Bathroom Wall Panels

Customise your bathroom with waterproof wall panels Wall cladding isn’t just a fashionable alternative to wallpaper or paint in hallways, lounges, and kitchen areas. Thanks to the waterproof features of Purotouch, these polyurethane panels are the perfect solution for bathroom wall décor. High-density yet lightweight and low-maintenance, bathroom wall panels are much more convenient and affordable than traditional tiling.

Why bother with grout when you can create seamless joins between waterproof wall panels? This cost-effective option transforms your bath wall, shower enclosure, or even the entire bathroom quickly and easily. From ensuites to full wet rooms, kitchen sink splashbacks to utility rooms, our water-resistant bathroom cladding adds a unique decorative touch to everyday facilities.

Whilst the panels are waterproof careful consideration needs to be taken for the paint finish, if using in a wet area. Your choice of paint needs to be washable, so we recommend Mylands wood and metal paint, or other acrylic eggshell paint.

Order decorative bathroom cladding online today Wet wall renovations are simple with our practical and eye-catching bathroom wall panels. Every design comes pre-primed, so you can either install them as they are or get creative with waterproof paint and sealer. As you can see from the example installations on each product page, bathroom cladding doesn’t have to be conventional white – you can paint yours any colour you want.

Domestic bathrooms, commercial washrooms, indoor pools, and more can all benefit from installing waterproof shower wall panels. Whether you install them around sinks, above baths, or in shower cubicles, your wipe-clean bathroom wall panels are guaranteed to look great. Shop online now or contact us at  info@thelibraryladdercompany.co.uk with any questions about these products.

Yes, you can apply bathroom wall panels to all kinds of walls, as long as the surfaces are clean and relatively even. You don’t have to carry out a bunch of plasterwork or priming to prepare surfaces for wall panelling – if you already have tiled walls, you can just stick the panels in place over them.

As long as your old bathroom tiles aren’t broken or badly eroded, it should be fairly easy to give them a quick clean and then adhere your new bathroom cladding over the top. If your tiles are in good condition, a silicone adhesive should be fine, but some cases might require mechanical fixing.

Bathroom wall panels have a slim profile, but you should make sure that there’s enough clearance for the extra thickness on top of the tiles, especially around the edges of the bath/shower and taps. No messing about with grout, no spaces for mould to grow – installing them should be very efficient.

Provided that they’re installed properly, bathroom wall panels create a waterproof seal against the wall. Our bathroom cladding is made of a high-density polyurethane called Purotouch, which is lightweight and water-resistant enough to be a perfect alternative to tiles for lining bathroom walls.

This material is flexible yet durable, forming a watertight seal when you adhere the panels to the wall correctly. Unlike gaps between thicker tiles, which require filling with grout, there shouldn’t be any space for moisture to build up behind or between the bathroom wall panels, preventing mould and mildew. This also makes them very easy to maintain, as a quick wipe-down keeps them clean.

However, even watertight bathroom wall cladding won’t eliminate condensation, so it’s important to have adequate ventilation in the room. This could be an extractor fan or a dehumidifier to reduce moisture. Even when condensation does occur, though, it shouldn’t lead to damp or discolouration.

The panels and mouldings are made from polyurethane which means they are water-proof by nature.

Please note that although the product itself is water-proof, you will need to consider how you are going to finish/paint the panels or mouldings, especially if you intend on using them as shower panels or in very wet areas.

We recommend using Mylands Wood & Metal Paint which is extremely durable, scrubbable and sprayable. With over 160 different colours to choose from, you will find the perfect colour. Alternatively you could have a PU sprayed finish applied by a professional decorator.

We also highly advise that you request a sample from us so you can test the material with your chosen finishing technique. To request a sample please Contact us.

On average, yes – bathroom cladding panels are often far more affordable than bathroom tiles. This not only applies to the product itself, but the installation process, too. It’s much simpler and faster to install bathroom wall panels than tiles, and so straightforward that you can easily do it yourself.

While traditional tiles require a skilled tradesperson to fit them, and often need careful maintenance to keep them in good condition, polyurethane wall panels don’t require any specialist tools or training to install. This saves you time and money on labour costs as well as the panels themselves.

You won’t need specialist cleaning products, either – wiping down wall panels with a solution of warm water and regular soap is usually enough to keep them shipshape. When it comes to the cost of individual bathroom panels, it can cost around twice as much to cover the same surface area with regular tiles – so why go down that route when bathroom cladding is much more cost-effective?

If you are using the contemporary wall panels or linear wall panels for your walls you can either leave the edge bear if the edge is unseen or for a clean and square edge to your wall panel, moulding No.190 is the perfect contemporary profile and will accommodate all the wall panel thicknesses. If you want a larger moulding to finish the edges or as a skirting, moulding No.198 is a great choice.

You may want to incorporate a skirting board with your panelling and there are many options to choose from depending on what stye you are looking for, for your home.

If you are using pre-made shaker panels, we recommend complimenting these with a skirting board installed below. The perfect skirting board has been designed to be used with the shaker wall panels and this is skirting No. 193, a tall, detailed skirting board option. Whether you are installing your shaker panels butted up against each other or with spaces between we recommend leaving at least a 50mm gap between the top of your skirting and the bottom of the panel. See all skirting options.

If you are using No.147 wainscoting panel, you can choose from many of our skirting board options,  which you can simply install with adhesive in front of the installed wainscoting panels. See all skirting options.

If you are using pre-made linear or fluted panels, you may decide to add a skirting, whether it be contemporary skirting or traditional skirting. The linear wall panels have different thicknesses, and you will want to take this into consideration when deciding whether to add a skirting board.

If you install the skirting in front of the wall panels be aware that if the panel you have chosen has deep recesses, you will still have those gaps sitting behind the skirting. Therefore, we recommend installing a skirting board No.198 which works perfectly with all the contemporary wall panels.

If you want to use a different style of skirting below the wall paneling and if you want the skirting to sit flush at the bottom, we recommend installing a packer board behind to bring the skirting forward.

The range of wall panels and mouldings are perfect for high traffic areas as they are durable and waterproof. The panels arrive in a white primed colour ready for painting and for the most durable finish on your wall panelling we recommend using Mylands Wood & Metal Paint to finish your panels.

We recommend using Mylands Wood & Metal Paint which are good for both interior and exterior and come in three different finishes: Matt, Eggshell or Gloss. As well as a fantastic selection of paint colours to choose from the paint is extremely durable with a high-quality finish. The Mylands Wood & Metal paint is unparalleled in terms of its performance: scrubbable, sprayable and durable it is perfect for high traffic areas.

Dado Rail

In the 17th century, chairs and other pieces of furniture were stored against the walls and were only moved into the central space when in use. For this reason dado rails and wainscoting were introduced to shield the walls from scuffs and knocks whilst protecting the walls. – See full blog.

Picture Rail

The term "picture rail" refers to a wall moulding that is installed horizontally around a room and usually sits about 30cm to 50cm below the ceiling in a room. Usually found in period properties with tall ceiling heights, a picture rail is not just a decorative moulding, it has a very specific purpose and, just as the name suggests, it is used to hang pictures from.

We supply a fantastic range of mouldings that look like picture mouldings, which are lightweight and easy to install, however this does mean that the mouldings are not strong enough to be used for hanging pictures from.

This does not stop you from using mouldings as picture rails in your wall designs, because it still makes for a beautiful design feature which is elegant and creates balance in rooms with tall ceilings.

We would advise you to consult an electrician if you intend to relocate your socket or if you are not comfortable with removing and replacing the front plates of sockets or switches. In order to fit your panel, you will need to remove the front plate of the switch or socket.

Offer your wall panel up to your wall in the location of where you are installing the panels and review the location of the socket. You may want to tweak the overall location of the panels once you see where the sockets sit in relation to panel edges. Once you are happy with the location, mark up the location points of the socket onto the panel.

Take the marked-up panel to your cutting area along with the front plate of the plug socket or switch and mark all around the size of the socket or switch plate onto the front of your wall panel.

Using a fresh bladed saw make a plunge cut into the centre of the panel and cut the shape of your socket or switch out of the material. You are nearly ready to install.

Apply adhesive all around the rear perimeter of your panel and along the centre line and you should apply a modest amount of adhesive along the inside edges of the hole you have created. Mount your panel to the wall in the marked-up location, apply pressure. Reconnect your wiring (or have your electrician do it) and slide the plate back into the hole and fix.

Panelling referes to the overall decorative design on a wall which visually looks like frames or rectangles. Panelling is a traditional style which adds character and warmth to a room. We offer pre-made full panels which can be adhered to the wall making installation very simple. These pre-made panels come in a set size.

Wall moulding, are decorative profiles that are sold in 2m lengths. These lengths can be cut to size and mitred up into rectangles to create the panelling look. The moulding lengths are a versatile option because it allows you to create the exact sized panels that your wall requires.

We offer a large range of options for wall panels and mouldings and the possiblities are endless. Whether you are looking to create a contemporary style or traditional charm, we can help you choose the perfect wall mouldings and wall panels for your room.

How much product you need will depend on your project, your walls and which products you are purchasing.

How to measure for Coving or Skirting:

Measure and note down the overall lengths of each of your walls. (Removing gaps from the measurements such as doors if you are ordering skirting) The coving profiles are sold in 2metre lengths. You can either add up all the wall lengths into one total, then divide by 2 to figure out the total number of profiles you need to order. Alternatively and if you want fewer joints in your coving/skirting, you can look at each length of wall and work out how many 2metre lengths will fit in the space. If you do it this way you may end up with more wastage.

Tip - Make sure to add a little bit extra to your order incase you make any mistakes with cutting!

How to measure for Contemporary Wall Panels

These panels come in standard 200cm x 25cm sizes. Generally these will be fitted side by side to fill a wall or area. Measure the overall width you want to cover (in cm) and divde by 25cm (which is the panel width) This will tell you how many panels you require.

Alternatively, you can work out how many panels you need by measuring your overall square meterage required. x2 panels = 1msq. Therefore if you have a wall of 12msq that you want to cover, times that figure by x2 and that will give you the total number of panels.

Tip - Always add a little bit extra to your order incase you make any mistakes with cutting!

How to Measure for Shaker nos 120 and 121 wall panels

These panels come in two set sizes: panel no: 120 measures 150cm x 50cm and panel no: 121 measures 50cm x 50cm.  Work out the area you wish to panel. This may be the full wall height, or perhaps half height would be preferable for your space, depending on furniture arrangements, as well as the position of any windows and/or doors.

Work out how many of the panels will fit across the space width-wise – remember, you can of course use the no: 120 panel either vertically or horizontally.  If the panels do not fit exactly in the space you have, calculate the number of whole panels you can fit, and then divide the remaining space on the wall by the number of panels + 1.  For example a wall of 2.4m in width could accommodate 4 panels (positioned vertically) with 40cm remaining.  Then divide 40cm by 5 to find the size of the gap you should leave between each panel = 8cm.

A popular design is to position the long rectangular panels (no: 120) vertically, with smaller square panels (no: 121) either above or below them. (insert image?)  Try to work out the gaps to be equal vertically as they are horizontally, to give your design a better balance.  Eg. if the gaps horizontally are 8cm, then leave an 8cm gap between the larger and smaller panel vertically too.

If you are panelling only to half height, you can choose a wall moulding to finish the panelled area neatly (insert image?). Our moulding no: 4025 has a very similar profile to the Shaker panels and adds a smart dado rail-style edge to the panelling.  We also supply our coving/moulding no: 324 which can hide LED lighting, which can throw a soft lighting effect either above or onto the panelling itself.

If you prefer, the moulding no: 4025 can also be used to make ‘bespoke’ panels, to be used in conjunction with the set sized Shaker panels.  To do this, simply measure the perimeter of the panel size you wish to create (in cm).  The moulding comes in 2m lengths, so divide the perimeter length by 200 to calculate how many lengths you will need.

If you need any help with your order please get in touch and we would be delighted to help.

Sand down any obvious imperfections on your wall/surface and wipe down the surface after making sure it is free from dust.

Before you start fitting ensure that the walls are dry and grease free.

Installing over a painted surface

*If your existing surface is painted, it is very important that the paint has a clean, dry and non-greasy surface. It goes without saying that the paint adhesion must be good. It is important to always sand off any remaining dirt and loose paint.

Installing over wallpaper

It is best to remove the wallpaper before you install the products. If necessary, you can cut and remove the relevant sections. If this is not possible, use DecoFix Power as the glue to affix the products.

All of the products are to be fitted to your surface using adhesive glue.

There are three adhesives that are recommended which have different uses. Please see the below question about adhesives for details about which ones you should choose for your application.

Please see the recommended adhesives here.

We recommend using Mylands Wood & Metal Paint which are good for both interior and exterior and come in three different finishes: Matt, Eggshell or Gloss. Extremely durable with a high quality finish in each category, the Wood & Metal paint is unparalleled in terms of its performance: scrubbable, sprayable and durable it is perfect for high traffic areas.