Chipboard wall cladding - a solid look at a low cost
More and more often, when decorating internal and external walls, hinged installation methods began to be used, excluding plastering, leveling and other “wet” work. It is much simpler, faster and cleaner to sheathe them with panels or sheet materials.
One of such materials is cladding panels made of chipboard, which types, features and installation methods are described in this article.
The content of the article
About Material
Wall panels Particle boards are used for intermediate and finishing, partition walls, furniture manufacturing. They are made by hot pressing of sawdust and shavings with resins of artificial origin and special additives.
Of great importance for the safety and quality of this material is the composition of the binder resins containing formaldehydes - substances harmful to health. Therefore, when buying it, always pay attention to the safety classification.
The decoding of the markings is given in the table.
| Classification | Application area |
| Super e | Super safe panels. They can be used to decorate any living quarters, including children's rooms, as well as used for the manufacture of children's furniture. |
| E1 | The content of free formaldehyde in the material does not exceed 10 mg per 100 g of the plate. These are valid values for residential use. |
| E2 | The content of free formaldehyde can reach up to 30 mg per 100 g, and this is already considered unacceptable for use in decoration and furniture production |
For reference. Particleboard of category E2 usually has a rough coarse-grained surface and is used in construction.
Advantages and disadvantages
Particleboard is used not only for wall cladding, but also for the installation of an even base for flooring, the manufacture of interior partitions, design elements.
A fairly wide area of application is due to the following positive characteristics:
- Rigidity and strength, resistance to abrasion;
- Thermo and light resistance;
- Durability;
- Practicality;
- High level of sound insulation;
- Aesthetics, the ability to change the facial finish in the future through staining or wallpapering;
- Low price.
But, consisting mainly of wood waste, this material does not have the advantages that natural wood gives.
What is the difference:
- Chipboard durability is lower;
- Its structure is such that when screwing the self-tapping panel into the body, it breaks down and does not allow reuse of this mounting hole;
- It is more difficult to work with panels - they crumble a lot during processing, require more effort for cutting;
- Chipboards easily absorb moisture and a sharp change in temperature, so they can not be used for outdoor decoration and wall cladding in wet rooms;
- The end edges do not look aesthetically pleasing without special processing - gluing with an edge tape.
Note. In such rooms as a kitchen or a bathroom, it is allowed to use moisture-resistant brands of chipboard with mandatory insulation of the ends.
Chipboard coating types
Another important advantage of this material is the huge variety of decorative coatings that allows you to create interesting interior solutions from bright to calm, from strict to intentionally artsy.
So:
- Natural veneer.They are lined with chipboard panels used to create classic interiors, furnish cabinets, libraries, reception rooms, public spaces.
The choice for every taste - pine, linden, cherry, beech, oak, ash, and also exotic zebrano or wenge. Moreover, the surface may be glossy, matte or semi-matt.
- Laminate. Laminated panels (chipboard) are hundreds of shades of the most different colors with a matte, glossy or even supergloss coating. Accordingly, it is an opportunity to realize the most daring ideas when decorating any residential premises, and especially children's rooms, combining wall decoration with bright furniture.
Please note that veneered and laminated panels can also be produced with perforation and can be used for cladding rooms, which have high acoustic requirements.
- Genuine and artificial leather. Such coverage is already exclusive. Cladding the walls with panels made of chipboard covered with leather will make the interior truly luxurious at minimal cost.
Mounting Methods
Like all other sheet materials, chipboard is quite easy to mount with your own hands, especially if you use profiles specially designed for this. Depending on the position, they are divided into end, connecting and angular.
And you have the opportunity to take an inexpensive aluminum profile or choose the same, but veneered or painted in the color of the panels.
The profile is attached to the crate, and the panels are simply inserted into the grooves and do not require any additional fixation.
Note. The instruction allows the installation of profiles directly to the wall, if it has a flat surface and does not need insulation. Otherwise, the wall must first be leveled by attaching a wooden frame to it and, if necessary, putting heat-insulating material in its cells.
There is another installation method - seamless. Usually it is used when facing walls with panels or plates without a decorative coating for their alignment with subsequent decoration. How this is done - look at the video.
In this case, the plates are drilled through the crate so that the head of the screw deepens into the material. Then these recesses, as well as the joints between the sheets, are filled with putty on wood and polished.
The resulting seamless surface is painted, varnished or wallpapered.
Conclusion
Perhaps the paneling of the walls of particleboard panels is not the most luxurious and interesting option for interior decoration. But it can turn out to be quite interesting, if you do not limit your imagination to standard solutions.
And if we talk about the ratio of the cost of the material and its installation to the quality and appearance of the finished result, many doubts disappear by themselves.
