Covering the bath with plastic panels: do it right

Gusevsky Andrey Anatolyevich

Facing the walls of the bathroom with plastic panels

Cladding the walls of the bathroom with plastic panels is sometimes just necessary and another option simply will not work. Facing with plastic panels of the bathroom is quite common in everyday life.
This topic will be devoted to this article. You will learn how to lining with plastic bath panels.
After looking at the photos and videos to choose the right design. Instructions will be given on how to complete this work.

Work Options

Plastic panels for facing of bathrooms it is necessary to establish according to certain rules. In updating the bathroom, two finishing options are practiced, with easy-to-install, modern PVC panels.
These are wireframe and frameless methods. The technologies of such processes are significantly different from each other.
Let's figure out how to fix plastic panels for bathroom lining in each individual case and to whom to choose. After all, there is no standard, here we must proceed from the premises.

Wireframe way of doing work

Wall cladding with plastic panels in the bathroom can be performed on the frame. And this option is most often used.
Let's first deal with its merits and immediately be able to decide how much it is acceptable for you personally.

Advantages

Such finish option It has its undeniable advantages, as well as disadvantages. Therefore, before making a decision, you should carefully study them.
So:

• Cladding walls with plastic panels in the bathroom on the frame will always hide the errors of the base plane. In this case you will not be bothered by its irregularities and you will not need to do long and laborious preparations;
• When performing work using this method, you can hide all communications. This is especially true in old buildings;
• Cladding bathtubs with plastic panels on the frame allows you to install additional insulation and thereby make heating costs much lower;
• In this design, it will not be difficult to make just an ideal surface, the main thing is to make the correct layout and installation of the frame;
• Lining the bathrooms with plastic panels will allow you to make lighting with the help of built-in lamps. And this is important if the room has a low ceiling and lighting can be applied from the wall.

The disadvantages of the wireframe method

So:

• The frame, usually made of a metal profile, with its occupied space robs the bathroom of an already small area.
• The frame can not be a whole structure, so its plastic elements can be accidentally pushed and thereby hopelessly damaged.
• The formed space between the room wall and plastic PVC panels can become an affordable place for the reproduction of various microorganisms. And moisture, which will inevitably arise there, will contribute to the propagation of fungus, dampness and mold.
• Wireframe option bathroom finishes PVC panels provide additional financial costs for the purchase of metal profiles and fasteners.
• All these disadvantages of the frame method indicate a more acceptable and affordable frameless method of updating the bathroom.

We make the finish on the frame

If the lining of the walls of the bathroom with plastic panels will be done on the frame, then this is done in the following sequence.

Surface preparation and marking

Cladding the walls in the bathroom with plastic panels begins with the preparation of the surface.
It is basic in rooms with high humidity:

• The most important in this method of lining with plastic materials is a high-quality preparation of the surface of the walls on which they will be fixed in the future. Therefore, it is necessary to precisely maintain the parameters of the differences, ideally they should be equal to 3 millimeters.
  Even small tubercles will be unacceptable here. The situation can be corrected by plastering and puttying on these wall surfaces.
• Upon inspection bathroom it is necessary to pay attention to the corners, as sometimes they are rounded in reinforced concrete structures. In order for you to have no problems with plastic lining in the future, such corners should be leveled with a punch.
• Of course, it is desirable to remove the old coating, but if you are too lazy, then look and reveal cracks and there may be a peeling of the old coating. Here it is worth it to be removed with a chisel and hammer;
• Now we need to do a plane treatment with antiseptics. They are commercially available, it is worth giving preference to deep penetration liquids and it is advisable to do the treatment a couple of times.
  To do this, use a brush or spray;

Note: if you don’t even have a fungus on the wall, do the treatment anyway. If the fungus appears after the installation of the panels, then this will be practically impossible.

• We are waiting for complete drying and do not apply a primer to the plane. To do this, use a brush or spray;
• Now we need to determine the level of fastening of the panels and apply markings on the walls. To do this, take kapron thread or fishing line and the construction level. We measure and put marks on the surface;
• We connect the marks and for this we use kapron thread. Size just fights off;
• We now have a basic installation line.

Attention: Choosing the size do not forget about the thickness of the insulation.
The fact is that it should not be deformed by panels. Therefore, it is worthwhile to provide a gap of a couple cm. This will be enough for normal ventilation.

After all the preparatory work is completed, the walls need to be primed and then proceed to the main process - installation of the frame.

Frame installation

Wall covering bathrooms with plastic panels placed on the frame.
Although its price is not high, the material will create a plane on which all the flaws will be visible. Therefore, it should be made flawlessly.

Do the installation of the frame

So:

• To perform this work, a metal profile is used, which is the most durable and reliable. But you can use wood, for this a wooden beam is used;

Attention: if you decide to use a tree as a lathing, then you need to bring it to the place of work in advance and prepare it. It is necessary to carry out treatment with antiseptics.
They are in retail. Give preference to deep penetration liquid and it is necessary to carry out the treatment a couple of times. This will spill the life of the material.

• We cut off the frame element to the desired size and fasten it strictly along the line. To do this, we use dowels, which should not be used from sets, you just need to buy separately plastic dummies and self-tapping screws to them, which should be a couple of mm larger than the diameter of the plastic.
  We make a hole using a puncher and make a connection;
• Now we need to place the transverse rails, which should be located in one plane. To do this, fix the fishing line along the diagonals of the frame and then adhere to the height of the mount.
  We cut the frame elements to the desired size and make the connection, as described above. Height adjustment is done using gaskets;

Attention: the distance between the transverse rails should be selected according to the insulation and the length of the PVC panel. The fact is that the edges of the panels can only be mounted on the frame.
And for a heater it is necessary to remember that it should not be deformed. Otherwise, it will lose its properties.

• After installing the frame should be fixed vapor barrier. It can be installed under the frame, but then it is not so easy to fix it.
  After attaching the frame, the material is simply attached to the racks using a construction stapler. And do not cut it and do it back to back, you need to make an overlap of the order of 5 cm.
  When attaching to a rail, the material should be wrapped and then make a connection;
• After attaching the vapor barrier, we do the laying of the insulation. It should not be deformed, but laying must be done tightly.
  Fastening is carried out using plastic fungi and at least five connection points per mat should be made.

Make wiring

After laying the insulation, it is necessary to make the wiring of the lighting. It can be sockets or installation of lamps.
This is especially often done when decorating a mirror.
So:

• First, a connection point is selected. Here we need to install a junction box.
  If you plan to use energy-saving lamps, you will need to make a mount here and a step-down transformer;
• We make the connection of wires and for this we use terminal blocks. They will provide a high-quality and reliable connection.
  Do not twist, it can lead to irreparable consequences. Moreover, we will have a humid environment;

Installation of plastic panels

Now we will proceed to facing the frame with plastic:

• We start the installation from the corner of the room. The first panel requires particularly careful fastening.
  Rather, it must first be set correctly. On it will go the installation of subsequent parts.
  When installing, we use a plumb line and do the installation perpendicular to the floor;

Carefully set the first bar

• The next one is attached to the groove of the previous one and the second edge is connected to the crate using a construction stapler;
• If you need to make a hole, then proceed as follows. First, try on the bar and make a mark.
  After that, we put it on a flat surface and make a hole with a crown. It should be purchased in advance and correctly selected by diameter.
  After that, it is attached as described above;
• The last panel will not fit in width. Then we apply it and make marks on both sides. After that, we make an incision using a hacksaw with a small tooth;
• At the end of the surface cladding, we simply nail the ceiling plinth and hide the joint with the ceiling.

Frameless installation method

This option is done and not so often. Our walls are not even smooth.
Therefore, if you decide to make such a cladding, then you will need to first align the wall and there is a detailed article on our site on this topic.

The disadvantages of finishing frameless

This mounting option has its drawbacks:

• You will need to do a set of work on preparing the surface and this costs and time;
• You can not put the built-in fixtures, only external ones are used;
• It is impossible to make insulation of the room and this is not a small minus.

We fasten the cladding

After proper preparation of the surface, you can begin to perform work:

Caution: Immediately before mounting, care should be taken for wiring. After facing, this will be difficult. Have to tear down the panel.

• So that the quality of work is not in doubt and the result is reliable and long-lasting, it is better to use liquid nails. The use of this glue is very convenient, since the injection from the gun is metered and economical.
  One such cylinder is enough for about 4-5 square meters, but this, of course, depends on the topography of the walls.
• It is recommended to apply glue to the panel with small dots in a checkerboard pattern and not very close to the edge, so that during operation when pressing on plastic, it does not creep out and does not stain the front side.

Fastening the PVC panel in a frameless way

• The direct process for bonding plastic panels is as follows.

An already smeared strip is applied to the wall, a little tap on it with the palm of your hand. Then it is torn off again to dry in air for five to seven minutes.
Next, the panel is carefully installed in its original place and again slammed with your hands. You may ask why such difficulties?
The fact is that the technology of using liquid nails requires just such a sequence of operations. Otherwise, skewing of subsequent bands may occur.
It is important to stick the first panel correctly. For perfect evenness, you can even apply a level.
After that, the strip will be nice to fix on the top - above the ceiling and on the bottom - above the floor with any fasteners, for example, self-tapping screws. Subsequently, they will hide under the baseboards and they will not be visible.
If necessary, starting strips and corner joints can also be used. But still, if at the end of these works you are going to install a skirting board, then you will not need a start profile.
It should be noted that the baseboard, both for the floor and for the ceiling, will further strengthen the fastening of the panels. Nevertheless, any installation of the ceiling in the bathroom is better to start doing after lining it with plastic panels.
Now you know the rules for attaching panels. The main thing here is to correctly markup and do the work slowly.