In general, there are two kinds of high-quality wall covering to consider for your bathroom: tiles and plastic wall panels. Plastic wall panels, or shower panels as they are sometimes known, are hygienic PVC panels that cover the walls in your bathroom, look like tiles, but at a lower cost.
So, what are the essential differences that you need to know? Let's take a look.
Plastic Wall Panels Offer A Greater Variety Of Designs
When it comes to design, tiles are no slouch. But there’s a case to be made that plastic wall panels may offer even greater variety. Not only do they come in a range of colours, but also a plethora of effects, such as brushed metal and sparkling.
Plastic Wall Panels Can Cover All Manner Of Unsightly Features
If you want to put new tiles up in your bathroom, you often have to go through the long-winded process of removing old tiles, preparing the wall, and then hiring a professional tiler to fit the tiles for you.
Plastic wall panels, however, are a kind of fix-all method for covering up anything unsightly that might be lurking on the walls of your bathroom, including lousy paint jobs and even old tiles. The benefit of plastic shower panels is that you can put them practically wherever you want without having to go to the effort of replacing tiles from scratch. You don’t have to risk tiling or painting your bathroom yourself if your skills aren’t quite up to the mark. In short, it’s the most time-efficient way of covering your bathroom walls.
Plastic Wall Panels May Offer Better Insulation
When you think of redecorating your bathroom, insulation is rarely the first thing that comes to mind. But insulation in the bathroom is just as important as anywhere else, helping to retain heat in your home. Shower panels tend to be good insulators, meaning that they could provide better insulation over and above standard tiles.
Regular Tiles May Be More Attractive
Although manufacturers have put considerable effort into creating beautiful plastic wall panels, for some, nothing quite beats the attractiveness and appeal of regular bathroom tiles. Plastic panels may take some getting used to.
Plastic Panels Require Less Maintenance
Although durable, wall tiles still require maintenance. Mould can begin to buildup in the grouting between the tiles and needs cleaning off regularly. Plastic wall panels don’t require grouting, so there’s less opportunity for mould to gain a foothold.
Plastic Panels Are Easier To Install
Each plastic wall panel is typically much larger than a standard tile. Because of this, there are fewer overall operations involved in applying plastic panelling to a wall. Plastic wall panels also slot into place easily in a given pattern, whereas tiles take a lot of skills and time to make sure that they are aligned correctly. Putting up wall panels can, therefore, be much quicker than covering the same area in tiles.
