DIY bathroom repair with plastic panels for glue

In detail: do-it-yourself bathroom renovation with plastic panels on glue from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

One of the low-budget ways to beautify the bathroom is to use plastic, a lightweight modern material that is varied in design and size. Beautiful panels are also suitable for those who decided to quickly put the room in order, since a professional needs no more than 1-2 days to work.

The process is so simple that decorating a bathroom with plastic panels is suitable even for beginners; moreover, some mounting methods do not require prior leveling of the walls.

The most popular material for finishing rooms with high humidity is ceramic tiles, which have a whole range of advantages. However, pvc panels have also won the love of homeowners, and it's not just their low price (although the cost is sometimes a decisive factor).

According to the reviews of master finishers and owners of bathrooms, plastic is distinguished by the following positive characteristics:

  • It is very easy to work with him. On the one hand, this is literally a light material with convenient dimensions (for decorating the walls of a small bathroom, a few parts are enough - 4-5 pieces 30 cm wide on each side), on the other, the methods of fastening elements to the wall and the ceiling.
  • Easy maintenance after installation. White gloss, matte colored surface and decorative print can be washed well with ordinary soapy water, without the use of special products.
  • Plastic does not absorb water, retains its structure for many years, therefore, it is an unsuitable soil for the spread of mold or mildew.
  • PVC does not burn, but in case of fire it emits caustic smoke that is harmful to health, therefore, special attention should be paid to the quality of electrical cables and the correct installation of the lighting system.
Video (click to play).

And one more advantage that ceramics does not have is that it is easy to hide communications and repair errors behind plastic, and at any time you can quickly disassemble the structure, replace pipes or wiring, and then reinstall the panels.

There are also disadvantages, and they must be taken into account during the repair. The main disadvantage is that the installation of the panels "steals" the living space, so when calculating the area, do not forget to subtract the thickness of the panel itself and the width of the profiles on which it is held.

The next disadvantage is insufficient strength; on soft plastic it is easy to leave a scratch with a cutting object. And beware of the cheapest products, which can be recognized even by their smell - they exude phenol, which is not just unpleasant, but also harmful to health.

There are several ways of attaching plastic panels to the wall, all of which have distinctive features. We will look at two ways that even novice builders can master:

  • fastening panels to a wooden or plastic crate;
  • gluing plastic parts to the wall with liquid nails or glue.

For gluing, additional leveling of the wall surface is required, the first method can be applied to completely unprepared walls.

Whichever method you prefer, the first step is to prepare the tool and walls. The tool is used the same:

  • for marking - tape measure, level, pencil, square;
  • for trimming - fine-toothed hacksaw, construction knife;
  • for drilling holes - a perforator;
  • for fastening - a screwdriver, screwdriver, clips, screws or dowels.

Materials must also be purchased in advance in the required quantity.

Many people prefer standard pvc panels for bathroom decoration - ordinary white glossy or matte products, but the range of modern products is so wide that you can choose a more interesting option: pearl or ash shades, with gold or silver ornaments, floral patterns or art panels.

In addition to the panels, you will need a profile - sales consultants will advise the best option - as well as a silicone sealant. If the crate is wooden, then 10x30mm slats and an antiseptic are needed.

Wall preparation consists in removing old coatings and dust and in additional processing from mold, especially if the foci have already been found on the walls or ceiling. You also need to close up large gaps or potholes, but you do not need to align - the frame from the profile will hide the curvature.

The marking stage cannot be skipped, as it guarantees the correct positioning of all parts relative to each other. To avoid distortions, we use a laser level.

If we plan to sheathe the surface of all walls, draw horizontal lines at a distance of 1-2 cm from the floor and ceiling - here the extreme rows of the crate will be attached. Then we draw the same lines vertically - along the line of the corners.

Next, we mark the entire wall surface from bottom to top, placing or marking markers-beacons with an interval of 40-50 cm. We connect them with lines and get several horizontal lines, which we will be guided by when attaching the profile and panels.

Exactly along the marked lines, using a puncher, we prepare holes for dowels. We apply the slats at a distance of 50 cm and alternately fix them parallel to each other.

At this stage, we carry out all the work related to communications: if necessary, we replace or repair pipes, lay the wiring, mark the attachment points for wall lamps, sockets or switches.

Then we install the corners - we fix them in all involved corners, and we insert plastic panels - lamellas into them.

Before fixing, we cut each part to length. The standard length of the panels is 3 m, the height of the walls in typical apartments is 2.5-2.7 m, that is, each detail of the vertical cladding must be shortened by a few centimeters.

If the cladding is horizontal, we trim it based on the dimensions of the walls. We insert the first product into the corner, press it, the second into the fastening groove of the first panel, etc., along the width of the entire wall.

The final stage remains - masking the end protrusions, extreme slots, gaps between the panels. It takes place with the help of thin plastic moldings of various shapes.

Image - DIY bathroom renovation with plastic panels on glue

Having finished finishing the bathroom walls with pvc panels, we install lamps, sockets, fix shelves, hooks and towel holders.

The glue method is much easier than the previous one, but with one condition - if the walls of the bathroom are perfectly flat and smooth. If this condition is not met, you simply do not technically fix the panels: they will bend, lie down crookedly and do not coincide with the connecting grooves. Therefore, if you are unlucky with the walls (and most often it happens), you need to plaster or clad in another way - frame.

Let's choose the option with perfectly flat walls. In order for the panels to lay nicely and firmly, you need to choose the right glue. There are several types of adhesives made specifically for fixing pvc panels. Usually, instructions for their use are applied to the tubes with glue, but sometimes some points of the instructions raise additional questions, so we will consider the whole process.

Now about the choice of glue. So far, nothing has been invented better than liquid nails, so we buy a tube (or several, depending on the area of ​​the walls), not forgetting to check whether the composition is suitable for gluing plastic.

You can buy heavy-duty glue that instantly hardens and is able to hold even heavy structures, for example, Heavy-Duty Prodjects DAP heavy-duty (USA) costing only 200 rubles. Liquid Nails (USA) on a latex basis has approximately the same properties, but its cost is slightly lower - 180 rubles. Titebond universal rubber liquid nails for 260 rubles are able to hold even wet or frozen panels glued to cement, brick, gypsum and other surfaces.

Installation instructions for plastic panels on liquid nails:

  • Surface preparation - removal of greasy stains, dust.
  • Primer required for better adhesion. Primers should match the adhesive, ideally from the same manufacturer.
  • Trim panels, corners, skirting boards, curbs to the desired size (this can be done while the primer is drying).
  • Alternate gluing of panels with simultaneous connection of locking edges.

It would seem that everything is simple, but each point has its own tricks. For example, the gluing process itself is a two-step process. First, we apply glue to the seamy side of the panel in a checkerboard pattern, in large drops, and press it against the wall with pressure. Then we tear it off (according to technology) and hold it for some time to weather it. After 5-7 minutes, we glue the parts again, with pressure and tapping on the edges, already finally. To save time, we glue several panels one after the other, then tear off several panels as well.

Pruning also requires special care. Skirting boards, moldings and curbs have a small width, so flaws in the trim will be more clearly visible. If you are mistaken by 1-2 mm, no one will notice the defect, so it will disappear under the skirting board.

Watch the video to see how easy it is to do this editing: