FAQ Bathroom Cladding and Shower Panels

FAQ Accordion

Is cladding good for bathroom?

Yes plastic cladding and shower panels are ideal for lining a bathroom due them being waterproof, cover large areas, long lasting, low cost, quick to install and available in many colours and patterns.

What is the best cladding for a bathroom?

Today there are a wide variety of more modern, easier, and quicker to install bathroom cladding materials as an alternative to tiles. The most popular of these (and therefore considered best) would be plastic cladding panels / planks. PVC cladding is easy to cut, easy to glue, covers very large areas quickly, comes in wide range of colours and patterns, has good fire rating & chemical resistance, and of course totally waterproof.

Can I put internal cladding over tiles?

Yes cladding can be glued directly over tiles, there are things that need to be considered before you do put them over tiles which include:

Are the tiles secure, if the not then they may need to be removed first.
Is there enough room when the thickness of the cladding is installed over the tiles. This is normally only an issue when lipping on top of a shower tray / bath and also with the shower fittings being attached to the pipework. Where space is short, then sometimes the 2mm solid PVC sheets are the solution instead of the hollow panels.

If this is a kitchen splashback and not a bathroom then they should also avoid being used directly behind a large heat source such as a hob, frier etc.

Is bathroom cladding easy to fit?

Yes, plastic bathroom cladding is very easy to install, they are simply glued onto the wall, come with a range of fittings for corners and often has tongue and groove edges for flush straight joints. Cutting bathroom cladding is very easy with fine tooth saws and the pipe holes are easy to cut with a hole saw.

How do you attach bathroom cladding?

Normally bathroom cladding is glued into place.

How thick should my fascia board be?

Plastic fascia boards normally come in two thickness ranges. The first is a capping board that is normally around 10mm thick and these are designed to be fixed over the top (cap) of an existing timber fascia so are heavily suited to renovations. The second is a replacement board that is normally between 16mm-20mm thick, these are designed to be attached directly to the ends of the wooden rafters and most popular on newbuilds.

What do you stick bathroom cladding with?

There are lots of options for sticking bathroom cladding some will depend on what you are sticking it to. Most professional installers these days will use a polymer or copolymer adhesive as they have a very quick initial grab time, are waterproof, generally non solvent based, and many have antifungals and so can double as a sealant. Common brands include CT1, Soudal Fix All, Everbuild Stixall, OB1, Evo-Stick Sticks Like SH*T

How long does plastic cladding and shower panels last in bathroom?

Plastic is a very durable and long-lasting material with lifespans measured in years if not decades. Bathroom cladding and Shower panels are often manufactured from PVC as the specific type of plastic because of its chemical resistance, fire rating and manufacturability. Plastic bathroom cladding is going to last longer than home owners will need unless mistreated, and the most common reasons for changing would be due to a change in fashion / style, other bathroom fittings failing and to get access to pipework etc or from misuse.

Can you put cladding over plasterboard?

Yes plastic cladding and shower panels can be put over plasterboard, this is a very effective way of ensuring no pits or ridges trying to be spanned across and the polymer adhesives will stick to both materials well.

Can you put cladding over Brick?

Yes, plastic cladding and shower panels can be stuck directly to bricks or breeze block using the polymer adhesive. Its is important to ensure that the surface is flat because any bumps will cause the panel to rock at this point, small cavities can sometimes be spanned across.

Do you fit shower tray before wall panels?

Shower trays are normally installed before the shower panels are put into place. This allows the wall panels to sit on top of the shower tray so that any water the runs down them is then encouraged to flow into the shower tray instead of behind the shower tray. If the panels are installed prior to the shower tray, then great care should be taken to ensure a good water seal at the junction with a quality flexible sealant.

Do you fit bath before wall panels?

As with the shower trays it is better to install the cladding after the bath and sat on its lip. It is possible to fit it afterwards, but great care should be taken between the wall and the bath joint; baths when filled with water become very heavy and may have some movement, so a good quality high flexibility sealant should be used.

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