenly distributed over the glued surface.

These requirements for the main parameters is exactly the composition of "Liquid nails".Primer, which is pre-treated with walls, will create good adhesion for the glue on their surface, so the panels will reliably hold onto it.

• Adhesive is applied to the back side of the MDF board in dotted or wavy lines. The panel with applied glue is first firmly pressed against the wall, and then torn off and left to "weather" the glue for 3 ÷ 5 minutes. After that, for the final fixation, the panel is re-installed and pressed in the right place, and is held on the wall surface for a few seconds until the adhesive is firmly set.

. Therefore, in order to speed up the gluing process, the composition is applied directly to 8 ÷ 10 sheets that are pressed against the wall and then tear off. After applying and tearing off the last of the 10 panels, they glue the first, the second and so on, until it comes to the last. Installing the canvas, they need to be pressed very well against the wall surface, and for better fixing, you can even grab each of them with screws in two places. They are screwed into the groove of the panel, and then the screw is closed with an adjustable spike next.

• self-tapping screws. If the finish is installed horizontally, it is recommended to wait for the glue under the lowermost fixed panel to dry out thoroughly - it is necessary to create a reliable support for the remaining sheets. If there is no waiting time, the panel can also be attached to the wall by screws.
• The last panel to be mounted, if necessary, decreases in width - it is measured, delineated and the excess part is cut with a jig saw. In the corner, the last cloth is screwed to the crate or wall by a screwdriver.
• Finishing elements of installation are fittings and skirting boards. The corners are glued on the joints of two planes to "liquid nails", closing the hats of self-tapping screws, with which the panels are screwed at the corners of the wall. In the same way, these fittings are fixed around door and window openings( if there are no special profiles used - platbands or slopes).

Skirting boards can be mounted in different ways, depending on the chosen design - glued to the same glue, installed on special fasteners or screwed with screws to the wall surface. Mount the skirting board to the floor - it will be a very serious mistake.

Advantages and disadvantages of MDF paneling

Having familiarized with the technological process of mounting MDF panels, we can sum up the main positive and negative qualities of MDF panels.

So, has the following qualities for of such finishing material:

• A simple installation with the ability to fasten panels both vertically and horizontally.
• A wide variety of colors and textured drawings will allow you to choose the finishes for every taste and interior style.
• When installing MDF panels on the frame crate, behind them you can hide the cable communications.
• With the help of panels, even curved walls can be given a respectable look and a visual evenness, especially with the right combination of shades.
• Panels, in contrast to drywall, do not require additional finishing - this is saving both time and effort, and materials.
• It is easy to look after the MDF trim, as the surface should be wiped periodically with a damp soft cloth.
• Finishing MDF wall panels have quite affordable price.

The disadvantages of such panels are the following:

• With this finish, an ideally smooth surface is not created, since at the joints, small gaps or grooves are almost always formed, depending on the panel design.
• When attaching such a lining to the lath between it and the wall there is a gap in which, if there is insufficient pretreatment or other unfavorable conditions, damp may accumulate, development of a microflora that is unsafe for a person is possible. Very often, especially if the walls are walled in a private house, this empty space becomes a favorable place for nests or ways of movement of rodents.
• Coating of panels is not very resistant to mechanical influences - it is easy to damage, for example, by moving objects of furniture without sufficient care.
• MDF does not apply to moisture-resistant materials, therefore, if the wall behind the skin starts to die, the panels can swell and the lining will become deformed.

Nevertheless, it can be noted that despite the above disadvantages, MDF panels only gain popularity and fully compete with gypsum plasterboard walls. Installation of this cladding can easily be carried out by even one person without assistance, and, having absolutely no experience in such work, if, of course, it will follow all technological recommendations.

And in the end - a small "visual aid" in the form of a video story about the installation of MDF panels:

Video: how to mount MDF panels on the walls