Finishing a toilet with plastic panels: preparatory work and step-by-step do-it-yourself finishing process. How can you decorate the walls in the toilet other than tiles? How to cover a toilet in an apartment

The modern market of finishing materials offers many practical solutions for finishing bathrooms. Until recently, those who were planning to renovate their toilet had only two options - painting the walls or tiling them. Now you can choose from several available options, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages.



In today's article we would like to tell you about one of the easiest and most convenient ways to finish walls and ceilings in a bathroom - plastic panels. You will learn about the features of this finishing material, the basic principles of working with it, as well as how to choose the right plastic panels for the toilet.


pros

First, let's look at the positive aspects of using plastic panels as a finishing material for a bathroom. The list of advantages of these products is quite impressive:

  • Low price. This method of surface finishing is one of the most cost-effective. It would be cheaper to paint with water-based emulsion.
  • Easy to install. Plastic panels do not require special repair skills. Even those who have undertaken repairs for the first time can cope with their installation.
  • Fast installation. Installation of one PVC panel takes just a few minutes. Since bathrooms usually have a very small area, all the work will take you very little time.
  • No need for surface preparation. There is no need to level or plaster the walls for plastic panels.
  • Low maintenance requirements. PVC is a waterproof material that perfectly withstands wet cleaning and contact with various detergents. Therefore, keeping the walls in the toilet clean will not be difficult.
  • Wear resistance. Despite the fact that plastic is a fragile material, if you do not subject it to strong mechanical stress, PVC panels will last you quite a long time.

Minuses

However, plastic panels have not only positive aspects. This finishing material does not have many negative qualities, but they are still present, so one cannot remain silent about them. So, the disadvantages of PVC panels are:

  • Instability to heat and fire. Plastic panels are deformed under the influence of high temperatures, so heaters and heated towel rails should not be placed close to them. In addition, plastic is not a fire-resistant material: it can catch fire if it comes into contact with fire. Therefore, you need to be careful when smoking in the toilet.
  • Large dimensions. At first glance, it seems that the plastic panels are absolutely flat, but in fact they can be up to 2 cm thick. In addition, a few more centimeters of space are often “eaten up” if the walls in the room are uneven. For large bathrooms this is not critical, but in small toilets this can become a real problem, as it will not allow the tiny area to be used to the maximum.





Types of panels

Plastic panels intended for finishing walls and ceilings in the bathroom come in several varieties.

Leafy

The most popular type is sheet panels, which are rectangles from one to one and a half meters long. The thickness of such panels is 0.3-0.6 cm. They can be plain, with ornaments or imitation of natural structures - wood or stone. It is most convenient to work with sheet panels due to their large dimensions.




Rack and pinion

Slatted panels for finishing bathrooms are used much less frequently. They are most often used for outdoor work or large premises. This type of plastic panels looks like long narrow strips. The length of such panels is from 4.4 to 3.7 meters, and the width is from 12 to 30 cm. Slat panels imitating wooden beams look especially impressive.




Stacked tiles

The least common type of plastic panels are type-setting tiles. They are squares of different sizes, which allows you to lay out various patterns on the walls and ceiling, like a mosaic. The elements are connected through grooves in the panels, and everything is held together with special glue or clamps.




  • If you want to purchase a product with maximum strength, choose plastic panels with a thickness of at least 0.8 cm. In addition, pay attention to the number of “ribs” on the inside - they give additional rigidity.
  • The quality of plastic panels can be determined by its appearance. Take a close look at the front of the product: the paint should be applied evenly, and the design, if there is one, should be clearly printed.
  • As with wallpaper, the color of the same wall panels and different batches may vary by several shades. Therefore, buy products only from one batch.





The high cost of wall panels does not always indicate equally high quality, so price should not be the determining factor when choosing. However, material that costs significantly less than its counterparts from other manufacturers is usually not made in good faith.

Preparation and stages of repair

Before you begin finishing the toilet with plastic panels, you should carry out some preliminary work. By this stage of the repair, you already need to install a toilet, level the floor, lay it with ceramic tiles or cover it with linoleum.


Experts advise preparing plastic panels for installation and further use by treating them with an antiseptic. This will protect the material from heat and moisture, so there will be no risk of mold and mildew.


  • Stage 1. Installation of the side posts, which will serve as the basis for the frame.
  • Stage 2. Lathing the structure with slats and cross members.
  • Stage 3. Attaching plastic fittings.
  • Stage 4. Cutting and installing plastic panels.


Basic principles and installation

Let's consider each of the above stages of work in more detail.

  1. One rack should be placed in each corner of the room. At the same time, they should not be in contact with the floor and ceiling, so we place some material between the racks and surfaces. After the structure is fixed with screws, the temporary support will need to be removed. The side posts must be placed plumb so that they are strictly parallel. We maintain a step of 0.3-0.4 meters between fasteners (we use screws as fasteners).
  2. The sheathing of the side posts is done with wooden blocks along the perimeter of the structure at the top and bottom. The fasteners should be screwed in at an angle of 45 degrees - this way we can securely fix two slats at once. Next, the slats need to be secured to the walls using self-tapping screws. This is the main frame, which, if necessary, can be supplemented with side posts or cross bars. The step between frame elements should be about 0.5 meters.
  3. We nail the plastic fittings to the frame using nails and a hammer. The fittings need to be cut at an angle of 45 degrees - this way it will fit more tightly. Since PVC panels are quite flexible, we install fittings, including in the corners. If there is a gap between the slats and the wall, fill it with scraps of plastic, then hammer in a nail. Nails for installation should be selected with large flat heads. In order not to damage the plastic elements when driving nails, the final blows are performed not on the head, but on the protective attachment (for example, you can use a nail).
  4. The final stage, if the frame and fittings are installed correctly, takes very little time. We cut plastic panels using a hacksaw. At the same time, the size of each sheet should be a centimeter and a half less than the space prepared for it, since the missing length is compensated by plastic fittings. We insert the cut sheet into the grooves and attach it to the slats. We insert the next sheet into the previous one, then also nail it to the crossbars.

The desire of every apartment owner to furnish their home with taste and comfort is quite natural, especially when it comes to such a place as a toilet. At the same time, it is quite natural to want to save on finishing. At first glance, everything is quite complicated, because currently the choice of materials for finishing is very large. But, focusing on the contents of the wallet, it is easy to divide materials into budget and expensive.

Among the budget options for finishing a toilet, plastic panels are widely popular, which, due to their characteristics, are ideal for decorating walls and ceilings not only in the toilet, but throughout the entire bathroom.


Beautiful designs can be seen in the photo. Not only that, they are also easy to attach and also easy to dismantle in case of deformation. Therefore, to install them, you do not need to have any special knowledge and skills, but only the desire to do the wall cladding in the toilet and bathroom yourself.

Advantages and disadvantages of plastic panels when finishing a toilet

It should be noted that over time, the quality of the material sold has become much better and more adapted to certain operating conditions. Previously, plastic finishing was chosen only when repairs to the toilet were strictly limited by budget. But now you can use it to decorate the room and hide all the imperfections of the walls. You can verify this by looking at various photos of designs. Various shades, patterns, textures and shapes will help make the interior unique and functional. But as always happens, finishing with plastic panels has its advantages and disadvantages.

Let's get to know them better:

Advantages

  1. Easy to attach.
  2. Easy to wash and clean.
  3. Resistant to aggressive detergents.
  4. Sufficient strength of the material, achieved thanks to additional stiffening ribs.
  5. They have significant wear resistance.
  6. Low cost.
  7. The design allows you to close all communications, including pipes and wiring.
  8. It is possible to make an additional layer for sound and heat insulation.
  9. The vertical installation method visually lengthens the space.


Flaws

  1. Despite the stiffening ribs, the panel itself is thin and can crack under significant force.
  2. When planning to use plastic in a toilet or bathroom, you should pay attention to its safety for humans. Because some low quality models may contain aldehydes or other dangerous toxins.
  3. There is a risk of easy fire as plastic has little fire resistance. Therefore, when purchasing, choose plastic panels with the most fire-resistant characteristics.
  4. The area of ​​the toilet or bathroom is slightly reduced due to the way the panels are fastened.

Plastic panels are mainly used for wall cladding in the bathroom and toilet, because they have the necessary characteristics for this. However, designers do not recommend covering walls with plastic in residential areas.

Color palette of plastic panels

The palette of PVC panels is so diverse that with its help you can create a real cozy corner for consumers with absolutely any taste. There are many photos on the Internet showing various color shades and their combinations.


It is impossible to single out the most popular shade, because with a successful combination, they all look wonderful.

At least take a photo showing a bathroom in a beige tone.


If you choose the appropriate lighting and accessories in gold, you will get a stylish and harmonious design, looking at which you can only be surprised because it is made using plastic panels.


Among the variety of photos you can find an option with PVC panels for ceramic tiles. This solution allows you to create an imitation of tiles and, accordingly, make the interior visually more expensive.


Black and white colors create a stylish design that matches the tile finish. No less harmonious and simple can be finishing a toilet in pink, blue, light green or lilac tones. It is only important that the toilet room does not seem visually smaller, and dark, rich shades can contribute to this.

Features of combinations in toilet decoration

When choosing plastic sheathing for walls and ceilings, you don’t have to stop at it alone. Quite harmonious combinations can develop if the walls and ceiling are covered with PVC panels and ceramic tiles are laid on the floor. The tile will be able to withstand the load that is placed on it for many years.

The rack mounting system allows you to hide wires and pipes, and also allows you to significantly decorate the design. In this way, ceilings are decorated not only in small bathrooms, but also in large bathrooms. For small toilets, this fastening system plays an additional role, allowing you to visually increase the space.


Principles of panel installation

There is no particular difficulty in attaching the panels in the restroom. You just need to be patient and have a tool with which you can implement your plans. The list of tools is small:

  • Electric drill;
  • A hacksaw designed for woodworking;
  • Hacksaw for metal work;
  • A screwdriver, if you have a screwdriver, then this is the best option;
  • Hammer;
  • Office for carrying out measurements and designations;
  • Ladder or stepladder.

The first thing you need to do is measure the work surface in the room and calculate how much plastic is needed. There are 2 options for attaching plates - gluing and rack type.


If the first option is chosen, then the walls must be completely cleared of the previous cladding. After purchasing plastic panels, you need to let them stand in the room so that they reach room temperature. You should not remove the film in advance, which protects the surface from damage and scratches. In order to mount it on the wall, carry out preparatory work. It is necessary to clean the surface and level it with plaster.


The second option is to mount it on a sheathing, which looks like bars or slats screwed to the wall at some distance. There are certain standards - for mounting on the ceiling, the distance between the slats is no more than 30 cm, and on walls - 30-40 cm. The slatted profiles must be mounted perpendicular to the intended direction of the panels.

For fastening to a wooden surface, it is better to use self-tapping screws, and for concrete or brick walls, dowel-nails are suitable.

Damaged panels cannot be repaired; they will only have to be thrown away. This must be taken into account when calculating the required quantity and take several spare pieces. Attaching to the sheathing involves punching through the panel, so any erroneous hole will cost a beautiful and consistent design.


First, the fittings are attached - these are the corner and finishing elements. Ceiling plinths are attached if you plan to install panels up to the ceiling. After this, the panel is inserted into the fastening element with the narrow side, and on the wide side it is attached to the rail.


After making sure that the piece of plastic is level, attach the next one. Maintain maximum fit. The final panel in the row is inserted between the last part and the adjacent fittings. If any part is excess, then it needs to be cut off with a knife.

Ceiling mounting differs from wall mounting in that you need to leave a distance of about 15 cm for spotlights. The holes for their output are marked and cut out in advance.



Practical use of plastic panels

In order for the restroom to be always clean and pleasing to the eye, it requires care. It must be carried out especially carefully on the surface of plastic panels, because they can crack.


After some time of operation, dirt can get between the fastenings of the plates, which over time will provoke the appearance of mold. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to regularly sanitize the surface with special disinfectants. Mild soap-based detergents are suitable. It is not advisable to use products that contain abrasive particles. They can scratch the surface of the panels and the original appearance will be lost.

Since Moscow is a rather expensive city, the use of PVC panels is very popular among its residents. But thanks to modern technologies, their quality and appearance have improved significantly. Therefore, saving money, you can make a stylish design both in the toilet and in the bathroom.

The decision to renovate the toilet and use PVC panels for cladding came spontaneously. Our restroom should have been repaired a long time ago, since the unclosed pipeline was already boring. After studying the range of facing materials, decorating with panels seemed like an interesting idea. We laid tiles on the toilet floor and the entire bathroom was transformed after the renovation.

Svetlana

I didn’t want to invest a lot of money in renovations, and I didn’t have any extra, so wall panels turned out to be an interesting idea. We ordered in Moscow and delivery came quickly. We chose imitation tiles in a beige and brown ratio. It turned out very beautiful, especially since all the pipes were hidden. The toilet floor was decorated with tiles, and the ceiling was also made of plastic.


The modern market of finishing materials offers many practical solutions for finishing bathrooms. Until recently, those who were planning to renovate their toilet had only two options - painting the walls or tiling them. Now you can choose from several available options, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages.

In today's article we would like to tell you about one of the easiest and most convenient ways to finish walls and ceilings in a bathroom - plastic panels. You will learn about the features of this finishing material, the basic principles of working with it, as well as how to choose the right plastic panels for the toilet.

pros

First, let's look at the positive aspects of using plastic panels as a finishing material for a bathroom. The list of advantages of these products is quite impressive:

  • Low price. This method of surface finishing is one of the most cost-effective. It would be cheaper to paint with water-based emulsion.
  • Easy to install. Plastic panels do not require special repair skills. Even those who have undertaken repairs for the first time can cope with their installation.
  • Fast installation. Installation of one PVC panel takes just a few minutes. Since bathrooms usually have a very small area, all the work will take you very little time.
  • No need for surface preparation. There is no need to level or plaster the walls for plastic panels.
  • Low maintenance requirements. PVC is a waterproof material that perfectly withstands wet cleaning and contact with various detergents. Therefore, keeping the walls in the toilet clean will not be difficult.
  • Wear resistance. Despite the fact that plastic is a fragile material, if you do not subject it to strong mechanical stress, PVC panels will last you quite a long time.

Minuses

However, plastic panels have not only positive aspects. This finishing material does not have many negative qualities, but they are still present, so one cannot remain silent about them. So, the disadvantages of PVC panels are:

  • Instability to heat and fire. Plastic panels are deformed under the influence of high temperatures, so heaters and heated towel rails should not be placed close to them. In addition, plastic is not a fire-resistant material: it can catch fire if it comes into contact with fire. Therefore, you need to be careful when smoking in the toilet.
  • Large dimensions. At first glance, it seems that the plastic panels are absolutely flat, but in fact they can be up to 2 cm thick. In addition, a few more centimeters of space are often “eaten up” if the walls in the room are uneven. For large bathrooms this is not critical, but in small toilets this can become a real problem, as it will not allow the tiny area to be used to the maximum.

Related article: Installing corrugation on the toilet

Types of panels

Plastic panels intended for finishing walls and ceilings in the bathroom come in several varieties.

Leafy

The most popular type is sheet panels, which are rectangles from one to one and a half meters long. The thickness of such panels is 0.3-0.6 cm. They can be plain, with ornaments or imitation of natural structures - wood or stone. It is most convenient to work with sheet panels due to their large dimensions.

Rack and pinion

Slatted panels for finishing bathrooms are used much less frequently. They are most often used for outdoor work or large premises. This type of plastic panels looks like long narrow strips. The length of such panels is from 4.4 to 3.7 meters, and the width is from 12 to 30 cm. Slat panels imitating wooden beams look especially impressive.

Stacked tiles

The least common type of plastic panels are type-setting tiles. They are squares of different sizes, which allows you to lay out various patterns on the walls and ceiling, like a mosaic. The elements are connected through grooves in the panels, and everything is held together with special glue or clamps.

  • If you want to purchase a product with maximum strength, choose plastic panels with a thickness of at least 0.8 cm. In addition, pay attention to the number of “ribs” on the inside - they give additional rigidity.
  • The quality of plastic panels can be determined by its appearance. Take a close look at the front of the product: the paint should be applied evenly, and the design, if there is one, should be clearly printed.
  • As with wallpaper, the color of the same wall panels and different batches may vary by several shades. Therefore, buy products only from one batch.

The high cost of wall panels does not always indicate equally high quality, so price should not be the determining factor when choosing. However, material that costs significantly less than its counterparts from other manufacturers is usually not made in good faith.

Preparation and stages of repair

Before you begin finishing the toilet with plastic panels, you should carry out some preliminary work. By this stage of the repair, you already need to install a toilet, level the floor, lay it with ceramic tiles or cover it with linoleum.

Related article: Automatic gates with remote opening

Experts advise preparing plastic panels for installation and further use by treating them with an antiseptic. This will protect the material from heat and moisture, so there will be no risk of mold and mildew.

  • Stage 1. Installation of the side posts, which will serve as the basis for the frame.
  • Stage 2. Lathing the structure with slats and cross members.
  • Stage 3. Attaching plastic fittings.
  • Stage 4. Cutting and installing plastic panels.

Basic principles and installation

Let's consider each of the above stages of work in more detail.

  1. One rack should be placed in each corner of the room. At the same time, they should not be in contact with the floor and ceiling, so we place some material between the racks and surfaces. After the structure is fixed with screws, the temporary support will need to be removed. The side posts must be placed plumb so that they are strictly parallel. We maintain a step of 0.3-0.4 meters between fasteners (we use screws as fasteners).
  2. The sheathing of the side posts is done with wooden blocks along the perimeter of the structure at the top and bottom. The fasteners should be screwed in at an angle of 45 degrees - this way we can securely fix two slats at once. Next, the slats need to be secured to the walls using self-tapping screws. This is the main frame, which, if necessary, can be supplemented with side posts or cross bars. The step between frame elements should be about 0.5 meters.
  3. We nail the plastic fittings to the frame using nails and a hammer. The fittings need to be cut at an angle of 45 degrees - this way it will fit more tightly. Since PVC panels are quite flexible, we install fittings, including in the corners. If there is a gap between the slats and the wall, fill it with scraps of plastic, then hammer in a nail. Nails for installation should be selected with large flat heads. In order not to damage the plastic elements when driving nails, the final blows are performed not on the head, but on the protective attachment (for example, you can use a nail).
  4. The final stage, if the frame and fittings are installed correctly, takes very little time. We cut plastic panels using a hacksaw. At the same time, the size of each sheet should be a centimeter and a half less than the space prepared for it, since the missing length is compensated by plastic fittings. We insert the cut sheet into the grooves and attach it to the slats. We insert the next sheet into the previous one, then also nail it to the crossbars.

Not a single family in our country or abroad can do without such an important event as repairs. In any case, it is inevitable that it is necessary to carry out repair and finishing work, both in the bathroom and in the toilet. And here there is not such a wide variation in methods and materials as, for example, in a living room or bedroom, but even a small separate toilet can be turned into a stylish and cozy place.

Plastic panels for bathroom and toilet walls

Many have heard about wonderful and beautiful PVC panels that can be used both for the walls of a bathroom or toilet, and for the ceiling, and some types of such panels can also be laid on the floor surface. It all depends on the personal wishes of the person and his material capabilities.

In today's market, rich in building materials, you can find a wide range of types of plastic panels that can harmoniously decorate any bathroom and fit into the concept of almost any design.

Types of material:

Photo panels are decorative panels with photo printing applied to them. They allow you to create a design for wall panels with almost any image, be it a view of a fantasy world, a magnificent waterfall, or the face of an unloved boss.

It all depends on the wishes of the customer and the ideas of the design specialist.

Each of these types of panels for finishing a toilet or bathroom can be used in an interior of any complexity and theme, be it a hint of a Victorian house, or an imitation of Provence or Art Nouveau style.

Option for finishing a toilet with PVC panels: examples and photos

Despite the fact that many people have long seen what beauty can be created using plastic wall panels, what the most interesting and exclusive ideas can be brought to life, they still do not understand why friends or relatives gave their preference for this type of panel if there are many other materials, for example MDF panels.

The whole secret lies in the advantages of PVC panels over other decorative finishing materials for walls:

  1. In the case of finishing toilet walls with plastic panels, a person does not face such a question as special preparation of the working surface of the walls. The panels can be mounted even on not the smoothest surfaces. This, as practice shows, allows you to save material resources, which are usually spent on additional work on leveling the walls. In addition, the panels allow you to hide defects and unevenness of the walls.
  2. Light plastic panels can be installed by one person, this is also a big plus, because in a bathroom or, especially, a toilet, there is not much space for several craftsmen to turn around.
  3. PVC panels are an exclusively environmentally friendly finishing material. Throughout its service life, plastic remains safe for people and animals under any temperature conditions. A toilet finished with such wall panels does not rot, mold or mildew does not form on it even at the highest humidity, which makes the plastic material ideal for use in the bathroom.
  4. Finishing with such slabs guarantees easy cleaning. Any housewife will confirm that this is a big plus when you don’t have to think about how best to carry out wet cleaning in a particular room.
  5. Ease of installation allows installation even by a novice master.
  6. Excellent appearance of the material. Any pictures can be depicted on the panels. It all looks beautiful and impressive.
  7. Long service life. With proper care, plastic panels can last for many decades.
  8. Covering walls with PVC panels is quite cheap due to the affordable prices for the material itself.

All these advantages of plastic panels allow them to become an increasingly popular and popular material for use in the interior of a toilet or bathroom. And yet, as practice shows, there cannot be only advantages. PVC wall panels have a disadvantage - they can be quite fragile and break if you lean on them or throw something heavy or sharp at the wall.

Using panels in the toilet: photos and methods of decoration

Design solutions of specialists may involve the use of plastic panels on completely different surfaces and planes. The plastic panels themselves, depending on the thickness and maximum load, can be installed on different surfaces.

Namely:

  1. On the walls. Classic use of plastic panels. Here, the choice of the type and quality of material depends only on the wishes of the person himself, the designer’s ideas or the amount of available funds.
  2. On the ceiling. Often used to visually increase space. For example, with the help of panels you can turn the ceiling into a sunny clear sky, or a starry night sky. A ceiling covered in this way in a large toilet can force a person’s brain to perceive the bathroom space on a larger scale.
  3. On the floor. The floor version of the panels is not used so often, but is also quite popular. With the help of panels, you can turn an ordinary boring toilet floor into the bottom of the ocean or simply outer space, that is, whatever your heart desires.

In addition, it is worth mentioning that at this stage in the market of construction and finishing materials there is a wide selection of panel colors for any purpose. You can find red, black, white panels, colorful or with patterns.

Panels using photo printing are very popular.

For example, this method can make it possible to recreate in a bathroom or toilet room the atmosphere of being on a paradise island or in outer space or the ocean, where a complete feeling will be created that the owner is among exotic fish, especially if the walls, floor, and ceiling are made in the same style.

Repairing a toilet with plastic panels: photos and examples

When a choice has been made regarding the installation location of the panels, their type, color and all the nuances have been clarified, a person is faced with the question “how to install plastic panels?” There are the following options - contact a finishing specialist, pay him a certain amount and enjoy the work done, or do everything yourself. The latter option is more economical, and if you do the repairs yourself, it will be much more pleasant.

If you decide to carry out extensive installation yourself, then you should first decide on the type and features of installation work with plastic tiles. If self-adhesive PVC tiles are used, the work will not take much time. It will be necessary to remove the protective layer and glue the finishing material to the surface. It is worth understanding that in this case it is better to stick it on a flat surface. Installation with glue - the back surface of the tile is treated with a thin layer of glue. Next it is glued to the surface of the wall of the bathroom or toilet. Installation work using lathing - in this case a perfectly smooth surface is not required. A plastic or metal sheathing system is attached to the wall, to which plastic panels are subsequently glued. Tiles and panels are attached using adhesive solutions.

Finishing a toilet with plastic panels: design (video)

Some people prefer to do renovations in the entire house or apartment at the same time, while others prefer a leisurely, gradual renovation, when you work closely first on one room in your home, then on another, and gradually the whole house is renovated, but doing everything according to your ideas, it turns out very beautiful.

Repairing a toilet with plastic panels with your own hands has two obvious advantages, listed in the title - the speed and cost-effectiveness of such finishing. At the same time, it is quite possible to achieve a design effect and guarantee the durability of the repair if you avoid typical mistakes when working with PVC panels.

Toilet repair - why plastic?

Plastic as a finishing material for walls and ceilings has a whole range of advantages:

  • The lightness of the material is such that even a teenager can install PVC panels in the toilet, physical strength is not required for such work;
  • Cheap - compared to tiles, plastic is 3-6 times more economical;
  • There is no need to level the walls and ceiling; their unevenness will be “smoothed out” when installing the frame base;
  • Polyvinyl chloride is completely inert to moisture. Just do not confuse this quality with moisture resistance; not a single type of PVC panel will become a barrier to dampness. Waterproofing will have to be taken care of in advance, at the stage of installing the frame;
  • Easy to maintain and clean. After high-quality installation, tidying up the toilet will take 5-10 minutes; just wipe the plastic surface with a damp cloth;
  • Durability - the original appearance of the plastic panel is difficult to damage, even if desired. The material is resistant to most types of household chemicals, solvents and oxidizers.

Naturally, plastic panels also have their drawbacks, otherwise, due to their low price and installation advantages, they would have long ago taken a monopoly position in the finishing materials market. The main disadvantages:

  • Any plastic burns, and PVC wall panels are no exception. Manufacturers provide data on its thermal resistance and self-extinguishing qualities, but even smoldering polyvinyl chloride becomes a source of toxic gases. A fire in a toilet lined with plastic is a real danger, it must be taken into account when smoking, working with open fire, etc.;
  • Finishing a toilet with PVC panels is not as simple as it seems. A lot depends on the stage of preparation, which we will discuss in detail below. The preparatory stage begins not in the apartment, but also in the store;
  • Plastic finishing will narrow the dimensions of the room by at least 3-4 cm from each wall and ceiling. With uneven walls, spatial losses will be even greater. For the height of the toilet, such a decrease is not critical, but for the length and width it can lead to certain inconveniences - for example, during further installation of plumbing, when opening and closing doors, etc.

Therefore, plastic is installed on the ceiling of sanitary facilities more often than on the walls. There are various design options for mixed wall repairs using ceramic tiles and PVC panels, but they are more relevant for bathrooms than for smaller toilets.

Finishing the toilet with PVC panels - choosing the main and consumable materials

One of the main mistakes when choosing wall plastic is the primary focus on its design qualities . The strength of the panels is much more important than the design and patterns! A material of any strength is suitable for the ceiling, and we rest our hands on the walls, hang shelves and accessories, etc. Therefore, start your choice with the rigidity of the panels - the higher it is, the better. The rigid panel will not vibrate from accidental touch and will require less effort when installing the frame, because mounting clearances can be made wider.

After selecting sufficiently durable PVC panels, we pay attention... no, not yet to the colors, but to their size and design. The length of the wall plastic is standard (3 meters), and the width varies from 12 to 25 cm. The wider the PVC panel, the more precise and level the frame base to which it will be attached is required. If you do not have natural carpentry talents, choose a width up to 15 cm.

Now you can choose colors and patterns for the glossy “packaging” of your toilet. And don’t skimp on fittings – plastic corners and ends. The strength and aesthetics of the entire repair depend on these fastening strips. They should be of a similar color to the main panels, with wide shelves for ease of fastening. Buy plastic fittings with a reserve - during the first attempts to fit them, mistakes are possible, and you hardly want to go to the market several corners away.

For the slatted base of the frame, use slats measuring 20x25 mm. For proper strength, it is wiser to choose a square section of slats, from 30x30 mm. Pay attention to their straightness, for which do not hesitate to untie a stack of slats and measure several (or even each).

Even the Tula Lefty will not be able to build an even frame on crooked slats. Buy self-tapping screws for attaching the frame base to the walls and mounting nails for the plastic itself. Small construction nails will not work; rather, you need an analogue of tar paper nails, but with a low head. If the toilet is damp or the neighbors above have man-made “floods”, you will need an antiseptic composition for treating wood.


Repairing a toilet with plastic panels - we install the frame with our own hands

Even before repairing the toilet with plastic, the toilet must be installed and the floor tiles laid; the work requires a ready-made, flat floor. Place all the plastic away from the repair area; if the frame is installed properly, its installation will only take a few hours, but that will happen later.

Installation of a frame for plastic panels - step-by-step diagram

Step 1: Treating the slats with an antiseptic

This stage is often skipped, but in vain. If you carefully coat the slatted base with compounds against rotting and fungus, it will last for decades and will not lose its strength from dampness. Due to the fact that most of these compounds are toxic, the slats can be treated outdoors the day before installation - and dried there, bringing into the apartment the bars that are already ready for hydro-troubles. The entire surface must be lubricated with an antiseptic, with the exception of the ends - the same requirements as for the ceiling between floors, wood is wood.

Step 2: Set up the side posts

These are four slats in the corners of our room for mandatory reflection. Their installation has its own secret - the main slats should not touch the floor and ceiling. Why do they put small scraps of the same plastic under them, and then pull out improvised pads when the rail is firmly fixed to the wall with screws. Accurate installation of the side posts is very important; they are installed strictly plumb, and the parallelism of the edges is checked with a wide steel ruler. In fact, the accuracy of the entire frame depends on these “four pillars”. Fastening is carried out in increments of 30-40 cm with self-tapping screws, through which holes are drilled in the walls (at least 5 cm deep), and plastic plugs are driven into the holes.

Step 3: Sheathing the Side Posts

Along the lower and upper perimeter of the room, bars for the lower ends and upper corners, respectively, are attached to the main vertical slats. The mounting screws are tightened at an angle of 45˚ to securely “hook” both slats. After the end screws, the fastening of the sheathing is supplemented by fastening the slats to the walls using long self-tapping screws. When the frame “skeleton” is ready, additional racks or crossbars are installed (depending on the direction of laying the plastic, vertical or horizontal). Make the step between the frame posts smaller, about 50 cm - then the reliability will be higher, and the strength of the entire structure will be “like a glove.”

Step 4: Installation of fittings

Plastic fittings are nailed to the main posts and perimeter rails. Its corners are cut with a sharp knife at an angle of 45˚, calculating the exact joint on the visible side. Due to the elasticity of the plastic panels, the fittings are mounted in all corners and turns. The step between the nails is the same 30-35 cm. If the lath lags behind the wall, then scraps of plastic are tightly squeezed into the gap, and only then the nail is driven in. A separate topic is mounting nails. They should have wide and flat caps. If you cannot find such nails, buy any 20-25 mm long and cut 1x1 cm spacers from PET bottles. They will attract the plastic to the wood and will not damage it. Perform the final blows with a hammer not directly on the nail, but on an auxiliary attachment such as a bolt, so as not to damage the corners or the panel itself.


Installing PVC panels in a toilet - using a ready-made frame is quick and easy

When the frame with the fittings nailed to it is completely ready, installation of PVC panels is easy and pleasant. Each part is sawed off with a hacksaw with thin teeth, about 1-1.5 cm smaller than the seat (the size deficit is compensated by the shelves of the fittings), inserted into the grooves, slightly pushed back and nailed to the slats. All subsequent plastic elements are pushed into the previous panel all the way and fastened in exactly the same way - with nails, with plastic washers, with a guarantee of safety of the plastic from being hit with a hammer.

The last PVC panels will need to be cut to length, this must be done with great precision. The cut panel is inserted into the corner until it stops and carefully pushed into the lock of the previous one using a thin screwdriver. Therefore, the size of the locks is always smaller than the seats in the fittings - the last panel must have contact with their surface. It cannot be secured with nails, so finishing the wall must be done in the most inaccessible place for traffic.

Do-it-yourself toilet repair with plastic panels is completed. Don’t forget to leave installation marks on the new plastic, which will later be used to attach shelves, a toilet paper holder, a range hood, etc. – searching for plastic-covered slats is not included in our installation plans.