Bathroom Wall Panels – Does Size Matter?

Bathroom wall panels come in all shapes as sizes but which is best?

And do some designs lend themselves to certain applications better than others?

We will look into all of the available options and guide you through the decision making process.

What Are The Options?

There many options available on the market and some might suit your needs better than others.

The following table shows some typical panel sizes that are currently available. It also shows the number of panels that are typically found in a pack. Some retailers will sell panels individually but most will only have them available in pack quantities.

The pack quantities need to be taken into consideration when working out quantities. For example you might require 21 panels but they are in packs of 4 – you would need to order 24 panels. Although this might seems wasteful it is always worth having some spare panels in case of damage or errors in cutting.

Please note that most designs are available in one size only – one particular colour or pattern will not available in multiple sizes.

Even though there seems like a lot of options in this table,  the basic question that needs to be answered is:

“Are wider panels with less joints better than narrower panels with lots of joints?”

And unfortunately there is no one, simple answer as it depends on the circumstances.

Are you panelling the whole room or just inside a cubicle? If just inside a cubicle, is it a new installation or inside an existing enclosure? All of these factors need to be taken into account when asking does size matter and we will address them all individually.

Which Panels Are Best For Showers?

Shower panels tend to be at least 1000mm wide. Some of the wooden based systems have panels that are 1200 wide (see our guide on panel materials for more info). There are some PVC cladding systems such this one that is available in a 3000 x 1200mm size but panels this large are not the norm.

Obviously if you have a cubicle that is smaller than either of these sizes it enables you to cover the whole of one without any joints. We would say that this is an advantage. This is not because the joints are a potential leak point (they are not) but purely from an aesthetic point of view.

Smaller panels, such as those 250mm wide for example, will do exactly the same job. The panels are tongue and grooved and slot together to give you a waterproof surface. We recommend a thin bead of silicone inside the groove as a “belt and braces” approach to installation. This is only necessary in the shower area – there is no need if fitting the panels around the rest of the room.

Fitting Panels In An Existing Shower

In an existing shower we would usually recommend that you stick to the narrower 250mm wide panels.

This is purely for ease of installation. Metre-wide panels are difficult to manoeuvre into place inside a confined space such a cubicle. Smaller, narrower panels make the task much easier and will be cheaper as well.

You could try to temporarily removing the enclosure and leave the tray in place but this is usually a tricky procedure. Frames tend to get stuck to walls with lots of silicone so trying to pry them off without damaging them is next to impossible.

Panelling The Whole Bathroom

If you are thinking of a complete makeover for the whole room then you will be faced with a similar choice to that in a shower.

Again there is no hard and fast rule here although it is less usual to see whole rooms kitted out in the 100mm panels. Price is usually the issue as they tend to be somewhere in the region of double the price of 250mm panels.

The number of joints along any given wall also needs consideration. Let’s take a 1.7m wall as an example – typical wall width above a bath.

You would need 7 x 250mm panels for this area or 2 x 1000mm panels.

Aesthetically 6 and a half panels along a wall looks better than one and a half panels. The 6 joints look like part of the design. But with the large panels there will only be one joint and it will be off-centre unless you cut both panels.

Mixing Large Small Panels

This is a great option and will enable you to make a feature wall (or feature area inside the shower). But please note that some panels are different thicknesses. If you are considering doing this beware that not every panel will slot into every other panel – even from the same manufacturer.

It is best to get samples to see if the panels will work with each other. If not, then you will either have to butt-join them or use an H section joining trim.

Why Choose Bathroom Wall Panels Over Tiles?

Tiles are great but grout on the other hand…

The main reason panels have grown in popularity is because of the shortcomings of tiles. Showers regularly fail and cause their owners to look for alternatives. Bathroom wall panels are the perfect alternative as they provide an attractive, long lasting finish that is 100% waterproof with none of the drawbacks. So no mould, no scrubbing, no bleaching, no maintenance.