Decorative PVC panels are an inexpensive and practical material for interior decoration. It is a heat-resistant plastic with increased resistance to various chemicals. A decorative pattern is applied to the outer part of the panels using modern printing methods, which has an additional coating that protects it from external influences. Plastic panels can also have a relief structure, most often imitating brick or natural stone.
Due to their properties, decorative PVC panels can be used for interior decoration of premises with different operating conditions, including those with high humidity. Most often they are used for wall and ceiling cladding in the bathroom, toilet and kitchen, but recently they can be increasingly found in the interior of living rooms.
Advantages of plastic panels
PVC panels, which are also often called vinyl, PVC or simply plastic, have many advantages.
- Water resistance. PVC products are not able to absorb and pass moisture, therefore they are successfully used in rooms with any level of humidity.
- Sufficient level of fire resistance. The material is classified as fire hazard class B1 - it does not support the combustion process.
- Frost resistance, resistance to temperature extremes and exposure to ultraviolet radiation. The drawing on high-quality plastic panels does not fade or burn out, the structure of the material is not destroyed, so they can be successfully used in the design of balconies and loggias.
- Antistatic. Thanks to a special protective film, dust is not attracted to the surface of the panels.
- Wear resistance and long service life. The protective layer successfully protects the material from damage, scratches, exposure to aggressive chemicals.
- Environmental friendliness. Despite the fact that the products are made of synthetic material, they are absolutely harmless, since toxic substances are not used in their production.
- Good compatibility with other types of interior materials such as tiles, laminate, linoleum and many others.
- A wide choice of colors, shades and design options. PVC panels can be plain, decorated with a pattern or photo printing, they can also imitate natural materials: wood, stone, leather, bamboo, granite, brickwork.
- Practicality. In case of contamination, the surface can be easily cleaned with a damp cloth.
- The cheapest option is a very popular lately imitation of natural stone.
- Ease of installation. Decorative panels are lightweight, easy to cut, drill and bend, they are very convenient to mount on a previously prepared frame, the manufacture of which also does not cause great difficulties.
- No need for rough preparation of the wall when using sectional panels. All work on finishing the room for one person will take 1-3 days, depending on the size of the room.
Types of plastic panels
PVC panels can be designed for walls or ceilings and differ in their thickness: for a ceiling panel it is 6, 8 or 10 mm, for a wall panel - 10 or 12 mm.
Most often, complaints about the strength of PVC products are heard from apartment owners who mistakenly used thinner ceiling panels instead of wall panels.
Decorative products for interior decoration are available in several versions.
- Rack or sectional plastic panels. They are 2 sheets of hard plastic, fastened together with ribs, between which in the section you can see empty cells - “honeycombs”.The length of one element during production is almost 6 meters, but the store usually sells cut strips of 3 meters in length. Most often you can find 3 width standards: 125 mm, 250 mm and 380 mm. Such panels have special joints and grooves that simplify the installation of a flat surface.
- PVC boards with square or rectangular shape. The length of the sides of the plates varies from 30 to 100 cm.
- Sheet panels. The side length can vary from 150 to 405 cm, width - from 80 to 203 cm. The joints of sheet products are closed with a special profile. A distinctive feature of this type of material is a small thickness and a different method of fastening: sheet panels are not mounted on the frame, but are glued to the prepared surface. Especially often this material is used as apron in the kitchen, panels with photo printing are made from it. Such plastic can be rolled into rolls, cut with scissors, fastened in a curved form. Sheet products are not as popular as sectional ones, because with it all the charm of a quick interior decoration without first leveling the walls is lost.
The texture and color of the panels
The surface of PVC panels due to the plasticity of the material can be different - glossy, matte or embossed. Sheet panels can have a relief structure that quite naturally depicts stone or brickwork. Foreign manufacturers produce products with three-dimensional 3D patterns. The color of the plastic can be any, the pattern is applied to the surface in one of the following ways.
- Thermal transfer printing. The image is formed using a thermal transfer film and additionally coated with varnish or a layer of protective film. The drawings are created by artists-designers and are diverse in their subject matter and color design.
- Offset printing. The drawing is applied using an offset printer, which is then protected with a durable varnish layer. Images on offset panels most often imitate various materials: stone, wood, granite, tiles.
- lamination method. The drawing is obtained by pasting the material with a thick PVC film, on which an image is applied, usually imitating a variety of textures: wood, fabric, stains on natural stone.
Options for the use of PVC panels in the apartment
The absolute vapor impermeability of plastic makes the complete interior decoration of the apartment with PVC panels undesirable, since this will create an unfavorable microclimate in the room, the walls of which must "breathe". Therefore, partial finishing is recommended in residential premises.
- You can completely sew up the walls and ceiling with plastic in the bathroom and toilet, the plastic meets all the requirements for moisture resistance.
- In the kitchen, you can use easy-care plastic to decorate the work area.
- Facing a loggia or balcony plastic is an economical option, harmoniously combined with plastic frames.
- Decorative design with PVC panels is very important for the corridor and hallway, since the walls in these rooms that quickly become dirty can be easily cleaned.
- In living rooms, PVC can be used locally - for decorative purposes, for example, imitating brickwork or raw stone, as well as window slopes.
