How to make a ceiling in a bathroom from PVC panels?

In the bathroom, it is quite possible to make a stretch ceiling with your own hands. Laying out PVC panels and sheathing them is a snap if you follow our recommendations. You can assemble any ceilings, for example, mirrored, patterned or aquapanel. The choice is yours.

Ceiling finishing work using PVC panels has both advantages and disadvantages. Having knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the product will help you be prepared for unforeseen situations.

Let's start with the pros.

• with the help of PVC panels, you have the opportunity to make the ceiling surface even without getting rid of the previous ceiling finish;
• PVC panels do an excellent job of hiding all communications and ventilation system wiring;
• easy installation of lighting fixtures and lighting in the panel ceiling;

• in comparison with plasterboard construction, plastic profiles are much easier in installation work;
• there is a possibility of additional specialized installation of noise, sound and waterproofing;
• installation work on the installation of PVC panels is carried out using fasteners (dowels and self-tapping screws), respectively, for this work, special knowledge and skills are not required;
• the PVC panel is moisture resistant and easy to clean, which is not exposed to the harmful effects of bacteria;
• if desired, plastic profiles can be mounted twice.

Despite the large number of positive aspects, PVC panels have some disadvantages.

• A large amount of the proposed material looks cheap and not very presentable. However, there are also very worthy products.
• When purchasing budget plastic profiles, there is a possibility of light transmission from the built-in lighting device. In this situation, it is recommended to purchase a lamp in a more expensive price category with denser inner walls.

• With a PVC panel, a multi-level structure or complex bending is not possible. This material is not intended for the construction of complex decorative ceilings.
• PVC panel for covering the ceiling surface is acceptable in case of high ceilings. This material has a habit of "eating" a few centimeters of the height of the dwelling.
• The joint and seam of the panels will be visible after installation work.

Before proceeding with the sheathing of the ceiling with PVC panels, it is recommended to purchase all the necessary elements: frame slats, a profile and a specialized PVC cornice for the ceiling.

It can be a real challenge to choose the right material, presented on the shelves of hardware stores in a wide range.

There is a classification of PVC panels, which takes into account the technological features of each type.

• Starter profiles are the most popular ones today. Their functionality is determined by hiding or masking the end of the panel. For this procedure, it is necessary to fix the starting profile over the entire area of ​​the room, taking into account the marking line of the new ceiling surface.

• External and internal plastic corners are required for a more accurate and aesthetic joint in corner areas.
• You will need H-format profiles if there is a shortage of the panel in length.Such a product serves exclusively for connecting the ends.
• Plastic skirting boards for the ceiling surface are required to mask the end of the panel. Ultimately, these are ordinary starting profiles, however, they have decorative elements in the form of borders.
• F-shaped profiles are required to hide the end of the panel. They are indispensable in cases of finishing work on the wall surface using various adjacent materials.
• Multifunctional plastic corners - ordinary corners in the L-shaped format. They can be used to cover various joints.

The PVC panel is available in different sizes. In most cases, the length of the plastic profile is 2.6 m, 2.7 m, 3 m. The width of the PVC panel is often standardized: 240 mm, 250 mm, 300 mm 320 mm, 375 mm. Regardless of the chosen length and width, the panel thickness always varies from 8 to 10 mm.

To calculate the required number of PVC panels, you first need to calculate the area of ​​the ceiling surface. To do this, measure all sides of the bathroom (length and width) and multiply the resulting parameters. Next, divide the area of ​​the ceiling surface by the area of ​​one unit of the product. You will find the parameters of the plastic panel on the label.

Before proceeding with the installation work, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the required construction tools for working with PVC panels.

First of all, the assembly of the ceiling surface is carried out using:

• drills and hammer drills;
• hacksaws for metals;
• a sharp knife;
• dowels, self-tapping screws with press washers;

• metal profiles for false ceilings: UD - profiles and CD - profiles;
• polyvinyl chloride panels;
• starter profiles and skirting boards;
• level;
• suspensions.

Installation of a ceiling surface made of PVC panels is quite an easy process, while the possession of special construction skills and knowledge is not required.

Let's take a look at the stage by stage of the installation process.

First, you need to carry out preparatory measures before installing plastic panels in the bathroom. If there is any structure on the ceiling surface, it must be dismantled.

Achieving a flat ceiling surface is not required, since the ceiling will be hidden behind a structure made of plastic panels. However, if there are falling off areas of plaster on the ceiling, it is recommended to get rid of them. The cleaned ceiling surface needs to be treated with a soil solution with deeper penetration, which will protect the ceiling from the formation of fungal deposits and mold. The priming solution is applied with a roller in several layers.

If this space is not used, the indent will be 4-5 centimeters. And if the space involves the installation of lighting devices or the laying of communication systems, then an indentation is made between the plastic panels and the ceiling in the bathroom with the size you need. Using the building level, transfer the line of the new ceiling to all sides of the walls.

After successfully completed marking along the marked lines of the walls, UD - profiles of the 2.5 cm by 2.5 cm format are fixed. Dowels are used for fastening. Then, taking the ceiling profiles, insert them into the guides and fix them using self-tapping screws with press washers.

On a note! There is no need to drill a hole in the ceiling profiles in advance. Using a screwdriver to tighten the screws, the screws will perfectly fit into metal products, and the fasteners will be very strong.

If you plan to install built-in lighting devices in PVC panels, you must prepare the following elements: wiring, terminal block, insulating tape and a switch.

When choosing a lighting device, it is recommended to give preference to those models whose power does not exceed 40 watts. Ignoring this, there is the possibility of overheating the plastic panel, resulting in deformation and toxic fumes.

The wiring must be fixed in the areas of the future installation of the lighting fixture. At the proposed point, we make a loop using a wire 10-14 centimeters long. For more convenient and reliable fixing of the wiring on the frame structure, use latches. It is not recommended to tighten it tightly, as there is a risk of deforming the braid.

So, the final stage will be the collection of PVC panels on the ceiling surface.

To successfully cope with this process, you need to follow a simple algorithm.

• Plastic skirting boards are fixed to the guide profiles for assembly work with panels. Fasteners are made using self-tapping screws screwed into the fastening strips. At the joint at the corner sections of the plinth, they are sawn at an angle of 45 degrees.
• Initially, the PVC panel must be inserted with a shelf into the grooves of the skirting boards and fixed to the ceiling profiles with self-tapping screws with a press washer.
• The rest of the materials are fixed in the same way, however, the shelf should not be inserted into the grooves of the skirting boards, but into the grooves of the adjacent panel.

• In order to build a seamless ceiling surface, the materials must be fixed more tightly in relation to each other.
• It often happens that the last panel is slightly larger than the required size. In this case, trimming of the panel is required. The panel is cut off by 5-6 millimeters less than the area where it is necessary to install it. To begin with, the last panel is tightly mounted in the grooves of the plinth, after which it is shifted in the direction of the penultimate material for a tighter pressure.

To make a ceiling from PVC panels in the bathroom, no building skills are required, you can easily handle it yourself. This is a fairly easy and tiring process, but care and accuracy are required. In particular, it is necessary to correctly mark the ceiling and make the frame structure. These two steps create a flat ceiling surface.

In small bathrooms, installation work without guide profiles is permissible. To do this, glue the skirting boards to the wall surface around the entire perimeter of the room. It is recommended to use liquid nails for this procedure. Ceiling skirting boards are mounted on the suspension in such a way that its edges slightly obscure the upper sections of the already glued skirting boards.

When purchasing a PVC panel, pay attention to the thickness on the front side and the size of the stiffeners. In both cases, the principle works: the more the better, and in this case, the more reliable.Ideally, there are at least 20 stiffeners and a material thickness of 2.5 mm. These indicators are responsible for a long service life and resistance to mechanical damage.

One of the advantages of a plastic panel is its high level of water and moisture resistance. Thanks to a specialized film coating, moisture transmission is excluded. And due to the fact that today a large number of various color solutions have been released, it is extremely easy to choose the necessary material.

The PVC panel is the very sweet spot, considering the value for money. The ceiling surface, finished with plastic material, can be installed without the involvement of specialists, since the installation is extremely simple. Due to the peculiarity of the docking fasteners, many panels look like a single canvas.

For information on how to make a ceiling in a bathroom made of PVC panels, see the video below.