To finish surfaces in the bathroom, it is customary to use materials that are moisture resistant. These include ceramic tiles. She usually revetted walls. For the ceiling, it is increasingly common to use paints or stretch ceilings.
But plastic panels, which can be installed independently, are also a rather successful solution. However, this advantage is not the only one among others: attractive appearance, affordable cost and durability.
Plastic Panel Reviews
Before you purchase a finish for the bathroom, you need to read consumer reviews about it. Plastic panels are no exception. According to customers, they are not afraid of moisture. This eliminates the need to use cement mortar, as well as messing with sand. Plastic panels are made specifically for wet rooms. They allow you to forget about what lime and whitewashing are.
Consumers also like the fact that with such a repair, water from above from the neighbors will no longer be afraid of facing. In addition, it is easy to clean. Products fit well together and form a perfectly flat surface. Dirt and dust will not clog between products. But the hostesses argue that from time to time on the surface of such a lining you can walk with a damp cloth soaked in soapy water. From spots and splashes there will be no trace.
Repair and decoration of the bathroom with plastic panels for a long time will save you from the need to update the coverage. The panels are very durable, they are not afraid of temperature extremes, mold, as well as pests. Products can not be damaged by rust, they do not rot and do not crack.
Buyers emphasize that quite often they choose such a finish for the reason that its weight is negligible. This simplifies not only installation work, but also transportation, as well as loading / unloading. Repairing the walls of the bathroom with plastic panels will not entail the release of harmful substances by the material. Products are environmentally friendly. This is confirmed by the fact that polyvinyl chloride in their basis is used for the manufacture of packaging for food.
The walls will turn out fireproof. The combustion temperature is 400 ° C, which is higher than the ignition temperature of wood. It is impossible not to mention the affordable cost. This material is the cheapest, but not inferior in terms of aesthetic characteristics to alternative solutions.
Choosing how to install plastic panels
Laying tiles is a rather time-consuming process. If you do not have experience in this area, then it is better not to engage in facing. If you want to save money, then it is best to use plastic panels to decorate the bathroom. They are laid in one of two ways. The first is to pre-install the crate, while the second technique involves the use of glue like liquid nails.
The crate is good in that it does not provide for the preparation of walls. In the inner space you can lay wiring and pipes. But the total area of the room will become smaller, which is not always good, especially when it comes to a small room in a typical old house. The glue method requires smooth walls. Therefore, you also have to additionally prepare the surface.
The initial stage of panel installation
Repair of the bathroom with plastic panels begins with the preparation of the walls. If you plan to install the crate, then first you need to rid the base of the old coating, repair the bumps and eliminate the tubercles. But even these works are carried out only in those places where the battens will be fixed.
If the panels are supposed to be installed on glue, you will have to align the walls well. They are freed from old coatings and dried well. In these cases, before starting the decoration, the walls are treated with an antifungal compound that prevents mold growth. Having started repairing the bathroom with plastic panels, you will need to install guide rails. For wet rooms, it is not recommended to use a wooden crate. It will not be possible to achieve the tightness of the seams between the panels, and if moisture gets inside, it will certainly destroy the structure.
When arranging the premises, it is recommended to buy plastic profiles. They should be fixed in one plane. To ensure ventilation of the space between the panels and the wall, it is necessary to leave gaps near the floor and ceiling. Their width should be about 3 mm. A distance of 50 cm is left between the elements of the frame. This is true for wall decoration. If we are talking about the ceiling lining, then this gap must be reduced to 40 cm.
When repairing the bathroom with plastic panels, you will need to strengthen the crate, which is oriented perpendicular to the location of the panels. If the latter will be mounted vertically, which is the best option for the bathroom, the crate is installed parallel to the floor. By arranging the decoration vertically, you can increase the height of the ceilings, which is important for modern bathrooms. In addition, this method will allow you to remove moisture, because drops that fall into the joints will slide down, which will be impossible with the horizontal orientation of the panels. When repairing the bathroom with plastic panels, you should install the crate, only then you can start installing the cladding.
Panel Mounting
Decorative elements in the repair process will need to be trimmed. This is due to the fact that the width of the walls is not always a multiple of the width of one panel. For this, a hacksaw with small cloves is used. Cutting is most conveniently carried out using a sharp knife and a hacksaw for metal. With the help of the latter, you can make cuts at the ends, since these places are the most rigid. After the knife you need to make an incision on the front side. This will help a long line. The panel is folded at the place of the incision, and from the wrong side a cut is made at the place of the bend.
It is important to start work from the angle that immediately catches your eye. If it is not planned to install shelves or heated towel rails in it, then it is better to arrange whole panels there. For proper installation, start and finish angles are required. After mounting the start angle, into the groove of which the fastener is inserted, the first panel can be installed. Through a wide fastener, the panel is fixed to the crate. You can use nails or self-tapping screws in the process.
Do-it-yourself bathroom repair with plastic panels involves installing a narrow shelf in the groove of the reinforced first panel. By the same principle, the installation of the following products continues. The last panel should be inserted with the narrow side of the fasteners in the groove of the previous bracket. A wide shelf is inserted into the groove of the finishing unit. There is no need to fix the last panel.
Using glue to install panels
Before choosing the installation method, you should think about whether it is planned to lay communications in the hollow space between the cladding and the walls. In the case of using glue, this will not be possible. If you decide to repair the bathroom yourself with plastic panels using glue, then first you need to clean the wall of greasy stains, and then dry it. There should not be any construction dust on the surface.
How to choose and use glue
For work, a special type of glue should be prepared, they can be made with liquid nails. Adhesives with solvents of organic origin are not suitable. The mixture is applied over the entire surface of the panel, after it is applied to the wall. If you want to lay pipes, then first you need to install a crate in a certain area. At the same time, ventilation gaps are left under the ceiling and in the lower part.
Preparation of materials and tools for mounting panels on the ceiling
Considering the idea of repairing the bathroom with plastic panels, you will notice that the products are combined in color and texture. This is especially true if you will finish not only in the area of walls, but also in the ceiling. For example, vertical surfaces can be made darker than the base above the head. This will make the ceiling taller.
If you decide to follow this example, then for the installation of panels you will need to prepare:
- low-speed drill;
- hammer;
- roulette wheel;
- hacksaw;
- bubble level;
- miter box;
- construction knife;
- water level.
The drill can be replaced with a screwdriver. The panels can have a width of 25 and 50 cm. When purchasing this material, the main parameter is the area of the elements in the package. When calculating the amount of material, the area must be divided by the area of one product. The resulting amount should be increased by 15%, given the need for trimming the material.
What to choose - profile or baseboard
When repairing the bathroom and toilet with plastic panels, you must mount to the frame. The products described are soft, so the crate system should be strong enough. On the perimeter of the room with the help of a U-shaped plastic profile, it is necessary to install the outer panels. An alternative may be a ceiling plinth, which already has a U-shaped grooves. If you purchase a prefabricated structure of good quality, it will have two-part grooves to facilitate the installation process.
Installation Features
The ceiling of the bathroom is repaired with plastic panels along the crate of timber, its dimensions can be equal to 20 x 40 mm. An alternative solution is a metal profile. Especially for PVC, aluminum or plastic profiles are on sale today. If the ceiling has small differences within 5 mm, and the suspended ceiling will lower to the minimum value, then installation can be simple.
Of the hardware you will need plastic dowels and screw nails. Using them, you can fix the frame elements and profiles around the perimeter. The frame itself is assembled using screws with a drill tip.
Frame installation specialist recommendations
If you decide to carry out an economical repair of the bathroom with plastic panels, then you should start with mounting the frame. As mentioned above, U-shaped profiles are installed around the perimeter of the room. For joining profiles in the corners, it is necessary to use a hacksaw and a miter box. This will allow you to get a beautiful cut and minimal clearance.
Every 30 cm a profile is attached. As soon as the frame is ready and put into one level, you can begin installing the suspended ceiling. This process is quite responsible, but less troublesome. The first strip is wound in profile. Some experts advise cutting off her latch along the edge. As soon as the product is in place, it is fixed with screws or clips. The basis will be the support profile.
Panel Installation Tips
You can cut the strip of the required size with a simple knife or hacksaw. After reading the reviews about repairing the bathroom with plastic panels, you will understand that it is important to leave temperature gaps. To do this, the panels are cut in length, but are made slightly smaller than the distance between the walls. 5 mm should be left between them and the trim strip.
Repair Cost
One of the economical options for decorating a room is repairing the bathroom with plastic panels; the price of such work is 420 rubles. per square meter. If we are talking about the ceiling, then the cost increases to 500 rubles. per square meter.
Plastic corners are installed by specialists at 120 rubles. per linear meter. If you want to supplement the system with spotlights, then for each you will have to pay an additional 300 rubles.