How to ennoble the walls of your home? This question often arises when the time comes for the next renovation or when buying a new apartment. There are many answers in my head: paint or
glue wallpaper, overlay decorative tiles or apply decorative plaster. Most of these options require preliminary preparatory work. Which entail both investment and labor costs. And to do this, oh, how I don’t want to.
There is an alternative method for solving this problem - wall cladding with PVC panels. This is a universal finishing material for balconies and loggias, utility rooms and corridors, hallways and even some areas of the kitchen. Wall cladding with PVC panels - an aesthetic appearance at an affordable price. The material is new on the sales market, but it is quite suitable for finishing residential and technical premises.
PVC panels as wall cladding option
We have found that wall cladding with PVC panels is the easiest and most economical way to clad the walls of a residential or utility room. From theirusing it, you can finish almost any surface of the walls with a bath or shower room, inclusive. They easily lay down on a brick or plaster, a facing tile.
Moreover, using PVC panels for walls, installation can be done by hand. It does not present particularly difficult moments and does not require certain skills. The need to level the surface of the walls is eliminated in principle, which makes repairs in the apartment easy, fast and labor-intensive.
But still, in order for the repair work to be successful, you need to know exactly how to fix the PVC panels to the wall, and in what ways you can do it. Our article can help you with this. In it, we will try to give you all the comprehensive installation instructions and advice, features and specifications.
Wall cladding with PVC panels is used very often today. And this is not an accident, but, most likely, a pattern. Why do buyers prefer this particular building material? They have already appreciated a number of undeniable advantages of these panels:
- resistance to humidity - absolute;
- high mechanical strength;
- susceptibility to the influence of temperature or atmospheric influences on them - zero;
- not exposed to ultraviolet light;
- easy installation;
- the ability to use the material for decoration both inside and outside.
Production technology
PVC panel manufacturers use two main components as a basis: the first is table s alt, and the second is petroleum products. Therefore, the technology should imply environmental friendliness, as well as the purity of the material.
The construction of internal partitions from panels gives them good strength, so their use in houses, apartments or public buildings is acceptable. The use of special seamless technology in the production makes it possible to make the joints between them practically invisible. If we talk about the strength of the material, then it is quite sufficient so that various lamps for additional lighting with electrical sockets and switches can be mounted on its surface.
When installing PVC panels, locks are located on one side, and grooves on the other. They are provided by manufacturers so that the panels are fastened without the use of additional devices and directly onto the frame immediately with self-tapping screws.
As for the thickness of the panels, it varies from 8 ml to 62 ml. This means that their scope is wide. If the surface is treated with hot lamination, then their wear resistance increases and the adhesion process between the wall and the panel intensifies.
Types and classification
PVC wall laminated panels are divided into three main types:
- Rack-and-pinion. In the form of strips with tongue-and-groove fastening. They are made in the image of lining or simply seamless.
- Tiled. In the form of square-shaped sheets.
- Leafy. This type of panels has the largest linear dimension. With their help, you can veneer fairly large areas at once.
If we consider all types of panels by materials, then they can be divided into two classes:
- Polyvinyl chloride.
- Particleboard, MDF, fiberboard materials are the result of wood processing.
Features and properties
Laminated chipboard panels. This class of material is considered one of the worst in terms of mechanical strength, it is not environmentally friendly, hygroscopic. It crumbles very easily, it is easy to damage it even during transportation. Moreover, in its manufacture resins of synthetic origin are used. Therefore, it is not advisable to use it in residential premises.
MDF panels. Newer and more modern in comparison with fiberboard. They are more resistant to stress, less hygroscopic. Manufacturers use the natural polymer lignin, which is obtained from wood, as the basis. After wood, it is the second most environmentally friendly material. The appearance of the panels imitates various types of wood, which makes them unique and stylish.
PVC laminated wall panels are the most moisture resistant material of all types. They have found their main application as a lining of those rooms in which there is a high level of humidity. Among the shortcomings, only their cold appearance can be noted: plain options, granite or marble. But they look good on exterior wall cladding.
Stages of preparatory work
Before fixing panelsPVC to the wall, it is necessary to carefully make and calculate all measurements of the house or apartment, assess their condition. Only after an assessment, determine in which direction the fastening process will take place, taking into account the dimension of the cladding as such and the features of all the walls of the building. If there are openings and other non-standard structural elements, then there is the possibility of additional costs and quantities of material.
Before attaching PVC panels to the wall, experienced experts recommend holding them in any room at room temperature for at least half an hour. The surfaces where you plan to mount the panels must be thoroughly cleaned of dust, dirt and other debris.
The surface of the facing tile, before fixing the PVC panels to the wall, needs to be sanded, the wallpaper cleaned and their residues removed if your panels are attached with glue. Each panel is covered with a protective film on top, it is better not to remove it during installation work, so you can preserve the presentation of the material.
Tools
Before proceeding with the installation of PVC panels, prepare the necessary tools:
- Electric drill with a drill and a special tip. Diameter equal to the dowel head.
- Hand electric saw.
- Electric screwdriver. You can use a simple screwdriver.
- Correct building level.
- Stapler. You can hammer.
- Marking pencil, crayon, tape measure.
- Metal shears.
- Hacksaw for carving wood or metal.
- Step-ladder.
Methods of attaching PVC panels to the wall
PVC panels are fixed to the wall using staples, mounting profile, nails or gluing. These are the most basic types of fastening panels for wall decoration.
Stapling or nailing
Installing PVC panels on the wall with staples or nails is the most commonly used method. To use this technology, the construction of a crate is required. To build a crate, you will need wooden bars with a section of 40 × 25 cm.
With their help, a frame is created on the surface of the wall. The bars are fastened perpendicular to the canvas of the panels 50 cm from one another to the wall with screws. One point to pay attention to.
In this option, the walls are aligned using panels. And this means that the crate must be erected perfectly evenly, strictly according to the level. Further, it is advisable to start fastening PVC panels to the wall from the corner of the building structure, fixing the finishing element in it with a bracket or nail. The direction does not matter, just make sure that the comb of the PVC panel is directed in the direction where the installation movement is directed.
If you started fixing the PVC panels to the wall, then make sure that the panels are pressed tightly against each other. To make wall cladding look neater in corners or where PVC panels adjoin window, door or other openings, use special start and end moldings.
They are on sale, no problem finding themyou will not arise. When laying the last strip of the panel, gently push it into the finishing element or corner, as well as into the previous strip.
Fixing panels with a mounting profile
The technology for mounting panels in this way involves the use of special profiles for plastic panels. They are made of either plastic or galvanized steel. During
mounting they must be attached to the wall as in the first method.
Then you need to insert the corner profile, it is snapped to the rail with special clips. Here you also need to insert the first sheet of the PVC panel and attach it to the rail using a clip. Further, all subsequent strips of material are inserted into all previous ones and are also attached.
Fastening PVC panels with glue
To apply this cladding method, the wall must be perfectly flat, clean and dry. If this is not the case, but you have chosen this particular cladding method, then before gluing, you need to prepare all the surfaces of the walls. Next, the panel is smeared with glue evenly and thoroughly, then attached to the wall.
Panels can also be glued to the frame. Then the need for leveling the walls disappears, the slats or wooden bars of the crate are covered with a layer of glue. In order to glue PVC panels to the wall, only specially designed glue is used. In another way, it is called "liquid nails".
In no case should you use glue that contains a cleaner or solvent. When fitting PVC panels toheight, do not forget that they are able to expand in winter and summer.
So you need to leave small gaps. In a humid room, using battens as a batten, make small cuts to allow air to circulate.
Shape and dimensions
PVC slatted wall panels have the following dimensions: the width of each of them is 10÷30 centimeters, the length is 2.5÷6 meters and the thickness is 8÷25 millimeters.
Sheet panels. Their typical dimensions are: 122÷244 cm, 260÷100 cm, 200÷100 cm, 130÷100 cm, 260÷490 cm, 130÷49 cm, 128÷98 cm, 260÷98 cm. Thickness 3÷6 mm.
Square PVC Wall Panels have the following sizes: 30÷30 cm, 30÷60 cm, 15÷60 cm, 98÷98 cm, 98÷49 cm.
PVC wall paneling
Plastic panels are not a natural material. They include polyvinyl chloride and a minimum amount of softener. The structure of the material is cellular, thanks to which it has good sound insulation. A different texture or pattern is applied to the surface of the panels by printing. From above, they are covered with a special antistatic layer, which increases wear resistance and protects against ultraviolet radiation.
Top they can be varnished or matte silky finish. You can sheathe walls with PVC panels in rooms with direct moisture on their surface, for example, in a bathroom or shower. The material is absolutely waterproof, easy to care for. Sheathing walls with PVC panels is much easier, lighter than drywall.
