Bathroom finishing with paneling: ideas and advantages

Pros and cons of finishing

If we are talking about wooden paneling, then the first advantage is environmental friendliness. Wood breathes and allows you to maintain an ideal microclimate in the bathroom.

The second advantage is low cost. Paneling a bathroom with paneling will cost much less than tiles, porcelain stoneware or vinyl tiles.

Advantage No. 3: ease of installation. You won’t have to level the walls or even remove old paint. Wooden and plastic paneling is mounted on a box, which greatly simplifies the process.

The photo shows a gray bathroom in the attic

The disadvantages of wooden paneling include its complex processing – the wood itself is not protected from water and requires careful preparation before use in rooms with high humidity.

The disadvantage of plastic lining in its inexpensive appearance and fragility: an accidental blow can break the wall.

The last drawback is common – due to installation on a metal profile, the bathroom will become smaller by at least 3 cm on each side. In addition, in the inner part of the structure, if the wall processing technology is violated, fungus often forms.

The photo shows natural wood in the bathroom

What types can be used?

The meaning itself primarily refers to classic wooden lining, but plastic panels are also used in bathroom finishing. What is the difference between them?

Plastic

Plastic paneling is similar in design to PVC panels, but differs in size. The thickness of one strip is 10 mm, the width is 100 mm, the length is on average 3000 mm. The groove fastening system allows you to reliably fit the parts to each other and fix them.

Advantages of PVC paneling:

1. Low price. The cost of one strip of 10 * 300 cm varies within 50 rubles.
2. Availability. Sold in all departments with plastic panels.
3. Light weight. Unlike heavy boxes of tiles, anyone can handle the transportation.
4. Waterproof. Suitable even for finishing showers, not afraid of water and moisture.
5. Easy processing. It can be cut with a regular stationery knife and does not require sanding, varnish, stain or other coatings.

Wooden

Wooden lining is natural boards with cut grooves and mating tenons. They come in different types and sizes:

• Classic. Width – 96 mm, thickness – 12.5 mm.
• Soft-line. 118 * 14 mm.
• Shtil. 138*15 mm.

These are only approximate values, they may differ from manufacturer to manufacturer.

Advantages of wood wall finishing:

1. Natural wood fills any room, including the bathroom, with warmth and comfort. It can be painted in any color or left in a natural shade.
2. The finishing material provides excellent heat and sound insulation.
3. Thanks to the wide range, it is easy to find bathroom paneling in a matter of hours.

The complexity of finishing a bathroom with wood paneling lies only in its preliminary treatment. The process begins with an antiseptic: it prevents rotting, mold and mildew. There are further options: moisture-resistant paint, varnish or special wax.

• Painting will allow you to change the color so that the bathroom finish does not conflict with the design of the entire apartment.
• Varnishing allows you to protect the surface while preserving the beautiful texture.
• Wax is used only if the wood is far from water – for example, if the walls in the wet area are covered with tiles, and the part near the toilet or washing machine is finished with clapboard.

Application options in the bathroom

Clapboard is used in the bathroom on both vertical and horizontal surfaces. Some use it as the main material, others combine it with paint, tiles and even wallpaper.

Walls

Clapboard on the wall in the bathroom is a classic way of using it. The slats can be laid either vertically or horizontally – the second option looks more classic and even European.

When creating a lathing on the walls, it is worth thinking in advance about what and where will be located – this is necessary for the embedded parts, to which mirrors, cabinets, shelves and other elements of the bathroom interior will be screwed in the future.

Walls made of planks are easy to maintain, aesthetically pleasing and assemble quite quickly. The only nuance is the corners. For plastic, there are special corner or straight starting profiles, and the joints of the wooden ones will have to be covered with special corners or strips.

The photo shows a combination of 3 materials in the interior

Ceiling

A paneling ceiling in the bathroom is an excellent alternative to a suspended or suspended option. Installation is also carried out on a frame, which allows you to hide the wiring and install built-in lamps around the perimeter of the bathroom.

Although the ceiling will not have to withstand the same loads as the walls during operation, the room is still damp – so it is imperative to treat the wood before starting work.

The photo shows a wooden ceiling in the bathroom

Partial finishing

When renovating a bathroom, it is not necessary to use only one material: a combination of two or even three options is acceptable. For example, clapboard plus wallpaper, paint, tiles, porcelain stoneware, plaster. Sometimes tiles are laid over the bathtub, and the rest of the room is left with paneling underneath, and vinyl wallpaper or paint is glued on top.

Partial finishing is also used for zoning: for example, separating the toilet and bathroom areas in combined bathrooms.

Step-by-step instructions

You will need:

• pencil and tape measure;
• level;
• square;
• metal shears or hacksaw (depending on the material);
• screwdriver or hammer.

We have already mentioned that the lining in the bathroom is installed on the lathing. To create it, a metal profile or a wooden beam, approximately 20*30 mm thick, is used. Do not forget about the fasteners: wood is conveniently screwed to wood with self-tapping screws, to concrete or brick – with dowels.

Important! The requirement for processing is relevant for both the lining and the wood for the frame. From here on, all steps are indicated taking into account the already prepared materials.

1. Primer. Before installing anything on the wall, it should be prepared: the solution will protect the surface from mold and mildew.
2. Marking. Using a pencil, level and tape measure, draw parallel and perpendicular lines at a distance of 50-60 cm from each other. This way you will know in advance where to screw the racks.
3. Cutting. Prepare the required number of vertical racks of the required length. If you are not sure of the size, do not saw off the cross ones yet.
4. Installation. Start from the corner, installing the first vertical strictly according to the level. You can adjust the position using a plumb line or the force of a screwed-in screw.
5. Strengthening. When all the verticals are in place, move on to the horizontals: measure and cut the required number of partitions of the appropriate length. Fasten, checking with a level in all planes.

If your house or apartment requires insulation, it’s time to tackle this task.

The sheathing is ready, all that’s left is to sheathe it! Plastic lining can be fastened with special clamps, moving from left to right, or from bottom to top. In addition to clamps, a regular stapler or special self-tapping screws with a press washer will do.

Wooden is fastened to a wooden frame with nails or the same self-tapping screws. Finishing the ceiling of a bathroom is practically no different: start with preparation, then create a frame, and then fasten the panels.

Ideas in the interior

The appearance of the lining in the interior of the bathroom can be unusual if you approach the design with a bit of imagination. For example, you can buy lining of different colors or thicknesses, fixing one horizontally and the other vertically.

The second option is to use the same material for the walls and ceiling, but in order not to overload the interior, make a break between them using paint or tiles.

The photo shows a combination of wood and brick

The third original idea is to make a continuous line from the wall upwards, with an overlap on the horizontal. This technique increases the height of the walls and looks unusual.

Do not refuse this method of finishing in the bathroom if you really like it. It is not so difficult to prepare even wood for humidity, but you will get a design that you really like!