Polyvinyl chloride panels are quite durable, reliable and practical material. They are perfect for working in any room. The variety of sizes and textures allows you to decorate the interior in an original way, making it modern and stylish. In addition, there will be no great difficulties in installing the finish; they are well suited for any novice craftsman.
Advantages and disadvantages of plastic panels
The modern market for PVC planks makes it possible to find suitable models even the most demanding customers. However, for beginners, as a rule, it is quite difficult to decide. To avoid mistakes, carefully study the characteristics and types of planks. You should only consider products that have a quality certificate, since cheap options do not have the necessary strength and lose their color extremely quickly.
PVC planks have several of the following advantages:
- increased resistance to moisture;
- ease of installation;
- fire safety;
- hygiene;
- long service life;
- resistance to harmful microorganisms.
A serious disadvantage of this material is its instability to impacts, which is why the panels must be transported with extreme caution. Depending on the coating applied at the factory, the planks can be glossy or matte. According to the pattern application technology used in manufacturing, products can be printed or film. There are materials on the market that have certain standard sizes. The thickness of such planks can be 8–10 mm, length – 27–30 cm, and width – 2–3.5 cm.
The strength of a material is mainly affected by its thickness, as well as the sum of the ribs that are placed inside it. To make sure that the product can withstand loads, press its surface with your finger. If this causes the bar to sag, it means it will not last long. Do not buy plastic wall panels for a room if you find that their stiffeners are breaking or deformed. There is also no need to purchase material with an unclear pattern on the surface. Do not take the product if you find that the coating in different places of the plank is slightly different in shade. The same applies to products with scratches on the front side and mismatched slab sizes.
What calculations will be needed before finishing?
To avoid overpaying or running to the store several times, calculate the amount of material you need. The planks can be attached in several positions. To mount a vertical type, you need to measure the length of the perimeter of the room, subtract the width of all openings from the total, and divide it by the width of one of the panels. Be sure to add 3-4 spare items to the final result.
If the lining in the bathroom is carried out by horizontal fastening, then it is necessary to measure the area of the room, subtract the areas of the door and window openings, and divide the result by the area of one plank. You will need to purchase at least 10% of the material in reserve, since quite a lot of it will be lost when pruning. To decorate the walls with plastic, you will need to make calculations of the number of slats and fasteners for making the sheathing. To do this, the height of the walls is divided by the pitch of the sheathing - usually it is no more than half a meter. The resulting number must be multiplied by the perimeter of the room. After measuring the height of the corners and multiplying the result by their number, you get the required footage of the corner profiles.
Installation methods for PVC panels
Finishing a bathroom with plastic panels is done in several popular ways: using glue, long self-tapping screws and special clamps. The first method is suitable only in cases where the surface of the walls in the room is perfectly flat and smooth. For work, use a special adhesive composition, universal remedy Moment-montage or ordinary.
Using glue will significantly reduce the cost of installation, since you will not need to make and attach the sheathing. In addition, this method of finishing with plastic panels is suitable even for a beginner. However, it has several disadvantages - you will not be able to replace the damaged element, and during further repairs it will be quite difficult to dismantle the products.
Installation using self-tapping screws has proven to be very convenient and reliable method. It does not imply having an ideal smooth walls. For repair procedures, you will need a screwdriver, because without it, installation can take a very long period. Among the disadvantages, the need to manufacture a durable wooden frame stands out. Therefore, you will have to spend money on purchasing and installing timber around the perimeter of the room.
The third option is considered the most optimal. Clippers allow you to quickly and reliably fasten panels to the surface of the sheathing and keep the planks on the surface for a long time. A metal profile is used as the material for the manufacture of the holding structure. If necessary, you can quickly replace a broken or scratched panel. Dismantling the finishing during repairs will also not take much time.
Preparing tools and work surface
Before covering the bathroom with plastic panels, prepare everything you need for work. You will need:
- tape measure and pencil;
- square and level;
- plastic profile or slats;
- screwdriver and hammer drill;
- antiseptic lubricant;
- and sealant.
First, be sure to clean the walls of the old coating. Seal even the smallest cracks, level the surfaces if possible and be sure to treat them with an antifungal primer. It will prevent the appearance of mold, which often occurs in rooms with high humidity.
Attach the retaining structure strictly level. To avoid measuring each batten, make markings on the wall surface. In this case, the bottom row of the sheathing should be located 2 cm above the floor. Mark a point with a pencil at this height and use a level to draw a horizontal line along it. Do the same at the top of the wall. The top line should be located 2 cm from the ceiling. After this, measure up 40 cm from the bottom line, install a beacon in this place and place the remaining beacons to the very top. Draw parallel lines through them along the entire perimeter of the wall.
Attach the planks strictly perpendicular to the sheathing. The horizontal frame must be sheathed vertically, and vice versa.
Installation of sheathing and plastic panels
If you are using for bathroom renovation wooden sheathing, then before installing it, treat all wooden slats with an antiseptic. Drill holes along the marking lines in increments of 50 cm, then apply slats and align them horizontally. At the end, the slats are secured with dowels. If there is wiring on the wall, it must be secured with clamps so that it does not protrude beyond the slats.
Install the very first bar in the corner farthest from the entrance. This place is considered the most noticeable. If necessary, the panel must be cut to length with a hacksaw. One edge of it is inserted into the side molding, applied to the corner and attached to the sheathing with the back side. Insert the second part into the mounting groove of the first one, press it tightly and fix it on the frame slats. To ensure that the joints are as tight as possible, lubricate their side edges with silicone before installing the planks. Install all products in the same way.
We cut holes in the strips for sockets and switches, and after installation these areas must be closed plastic boxes. The last panel most often needs to be cut to width. First, try it on the wall, mark a line with a pencil and cut off all excess with a hacksaw. At the end of finishing PVC panels moldings will need to be installed. They will help make the surface smooth and hide the gaps at the seams between the panels. Moldings can be sold either together or separately from the finishing material. Their simple design allows you to insert the edges of two panels into the grooves, which makes the room much more attractive and tidy.
At the end, install decorative molding along the entire perimeter of the ceiling with your own hands, and attach it along the perimeter of the floor plastic skirting board. At this point, the work in the bathroom is considered complete. If used carefully, the walls will retain their attractive appearance for a long time.
To date, polyvinyl chloride has established itself as a reliable and high-quality material that deserves to be used in various repair and construction fields. This is confirmed by PVC application panels not only for exterior, but also for interior decoration premises, which, as is known, implies a much more stringent selection of suitable material.
In such cases, enormous attention is paid not only technical specifications the raw materials used, but also its aesthetic characteristics. From this point of view, plastic panels are suitable option for various purposes. Among other things, finishing bathrooms with PVC panels is gaining popularity.
Plastic lining for finishing the surface of walls in the bathroom is considered the most optimal solution for several reasons. The material has a wide range of capabilities and a long list of advantages.
Disadvantages of plastic lining
Tools for finishing PVC panels
In order for your bathroom renovation to go without any unpleasant surprises, you must immediately stock up on the necessary kit suitable tools and components, which include:
- moldings;
- sheathing;
- self-tapping screws (an alternative is glue);
- ruler and level;
- drill;
- screwdriver;
- pencil;
- roulette;
- square;
- hacksaw;
- nails (dowel-nails);
- sealant to protect joints.
Step-by-step instructions for finishing with PVC panels
In order to completely change the appearance of the bathroom and make the room comfortable and functional, you need to put in quite a lot of effort, but all of it will be rewarded for a long time service of PVC panels and pleasant emotions received from being in the room.
Installation of panels using self-tapping screws
Usually craftsmen are invited to decorate the surface of walls with plastic lining, but the ease of installation makes it possible to try your hand at making repairs yourself.
First of all, you should choose a fastening method. There are two main options - glue and screws. The disadvantages of the “glue” method are that if necessary, “tear off” the panels from the walls, it will be extremely difficult to implement the idea, but the installation will be quick and problem-free.
Self-tapping screws eliminate the difficulty of dismantling, but installing them will require drilling a large number of holes in the wall. This is reflected in the amount of time spent on repairs. IN in this case you need to make a decision based on your personal considerations.
Stage 1. If the choice is the frame method, you must first take care of creating a special metal structure. In order to make a frame from metal profile, you should first mark the surface of the wall using a level and mark the top and bottom points.
Stage 2. Profiles that belong to the main frame are fixed perpendicular to the plastic panels. Further actions depend on how the PVC panels will be attached. If the elements are positioned vertically, then the next step will be the direct installation of the plastic lining. The horizontal arrangement, on the contrary, requires additional effort, since you will have to make jumpers in metal frame. For this method of fastening, among other things, you will have to make additional profiles to secure the inner corner.
The fastening clip snaps into the “groove” part of the profile, pressing the wide part of the clip against the panel’s “nailer”
Stage 3. In some cases, a decision is made to use the so-called combined technology, in which plastic panels are attached both vertically and horizontally. In this case, the vertical panels should be attached to a horizontal frame, and the remaining elements should be attached to the lintel. This is especially true for the joint line.
Stage 4. At this stage, you can proceed directly to finishing the wall with the purchased panels. First, use a level to secure it ceiling plinth and the inner corner, and then measure the desired height lining (based on the distance between the top and bottom points), cut off the remains and insert the panel into the inner corner. It is important that the upper part of the part is inserted into the ceiling plinth.
PVC panels - finishing strips (moldings)
Stage 5. We fix the panel to the frame using self-tapping screws. They are screwed in from the side of the wide mounting shelf.
Stage 6. Prepare new panel, we carry out fastening by entering narrow shelf element into the groove of the previous one until there is no joint at all, we fix it by analogy with the previous step.
Step 7. The last panel must be cut so that the size of the part matches the size of the resulting gap. The width of the panel should be approximately 1 centimeter less than the distance from the last plastic lining to the inner corner. We insert the PVC panel so that it is securely fixed between the final element and the previous panel.
Installation by gluing
Liquid nails are most often used for gluing PVC panels. However, this option is relevant only if the wall surface does not have numerous defects and irregularities.
Step 1. Prepare the wall before finishing - remove it from the surface old plaster, paint, wallpaper and other residual materials.
Step 2. After this, prime the wall using a special adhesive primer.
Step 3. We use the technology described for frame method, however, instead of self-tapping screws, we use liquid nails to secure the elements.
If the work is done with due care, then no problems should arise during operation. Plastic panels are an excellent opportunity to quickly and effectively transform the aesthetic and functional parameters of a bathroom, making it high-tech, comfortable and pleasant. PVC panels are also used for finishing loggias and balconies. The technology for finishing these rooms is virtually no different from the basic installation algorithm presented above.
Also read about installing PVC windows yourself.
Video – Finishing a bathroom with PVC panels
Video - All about PVC panels in the bathroom
Modern market building materials offers a huge variety of building materials, including finishing ones. However, with all their diversity, when, when renovating an apartment, the owners begin to discuss what kind of material they want to cover the walls in the bathroom, toilet or even kitchen, the choice often falls on plastic panels. Wall decoration with plastic panels is simple and affordable way update your interior.
Decorative plastic panels
Plastic panels are a material made from PolyVinyl Chloride, which is used for surface cladding. Wall decoration with PVC panels is often chosen because they are light weight, low cost, and the material from which they are made does not contain harmful substances asbestos and cadmium, which are dangerous to humans.
Polyvinyl chloride is a universal polymer that is used for the production of bottles, syringes, linoleum, hoses, water pipes. Products made from this material have a smooth, easy-to-clean surface, which allows them to be used, for example, in hospitals or kitchens. PVC panels are lightweight and have a cell-like structure.
In order for a PVC plastic panel to catch fire, it must be heated to almost 400 degrees, and during the combustion process it does not emit toxic substances.
PVC panels - waterproof facing material, and they can be used in household premises, such as kitchens, bathrooms, toilets.
Decorative PVC panels are soundproof and do not allow heat to pass through. To protect against exposure sun rays and the panels are saturated with moisture varnish coating, which gives them smoothness and repels dust. On the front side, plastic PVC panels are covered with different patterns that imitate natural materials(wood, stone, etc.).
Wood-look plastic panels are often installed in the kitchen, and stone-look panels are often installed in the hallway. Such panels can be easily cut both lengthwise and crosswise, so no problems arise during their installation. It is also not difficult to connect them, and you can do it in such a way that they will form a continuous canvas, or you can leave gaps by inserting some interesting decor between them.
Types of PVC panels
PVC can be used for finishing:
- walls;
- ceilings;
- exterior finishing Houses.
Decorative panels that are produced for wall cladding (plastic wall panels) have a thickness of up to 10 mm, in contrast to ceiling panels, the thickness of which does not exceed 5 mm.
In addition, PVC panels intended for ceilings have thinner walls and partitions.
Cladding is often used for exterior decoration of a house. At the same time, it can also be used for interior decoration. It is also easy to install and easy to clean. Lining, as a facing material for external walls, is fully justified - it is frost-resistant and does not lose its beautiful appearance at low or high temperatures.
It is better not to use ordinary plastic panels when finishing external walls, since they do not tolerate the ultraviolet rays of the sun very well.
By appearance PVC panels for walls are divided into:
- matte;
- mirrored;
- glossy.
All these panels differ in both color and texture, have different patterns, and different coatings.
According to their shape, decorative plastic PVC panels are divided into:
- rack and pinion;
- tiled;
- leafy.
Slatted plastic panels are similar to lining. They can be attached to the wall either horizontally or vertically. These panels are up to 3 meters long, 13 - 30 cm wide, and their thickness varies from 8 to 12 mm. They are connected to each other with a special tongue-and-groove lock.
Tiled plastic panels for walls are rectangular or square tiles, ranging in size from 30 to 98 cm. They are mounted on walls, like slatted ones, but visually they look completely different.
Sheet panels for walls are a sheet of chipboard with a pattern printed on the front side. Such panels are glued to the wall or nailed.
The size of the long side of such panels varies from 1.22 m to 2.44 m, and thickness - from 3 to 6 mm. Such panels are not plastic, but their decorative layer also has a polymer coating.
According to the method by which the pattern is applied, PVC plastic panels are divided into:
- laminated;
- with a pattern applied using film;
- with a design applied by direct printing.
Lamination is the application of a film with some kind of pattern to the surface of a plastic panel. It is laminated panels that imitate natural stone or tree.
The method in which a design is applied using thermal film is that a white panel is coated with any color, after which a thermal film is glued on top.
The direct printing method (also called offset) is that the image is first transferred to the front side of the PVC panel, after which it is varnished on top.
Plastic panels are also divided into types according to the presence of a panel seam:
- seamless;
- embossed;
- with chamfer.
Seamless panels have no visible joints when installed, and they give the impression of an ordinary smooth wall. For relief panels, the seam is clearly visible and is part of the decor. Wall panels with a chamfer - these are the same seamless panels that have a small recess for decoration, which makes them embossed.
In addition, certain varieties include mirrored plastic panels and plastic panels made to look like brick.
Mirror plastic panels appeared relatively recently, but have already gained enormous popularity. These panels are covered with a special reflective film, so they are used not only in apartments, but also in restaurants, hotels, bars, and other public spaces.
The advantages of mirror plastic panels are undeniable:
- they visually enlarge the space due to reflected light;
- they can be installed on the surface itself different shapes, including round ones;
- they look great with any design ideas;
- such panels are attached to various bases;
- They can be washed in the same way as regular glass.
A disadvantage of mirror panels is the fact that they do not like moisture. Therefore, it is not recommended to install them in rooms such as the bathroom and kitchen. Also, mirror plastic panels do not like high temperatures.
Decorating the walls with plastic stone panels looks very elegant. Brick or stone wall It always looks very beautiful, but due to the high cost of the material and the complexity of the masonry, not everyone can afford such cladding. But plastic panels imitating stone or PVC panels imitating brickwork, are not only easy to install, but also easy to care for.
The advantages of such panels include:
- a variety of types of imitations for any stone and any masonry;
- light weight and easy installation;
- easy care;
- service life;
- price.
Such panels look great in the kitchen, in the hallway, as well as in public places.
How to choose plastic panels for wall decoration
Even if you know exactly what color plastic panels you want to see, for example, in your kitchen, and have chosen a pattern, nevertheless, pay attention to some more points so as not to regret your choice in the future.
You need to track the following when purchasing:
- carefully inspect the cut and pay attention to the thickness of the jumper. The strength of the cladding depends on this - the thicker the lintels and the polymer itself, the stronger the finish will be;
- plastic should be the same thickness everywhere;
- cells and edges should be smooth and look neat;
- the pattern on the surface should be clear and uniform;
- Please note that the panels are made of different boxes may have different shades;
- Pay close attention to the quality of the polymer. Take one panel and bend it.
After the plate has bent, there should be no joints or damage left on it.
Installation of plastic panels on the wall
Installing decorative plastic panels on the wall with your own hands is quite easy, and one of the most pleasant moments is that such installation does not require wall preparation.
You will also need the most common tools.
Preparatory work
Before you go shopping for plastic panels in hardware store, you need to calculate exactly how much finishing material you will need.
To make the calculation, you need to decide exactly how you will install the plastic panels - vertically or horizontally. If you are going to mount the panels vertically, then you just need to measure the perimeter of the room, summing the lengths of all four walls, and subtract the width from it doorways. The size of the perimeter must be divided by the width of one panel, and to the resulting amount add three or four more pieces for scraps and “just in case.”
If your room has two walls of 3 m each, and two walls of 5 m each, then the perimeter will be equal to (3+3+5+5 = 16 m). If the width of the plastic panel is 0.5 m, then you will need 16 / 0.5 = 32 panels. So take 35.
If you plan to install the panels horizontally, then you need to determine not the perimeter, but the area (by multiplying the length of each wall by its width, and then adding the resulting values), and then also subtract the door (and window) openings. After this, you need to determine the area of one panel, and divide the first value (room area) by the second (panel area).
With the same room sizes and standard height the ceiling is 2.5 m, the areas of the two walls will be equal to 7.5 m (3 x 2.5) and 12.5 (5 x 2.5) m, respectively, that is, the total area of the room will be equal to (12.5 +12, 5+7.5+7.5 = 40 sq. m). The area of one panel 2.5 m high and 0.5 m wide will be equal to (2.5 x 0.5 = 1.25 m). Accordingly, you will need 40 / 1.25 = 32 panels.
By the way, with this installation method there will be much more scraps. So the stock also needs to be increased. Take 37 pieces.
You also need to calculate the number of slats that will be needed for the sheathing. To do this, you need to divide the height of the walls (2.5) by the distance that you will need to leave between the sheathing elements (usually 0.5 m is left). That is, in our case it will be 2.5 / 0.5 = 5.
Now you need to find out the length of all the slats in linear meters. To do this, we multiply the resulting value by the perimeter of the room (in our case it is 16 m). Accordingly, the length of the slats in linear meters is 5 x 16 = 80 m.
Wall marking
Decorating the walls with panels yourself involves marking, since the sheathing must be fixed strictly level, otherwise you will not be able to avoid distortions. It is precisely so that you do not have to measure each purchased rail and you need to make markings.
The bottom row of plastic panels is located exactly 2 cm above the floor surface.
Accordingly, having measured this distance, you need to put a point, and then use a level to draw a horizontal line along the entire perimeter of the room. Exactly the same straight line needs to be drawn along the edge of the future finish. From the line drawn below, you need to measure up 50 cm and mark this place. So you need to put marks to the very top. Through these marks you will need to draw horizontal parallel lines along the entire perimeter of the walls. The marking is ready.
Installation of sheathing
Before installing the sheathing, you should prepare the walls. Careful leveling of the wall surface is not required, but you need to remove old finishing materials and anything that can fall off and come off. If there are large depressions in the surface of the wall, it is advisable to seal them. If something sticks out, these parts of the wall need to be chipped or trimmed.
After this, you should treat the wall with an antifungal coating. And then you can proceed directly to the installation of the sheathing.
The sheathing elements must be positioned strictly perpendicular to the plastic panels. If you mount the panels horizontally, then the sheathing slats need to be fastened vertically, and, accordingly, vice versa. The slats are installed at a distance of no more than 50 cm from each other, or better yet, even less. The shorter the distance, the less the wall made of plastic panels will “walk.” The sheathing is attached to ordinary dowels.
If you want your cladding to look smooth and beautiful, the sheathing under the plastic panels must be aligned in the same plane. If there are uneven spots somewhere, you need to place pieces of plywood. Then the cladding will look decent.
Installing profiles
The installation of plastic panels itself begins with the fact that the selected profiles must be installed in one of the corners. They are attached to the sheathing elements.
The result of such fastenings is a kind of frame. Plastic panels are inserted into this frame.
DIY wall decoration with plastic panels
Now you need to install the plastic panel, cutting it along the height of the wall if you install the panels vertically, and, accordingly, along the length of the wall if you choose horizontal method installations. You can cut the panel with a regular saw with a metal blade.
The cut side of the plastic panel is inserted into the frame at the corner, pushed in all the way (to do this you just need to tap it with your hand), and check with a level how strictly vertical this panel is. This panel is then attached to each element of the installed sheathing.
Note that you need to start from the farthest corner of the room, since it is visible from the entrance first, and it is impossible for any unnecessary joints or edges to be visible there.
Having secured the first panel, install the second next to it, then the third, and so on. There shouldn’t be any difficulties, it will be a little more difficult only with the last panel, because it will have to be cut to width and immediately fixed into the profile. It is not always possible to do this smoothly, and the plastic may wrinkle slightly. But with appropriate skill and accuracy, this minor difficulty can be overcome.
Installation of moldings
After you have installed all the plastic panels and your wall has acquired a beautiful and neat look, you need to close the corners and joints. This can be done using special plastic moldings that will give your work completeness.
After finishing the work, the same plastic molding should be installed around the perimeter of the ceiling, and a plastic plinth should be installed on the floor.
When installing plastic panels, holes should be made in the lining for sockets and switches. This can be easily done as normal sharp knife. Your plastic panel wall is ready.
By the way, if desired, you can install plastic panels diagonally. It turns out quite interesting, but the work will become more complicated, and there will be much more waste.
Nevertheless, this installation method is quite popular.
Polyvinyl chloride panels (or simply PVC panels) are practical, cheap and durable, which is why their popularity when decorating the walls of terraces, balconies, technical rooms, as well as kitchens and bathrooms is understandable. The material can be used in any room, and a huge variety of colors, textures and shapes allows you to realize your wildest design fantasies, making the interior stylish and cozy. It is also important that covering walls with PVC panels is quite simple and can be done even by a person with no experience.
Pros and cons of PVC panels
Before choosing plastic panels, you need to understand for what purposes and in what rooms they will be used. The service life of PVC panels will largely depend on the operating conditions. Thus, for cladding a terrace or balcony, you should not use materials with bright colors on a glossy texture, since the color will quickly fade under the influence of the sun, giving the material an outdated look. For bathrooms, it is preferable to use thicker and more durable panels with a matte texture that is not afraid of drips and streaks. Thanks to the abundance of materials, you can choose panels by color and functional characteristics to any room.
The advantages of PVC panels are:
- Low price. Due to their availability, PVC panels are widely used in finishing. However, it is worth noting that the higher the quality and strength of the panels, the higher the price tag for them rises. This should be taken into account and always kept in reserve. alternative materials for finishing.
- Moisture resistance. Parameter affecting durability when used on outdoors, and also affects the protection of walls from moisture when used in bathrooms.
- The convenience of cleaning such surfaces also follows from the previous point. PVC panels are completely washable even with the use of household chemicals.
- Harmlessness. Modern technologies do not involve the use of harmful chemical compounds in PVC, which not only made the material safer, but also made it cheaper.
- Appearance. Range color solutions and the textures are impressive, but even if this is not enough, you can apply any design to the panels using photo printing, making them original and unique. This advantage, for example, allows you to use PVC panels in the bathroom instead of tiles.
- Ease of use and speed of installation. The light weight and structural features make it possible to use plastic panels for covering the most difficult places, for example, irregularly shaped surfaces and niches. The presence of grooves in the panels, as well as the starting and finishing profiles, connecting strips and other elements necessary for installation, ensures quick assembly of the entire structure.
- Persistence. Of course, the material is easy to break or pierce, but careful use and care will ensure up to 20 years of service for PVC panels without loss of mechanical and decorative qualities.
If we talk about the disadvantages of plastic panels, the following aspects can be highlighted among them:
- Low strength. Low impact resistance is perhaps the only serious drawback, limiting the prevalence of this finishing material. However, depending on the price of PVC panels, there are samples mechanical strength which is not inferior to, for example, . Strength is ensured not only by the thickness of the coating walls, but also by the number of stiffeners located inside. Checked this characteristic It’s simple - just lightly press the panel with your finger and if it bends, then its service life will most likely be short.
- Tightness. PVC panels do not allow air to pass through at all, creating a sealed space. This quality limits their use in residential areas.
- Due to the presence of lathing, insects can settle in the voids behind the panels. Also, when using panels in wet rooms, there is a risk of fungus arising when moisture penetrates into the cracks.
Instructions for covering walls with PVC panels
After selection suitable type panels, it is necessary to calculate the required number, taking into account the stock. The width of the panels ranges from 200 to 350 mm, length - from 2700 to 3000 mm, and thickness - from 8 to 10 mm. By measuring the height of the room and the width of the walls, excluding doorways and windows, you can calculate required amount panels.
Required Tools
For plating PVC walls To make panels with your own hands, you will need several tools that can be easily found or purchased. The process is quite simple and requires only basic knowledge. All necessary tool can be put into a short list:
- Construction level, square for measurements.
- A hammer drill, dowels and self-tapping screws for securing the sheathing to the wall.
- Jigsaw or Circular Saw for cutting panels and laths.
- A construction stapler, or small nails and a hammer to secure the panels.
- Pencil, tape measure.
Preparing walls for lathing
Although the requirements for the wall surface before PVC cladding panels are not presented, however, it is necessary to carry out some preliminary measures that will contribute to the best fastening of the sheathing.
Before installing the sheathing, pieces of old crumbling plaster, tiles, and pieces of peeling paint are removed from the wall surface. Gaps, cracks and other defects are cleaned out and filled with repair mortar. It is advisable to then treat the surface with an antifungal compound or primer to prevent the formation of fungus on the wall.
When installing panels on a frame, there is no need to level the walls, since the flat plane installed panels provided by a leveled frame. However, if the wall has deep cracks and gouges, it will be easier to rough level the wall than to adjust the frame.
Installation of sheathing
When installing sheathing on a wall, there are several rules that must be followed in order to achieve a flat surface. The first rule is that when installing panels vertically, the installation of the sheathing is carried out strictly horizontally. On the contrary, when horizontal installation panels, the sheathing is installed vertically.
Secondly, it is important to correctly maintain the distance between the sheathing slats to better secure the panels to them. The outermost slats (bottom and top, or right and left) are mounted at a distance of 1-2 centimeters from the surface of the floor, ceiling or corners. All other slats between the outer ones should be located evenly at a distance of no more than 40-50 centimeters from each other.
At this stage, the slats are installed at one level to ensure a vertical or horizontal plane. Checking the evenness of the slats can be done using a long water level. Correction of the position of the slats is carried out by placing wooden elements under the rail.
Using wooden slats as lathing, they must be coated with a special antiseptic composition to protect them from rotting.
Installation of PVC panels
After all preparatory work proceed to the direct installation of plastic panels. The panels are convenient for fastening to each other, since on one side they have a long fastening shelf, which is used for fastening to the sheathing, and on the other, a small shelf necessary for adhesion to the adjacent panel. Let's look at the process of assembling panels step by step:
- The starting and finishing profiles are fastened, as well as the internal corner if the installation of panels begins from the corner. At vertical installation panels, starting profiles are attached to the top and bottom strap battens. Such profiles are hidden jagged edges panels and contribute to their better fastening. The internal corner also allows you to avoid gaps between the panels and creates a well-designed junction.
- Installation of panels begins from the corner farthest from the entrance. Usually this place in the room is in plain sight, so for this they try to use solid panels without trimming. The panel is cut to length, inserted into the starting profiles and leveled. During installation, it is allowed to slightly bend the panel so that it easily fits into the grooves of the starting profiles. The panel must be trimmed approximately 5 mm shorter than the height of the ceiling. The PVC panel is installed so that the free side has a long shelf into which the next element will be inserted.
- The panels can be attached to the sheathing in three ways:
- After securing the first panel, the next panel is inserted into the groove and fastened in a similar way along its entire length. Holes are cut in the material for sockets and switches required size sharp stationery knife.
- The last panel in a row is cut to width if necessary, and carefully installed in the space between the adjacent panel and the finishing corner.
- Installation of moldings. If special corner profiles are not used during installation, after finishing the sheathing it is necessary to ensure that the surface looks smooth and no seams are visible around the perimeter. For this purpose, external and internal corners hidden under special plastic corners- moldings, the design of which makes it possible to hide the joints of the panels, making the junctions more attractive. The corners are glued to the panels directly on a quick-drying adhesive composition, for example, cyacrine.
Competent approach to selection quality material, careful and attentive work in compliance with all requirements and rules will ensure an impeccable result even when cladding with your own hands, and careful handling of plastic panels guarantees them a long service life.
For clarity, we suggest watching a video that very well shows the entire process of covering walls with PVC panels.
How to cover walls with plastic panels? If there are uneven spots, potholes or hard-to-remove mold on the walls that are difficult to remove from surfaces with plaster and putty, the most rational decision– DIY wall decoration with plastic panels.
Right installed frame walls allows you to make the coating perfectly smooth, the plane is solid, and all defects are masked. The article will tell you how to do this correctly.
Features of wall cladding with plastic panels
Plastic wall panels are products made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) using the extrusion method.
In this process:
- The molten thick mass of the composition is squeezed out through dies using special equipment, corresponding in shape to the profile of the panels.
- The workpieces are cooled at a certain temperature.
- Cut to required sizes.
- Standard panel thickness is:
- 5 millimeters;
- from 8 to 10 millimeters. Despite fluctuations in thickness, this is a single standard size, for which the components, such as moldings, are made the same.
- The width of plastic sheets for wall decoration ranges from 20 to 37 centimeters- These are fairly wide plastic panels for walls.
- Standard element length:
- 2.6 meters;
- 2.7 meters;
- 3 meters.
The advantages of PVC panels are:
- Safety. They do not emit harmful elements when heated to a temperature (+80°C).
- Aesthetics. No seams at the joints, a variety of colors and patterns. Photo images can be applied to PVC panels using thermal printing, painted, and decorated self-adhesive film. This allows the material to be used:
- in the bathroom (see: Covering the bathtub with plastic panels: doing it right);
- loggias (see Finishing a loggia with PVC panels: installation instructions);
- living room.
The walls in the adult bedroom are covered with separate panels.
- Durability, over 10 years, and high durability, despite dampness in the bathroom and temperature fluctuations on the balcony.
- Practicality, ease of maintenance. It is enough to periodically remove dust.
Along with this, finishing with PVC panels has a number of disadvantages, which are due to chemical composition and properties of the material.
These include:
- Low hygiene. Plastic does not breathe, it does not allow steam to pass through, which requires restrictions on its use in the bedroom. The kitchen should be well ventilated and a powerful hood should be installed in the room to remove fumes and soot. Glare from the glossy surface from the sun's rays and polarization have a harmful effect on the child's psyche.
Tip: You can’t decorate a child’s bedroom with plastic glossy panels.
- Toxicity when burning. When ignited, PVC burns actively, releasing gases with very serious consequences. Because of this, the kitchen is not completely sheathed with plastic panels: the section of the wall above it is at risk. gas stove. The finishing should not have contact with wiring, heating, or lamp housings.
What elements are needed to install panels?
Before covering the walls with plastic panels, it is necessary to purchase additional moldings - fixing and at the same time decorative elements, which give the cladding its final appearance. There are several types of profiles, shown in the photo.
They can be:
- Starters.
- Finish.
- Guides: upper and lower. These are installation moldings that create a frame around the perimeter of the entire surface to be finished.
- Corner external. With its help, protruding corners of the room are formed.
- Corner internal, mounted along internal corners.
- Connecting. Designed for end connections of elements for combined finishing of panels of different colors.
- Skirting boards or fillets. Fixed with glue.
- Simple corners. Used for finishing corners, glued to the sheathing.
TO wooden frame the panels are fastened with staples and a construction stapler, and to metal with self-tapping screws.
