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Shower Panels
About Shower Panels
The easiest way to give your bathroom a modern makeover is to install a shower panel. Not only does it protect your walls from soaking wet and catching dirt, but it will also make them more convenient to clean and maintain.
If there is no shower panel in the bathroom, you have to be careful not to wet the wall too much. Firstly, too much wetness can soften the grout between the tiles and cause them to come off. Secondly, nobody wants to end up with a dirty looking wall after every shower. This severely limits the number of directions you can enjoy water sprays from. Anybody can imagine that this takes all the fun away from bathing and makes it into another mundane day to day activity. A shower panel is an easy solution to this problem. Read this article to know more about them.
Different types of shower panels
A shower panel serves a lot of purposes. The essential feature is that the panel covers the wall and protects it. And if the panel comes as a complete package, there will be mounts on it for installing shower heads, shower controls and even mirrors. But the single most important thing that determines the quality and usefulness of a panel is its material. This article will tell you everything you need to know about these panels. You will also find some really useful tips that you can use while shopping for them as well.
PVC shower panels
If you are looking for a really affordable shower panel, then a PVC shower panel is the right option. Not only is PVC cheap to produce, but PVC panels are easy to work with and cut into sheets of different sizes and thicknesses. This property makes PVC useful material in a lot of different applications. Clear PVC material is used for making shower panels. There will also be some additional textures to limit visibility in some cases. Another benefit of PVC panels is that they are really light. This makes them really easy to install as well. However, one side effect of this is that PVC panels are easily breakable.
Unplasticised PVC panels
One of the main disadvantages of PVC panels is that they are not very strong. Unplasticised PVC panels solve this problem to a certain extent. Yet, they keep some desirable features of PVC panels. Unlike regular PVC, unplasticised PVC panels do not contain harmful compounds like BPA or Bisphenol-A. While unplasticised PVC shower panels cost slightly more than PVC panels, they do have some clear advantages as well. Being a more environmentally friendly option than regular PVC, people prefer unplasticised PVC these days.
Acrylic wall panels
Technically, Acrylic is a kind of plastic. However, it is a more modern material and does not have the problems associated with regular plastic. Acrylic panels are much stronger and more durable than plastic panels. This property alone makes them really good material for making shower panels. It is also denser than plastic. But because Acrylic is heavier than plastic, they need better support than PVC panels. It is possible to design acrylic panels in a variety of colours and textures. Moreover, they are more durable and hygienic, as well.
Laminated wall panels
Laminated wall panels, or MDF panels, are produced from medium-density microfibres. This material is pretty strong, waterproof and durable. Because of their acceptable strength, they are commonly used to produce cheap furniture. While MDF furniture might not be as durable as wooden furniture, MDF works well as shower wall panels. Unlike Acrylic or PVC, MDF panels are not transparent. Because of this, they are used for protecting the shower walls. Most of the time, MDF panels imitate the look of marble and tiles and can be hard to tell apart.
Tips on how to buy Shower Panels
Finding the right type of shower panels can be harder than you might think. As there are hundreds and thousands of different models out there, finding the right one can be tricky, to say the least. But regardless of that, you have to find a good fit for your bathroom. And as these panels can be expensive, there is little room for trial and error. However, it is easier if you know what factors to consider in these panels. Here are some tips that you can follow while shopping for them.
- Material – Firstly, you have to decide what type of shower panels you need to buy for your shower enclosure. This will decide the price of the panel to a great extent. The range of colours and designs available for the panel also depends on the type of material.
- Size – It is common knowledge that the shower panel should fit the size of the shower tray. But they should also fit the size of your walls. You can choose the height you want for your panels. It can be as short as four or five feet or as tall as six or eight feet.
- Durability – Shower panels, are going to be exposed to wetness and humidity all the time. A good shower panel material should be able to deal with all the conditions in a bathroom. Materials like PVC, glass, and acrylic are naturally waterproof, but MDF boards are not. In order to make MDF panels suitable for showers , manufacturers add a waterproofing layer on top of them.
- Design – Shower panels are one of the largest things that are going to be in your bathroom. So, you have to put some thought into selecting a shower panel that also looks good. There are completely clear panels, translucent panels, and opaque panels. Each one of these gives your bathroom a different look and feel. Decide which one of them you want before shopping.
Besides shower panels, there are many other materials that are going to be useful in a shower. These include shower doors, shower cabins, shower curtains, shower trays, shower curtain rods and many more. You can find all of them easily by using our shopping search engine . It will also let you compare the prices and features of different products and pick the best one from among them. Also, don’t forget to check out other amazing products from the bathroom fixtures category.
Question & Answer
What are the best shower panels?
A good panel for the shower should be durable, safe, and convenient. While PVC panels are low cost, they are not really durable. Therefore, the best materials among all others for shower panels are acrylic panels and glass. That being said, which one among these two is the better? Well, while it’s a tough choice, acrylic is better in some ways. Firstly, acrylic panels are less susceptible to breaking due to impact. Also, because acrylic is lighter than glass, it is easier to install acrylic panels. Acrylic also offers much more flexibility when it comes to moulding and designing them.
What can you use for shower walls besides tile?
There is nothing inherently wrong with using tiles for shower walls. But using a separate material from the rest of the bathroom wall can make for a unique aesthetic appeal. One way to do this is to use the same material as your shower panel to cover the wall as well. So, if you are using an acrylic panel for the shower, then use acrylic covering on the wall. If you are using fibreglass panels, then use fibreglass for walls. Another option is to use natural stones like marble and granite. There are also tinted-glass tiles specifically made for use on shower walls.
How long do shower panels last?
A shower panel can easily last more than fifteen years. While some people argue that tile walls can last much longer than that, the reason why you might need shower panels is that they are easier to clean and maintain. However, if nothing really bad happens, a good quality shower wall might last nearly as long as tile walls. But be really careful about what kind of cleaning products you use on the panel. Corrosive cleaning products can significantly reduce the lifespan of a panel. Also, shower panels might crack due to impact.
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