Do-it-yourself installation of plastic panels on walls today is done by the owners of apartments and private houses quite often. And this is not accidental, because this material has a lot of advantages. If the products are composed of plastic, then you can use them even in the premises of kitchens and bathrooms. Among other things, they are also actively used in the decoration of walls of household and office premises. Industrial premises are no exception.
Operational Features
PVC-based panels can be mounted on any surface based on wood, brick, concrete or cinder blocks. PVC panels look great on the ceiling. Elements made of polyvinyl chloride can undergo a fairly aggressive environment, including temperatures in the range of -60- + 500 0 C. In addition, the described elements undergo excellent exposure to ultraviolet radiation, and you can purchase them by choosing products from a wide range of colors.
Features of installing panels on the walls
Decorative wall decoration with panels can be done on the crate or directly on the walls. In the latter case, the surface should be perfectly flat. To carry out the work, taking into account the features of the room, you may have to purchase some additional elements, among which you can distinguish: an external corner, a starting element, an internal corner, a finishing element, etc.
As a rule, the panels on the walls are arranged vertically, but it is possible to install them both horizontally and also diagonally. There is another mounting option called “herringbone”, but this method involves a large consumption of material and is accompanied by difficulties in the installation process.
Installation of panels on the adhesive
The installation of plastic panels on the walls with their own hands can be done by using glue, however, as mentioned above, it must be borne in mind that the surface must be smooth. As a rule, a concrete wall has these characteristics. Initially, the base has to be cleaned and washed. This is necessary not only in order to free the wall from extraneous debris, but also for degreasing, which will allow to obtain excellent adhesion qualities of materials.
After cleaning, the wall must be left until it dries, only then can you start gluing the products. In the process of work, it is recommended to use the composition "Titan", which can be replaced by "liquid nails".
Do-it-yourself installation of plastic panels on the walls with glue is done after the start profile is fixed to the wall. The composition will be applied to the wall, forming a kind of grid without gaps. The plate should be brought into the starting profile, and then well pressed to the plate. Then it needs to be fixed and held for some time until the glue sets. After that you can start preparing the next zone. The next product should be wound shelf under the protrusion of the previous plate.
The protrusion and the shelf are the configuration elements that are used to fasten the products together. If necessary, go through the corners, regardless of whether they are external or internal, the above-mentioned elements should be used, which have grooves on both sides for installing products. At the moment when you get close to the corner, you may need to cut the product so that it has the necessary dimensions. It is recommended to use a knife.
Installation of plastic panels on the walls with your own hands at the moment of passing the corner involves inserting the first from the corner of the panel into the groove of the corner fastener. The final stage of the decoration is the installation of the skirting board, as well as the ceiling border.
Features of the installation of the crate
Most often, in the premises on the walls before installing the panels, a frame is attached that is able to level the surface irregularities. If you plan to make repairs in a dry room, the walls of which are made of wood, you can use wood as a material for the crate. This option will not be so time-consuming and quite economical. Decorative wall decoration is most often done by the vertical arrangement of the plates, which is why the elements of the crate should be located perpendicular to the products. The step between the slats should be 30-40 cm. The width of the bars, as well as their thickness, does not matter much, however, if the distance between the finish and the wall is sufficient, it is recommended that the free hollow space be filled with insulation or sound-absorbing material.
Installation of products on the crate
If it is necessary to refine wooden walls, then bars of the same material should be installed using self-tapping screws. However, it must be taken into account that the wall is not so even, which indicates the need to apply the level. The plates should be mounted vertically, and they should be strengthened with the help of a wide shelf to the bars. Mounting can be done in one of several ways. The first involves fixing the shelf with nails, while the second mounting option involves the use of small screws. There is another method that is accompanied by the use of steel brackets. The latter technology is the most common, as it allows you to complete work in the shortest possible time and is easy to implement.
Plastic panels in the bathroom, the installation of which involves the presence of a battens, is carried out in the corner region according to the same scheme as described above, however, other fasteners are used instead of the adhesive composition. It is recommended to start from the corner, gradually moving towards the window or opening. If there is a need to extend the life of wooden elements of the lathing system, then it is necessary to treat their surface with a special compound that protects the material from insects and mold.
Preparation before installing the steel frame
Plastic wall panels can also be mounted on a steel frame. This is true for brick walls and those that are based on cinder blocks. The frame will be based on a galvanized profile. Before starting work with him, a much more extensive set of tools has to be prepared, among them:
- screwdrivers;
- ladder;
- hacksaw;
- marker;
- hammer drill;
- roulette;
- square;
- knife;
- level.
Initially, it is necessary to make markings, identifying the most convex place on the walls, from which the distance separating the products from the wall is noted. The marked distance is measured vertically on a perpendicular wall.
Steel frame installation
Before starting to equip the walls with plastic panels, a guide profile of the UD type is installed around the perimeter of the wall. Then, according to the same scheme, a CD type profile is set horizontally. Fixing a direct suspension on the surface is carried out by means of self-tapping screws installed in the dowels. Holes after marking are done using a punch. The pairing of steel fasteners with suspensions and between each other is carried out by means of short self-tapping screws. After it was possible to complete the installation of the battens on one wall, you can proceed to the work on the second wall. And so on until a crate is installed in the entire room.
When the kitchen is finished with plastic panels or a room for any other purpose, it should be noted that there are sockets and switches on the walls for which holes should be cut out on the plates before installation. All such work should not be started when the voltage is on.
Fastening the finish to the steel crate
The first plate should be neatly inserted into the UD-type profile and fixed over a wide shelf in several places with a CD-profile. The following decorative product is inserted into the shelf of the previous one and fixed with screws. In order to go through the corners, it is necessary to use plastic guides that are fixed to the crate. If the width of the final panel turned out to be large, then it must be carefully trimmed with a knife, and then brought into the finish element.
Fixing plastic panels to the ceiling
We fix the plastic panels to the wall and to the ceiling using the same technology. If there is no need to carry out communications and lighting on the ceiling, then glue can be used. The slab must be well washed and primed beforehand. If it is supposed to work with concrete flooring and it is necessary to install lighting devices on it, then it is necessary to measure about 12 cm from its surface and install a UD profile. After, a CD-profile is attached to its grooves, onto which plastic plates are installed using self-tapping screws, in which holes for fixtures are to be made in advance. Before lining the ceiling with plastic panels, it is necessary to choose a decorative border, which will be installed at the final stage.