Unfortunately, few flooring materials are suitable for furnishing a bathroom or toilet. This is due to increased humidity and temperature changes. The best option for these rooms is to use porcelain stoneware tiles. It has the following positive aspects of operation: reliability, durability, resistance to mechanical stress, moisture and elevated temperatures. Recently, laminate flooring has been used to furnish toilets. Let's consider whether it is worth using laminate to decorate the interior of a toilet, how to choose the right material, the positive and negative aspects.
Finishing toilet walls with laminate. Installation methods and features.
The use of wood and all its variations as decorative wall decoration is a sign of refined taste and respectability.
But since the scope of use of wood and MDF is somewhat limited, an alternative has to be used. An excellent replacement is laminate. This type of finish appeared on the market thanks to the development of innovative technologies, which made it possible to obtain a surface almost identical to real wood, which costs much less. Thus, renovation using laminate panels that look like wood has become accessible to every family.
Laminate finishing will be appropriate in any room, regardless of its stylistic decision. Some owners go even further and decorate the toilet walls with laminate. Let's try to figure out what is needed for this.
Application benefits
If you decide to use a modern waterproof laminate to decorate your toilet, then this is an excellent option, which has the following positive aspects:
- Large range of products. You can choose any shade and texture. Regardless of the chosen design style, you can choose the best design option;
- Low cost. Ceramic and porcelain tiles have a cost several times higher than laminate. You can create a budget-friendly and practical room arrangement;
- You can create the installation yourself. The laminate has special latches or locks that allow you to create a tight seal. It is not necessary to contact professionals for installation;
- Dismantling is also very easy compared to linoleum and ceramic tiles;
- Surface warmth. Ceramic tiles cannot boast of this quality. Using laminate, you can create a warm floor; you can go to the toilet without slippers;
- You can choose materials that accurately imitate natural wood or ceramic tiles.
Parameters for selecting the type of laminate
Bathrooms and toilets are rooms with high humidity, so when choosing a laminate for wall decoration, you need to focus on the following parameters:
- How often the surface will need to be washed. If you plan to regularly clean the walls, a highly wear-resistant laminate is best.
- Which installation method is preferable? Here it is also important to take into account the moment of humidity and possible deformation of the panels in the event of even a small temperature difference.
At the same time, you need to know that laminate on the wall in a toilet may not be the best solution due to a number of its disadvantages:
- It is too susceptible to moisture, which means that when humidity increases, the panels will swell and gradually deform. An externally beautiful surface can very quickly become unusable.
- Laminate is sensitive to temperature, especially at high temperatures, which lead to cracking of the laminated layer of panels.
In this regard, we recommend that you think again before installing laminate flooring on the walls of the loggia, bathroom and kitchen. If the decision remains unchanged, then at least we advise you to choose the most expensive and high-quality laminate, which must be carefully looked after during operation and use various protective agents such as joint sealant.
Way out
However, there is a way out of this situation. The fact is that moisture is not absorbed through the front part - it is protected by a special film. Vapors or droplets penetrate through the joints between the slats and are absorbed into them. After all, there is no such protection on the sides. The lower part of the panel is also susceptible to absorption, but they can be protected.
Bathroom
Therefore, if you plan to install this material in the bathroom, adhere to the following rules:
- buy panels with the highest moisture resistance class;
- there must be an additional bottom moisture-proof layer;
- when the master lays the panels, he must coat the ends with a wax composition - this will protect against water penetration.
This way you can solve the issue of laying panels in toilets. But, nevertheless, it is worth keeping an eye on the surface.
Methods for installing laminate flooring on a toilet wall
There are only two options: installation with glue and on a wooden sheathing. Wall mounting using liquid nails or glue is popular due to its simplicity and the ability to combine different color and texture solutions of panels. In this case, you will need to carefully prepare the base - it must be perfectly smooth without any defects.
Attaching laminate flooring with glue to a wall with uneven surfaces can spoil the appearance of the finished coating, and during operation the panels may begin to peel off along with the putty. This fastening method is definitely not suitable for budget-conscious people, because you will have to spend a large sum on preparatory work alone.
Finishing a toilet with laminate using glue is very simple and you can do all the work yourself. You can glue any laminate with or without a locking joint.
Some manufacturers immediately produce laminate panels with a fastening system that will make it much faster to install the trim on the sheathing. In any case, to complete the work you will need:
- A small hammer and level to check for bevel.
- Pencil, ruler, square and tape measure for measurements.
- A wood hacksaw or jigsaw, which will allow you to trim much faster.
- A wooden block for padding the panels and spacer wedges that will help set the same gap.
Summary
It is best to use laminated panels of a high wear resistance class for installation in the bathroom and toilet. Their price is quite high, but otherwise the cladding will quickly deteriorate when exposed to moisture.
You can get inspiration from interior photos posted online, or trust your own taste. There is material on the market to suit every taste and budget, so the field for imagination is truly wide.
You can create an interior in any style. You can try to complete all the work yourself if you read the short list of installation recommendations. Then you can save on the work of a specialist.
But if you have doubts about your skills and abilities, it is better to hire an experienced craftsman who will definitely do everything as it should and will not have to do repairs again in a couple of months.
Review of manufacturers
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European manufacturers are the key to reliability and quality
Products manufactured in Europe are considered more reliable; their performance characteristics are far superior to those from China.
The best brands of plastic laminate
Aqua Step - waterproof board with perfect wood imitation
Let's take a look at the leading vinyl laminate manufacturers on the market:
| Name | Country of issue | Characteristic |
| Dumaplast | Belgium-France |
|
| AquaStep | Belgium |
|
Manufacturers of moisture-resistant laminate flooring
Choose a good coating so you don’t have to worry about a brand new renovation
Sometimes moisture-resistant laminate is also used for installation in the bathroom. Let's look at the best brands.
| Name | Country of issue | Characteristic |
| Quick Step | Belgium |
|
| Classen | Germany |
|
| Kaindl | Austria |
|
| Kronotex | Germany-Russia |
|
Product line from Quick Step
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Coating features
Finishing walls with laminate is unacceptable for kitchens, because under the influence of excess moisture and temperature fluctuations it will swell and warp. There is no way to avoid such influences; there is no protection against them. The same reasons do not allow us to recommend this coating for cellars, basements, and closets. But in hallways, where deviations from normal room conditions are rare and insignificant, such finishing is quite acceptable.
Covering a balcony with laminate is not a good idea. No matter how hard you try to equip the room, changing conditions from season to season will definitely affect the coating.
The strip of a click product can be adjusted accurately only with the help of a tool; no amount of effort is enough to do it manually. Most often, they apply a boss and hit it with a hammer, so the blows are evenly distributed in force.
You can also lay laminate on the wall using a rule (hook), erroneously called a clamp by some craftsmen. The indentation along the outer border is created by spacer wedges, and it is advisable to have a double set of such tools in case they fail. It is most reliable to cover a wall with laminate using lathing; this will help achieve high strength, enhance sound insulation and thermal insulation. But please note that the design will inevitably be limited. The adhesive method only helps to form an original design.
Laminate flooring is very durable (it lasts so long that you won’t see any wear and tear and will rather just want to change your surroundings). At the same time, the coating is completely safe and can be disposed of in the simplest way. Decorating walls with laminate is significantly more economical than using wood, and even lining or MDF, but is not inferior to them in external elegance. There are a lot of textures and colors mastered by technologists, and they will fit into any interior. An important factor is easy care. Only occasionally will you need to rub the wall with polish.
How and with what to fasten?
The adhesive laminate must be attached to flat surfaces. Liquid nails or construction silicone are used to hold it in place. The wrong side of the panel is covered with glue in the form of a zigzag, after laying the strip, coat the end with the same glue, and proceed to the next chain. If adhesive liquid appears at the boundaries of blocks and lines, it is immediately removed with a soft cloth made of natural fabric soaked in culinary acetic acid.
Laminate that is installed with glue cannot be fixed to the sheathing; it has too little contact strip with the support.
The tongue and groove type of laminate is equipped with a lock of the same name. This coating can be laid out without smearing the tongue with adhesives. Therefore, the borders of individual boards will not be stained with adhesive. If you don’t want to glue at all, you can nail the product to the surface in the manner of a regular lining. It is attached to a wood lattice using furniture nails or gluers (the second option is also suitable for an iron base).
For wall laying, you can also use click format laminate - this is an improved version of tongue and groove covering. The cut of the ridge is pear-shaped, as is the structure of the channels. The connecting structures push the ridge lobe of the lock into the niche, having first tilted the block. Then they twist the product towards the base and at the same time press lightly, due to which the lock closes. The click type of laminate is good for its high hardness.
Click coated gluers are not compatible. If you use them, you will not be able to latch the lock. But it is quite possible to glue the block onto a wooden sheathing yourself.
Methods
You can attach the laminate to the walls either with glue and liquid nails (but you will need to thoroughly level the base and prime it), or using slatted lathing (but it will take up some of the space, so it is not recommended in small rooms). If you decide to nail the covering to the entire wall or to its upper part, work begins from the ceiling to the floor; Decoration of the lower half of the walls is carried out from the floor upward. To ensure that the planks are firmly fixed, check their correct installation using a building level. When there are locks in the panels, they should be glued like this: first coat the surface with glue, then connect them into a lock, and only then attach them to the wall.
If you think that glue alone is not enough, additional reinforcement of the structure with nails or staples is acceptable. The tongue and groove board is attached to the sheathing with clamps at the top and bottom.
Additional items
The choice of items to strengthen and hold the structure is extremely important. The most common seemingly ordinary clamps are available in a wide range, and if you purchase the wrong product, you will devalue all your work. The thicker the panel that needs to be held, the larger the diameter of the tongue should be . Compared to other types of mechanical fasteners, clamps have the advantage of having a low risk of panels splitting. They are great even in rooms with significant humidity. A bracket with a jagged protrusion is driven into the board and held in place with self-tapping screws; a bracket with a flat protrusion will help press the protruding part of the click lock against the wall or sheathing.
When choosing liquid nails, be sure to check their area of application. They are both universal and intended for interior work. Very dense laminate cannot be attached to walls , so there is no point in using liquid nails to hold heavy objects. Acrylic composition cannot be used at subzero temperatures.
Covering the end of the laminate on the wall is not so easy, but this task can be solved. According to experts, profiles in the shape of the letter P, which are made from a variety of materials, will help - there are aluminum, plastic, and even wood. As an option, you can purchase a flexible rubber threshold. All these blocks can be attached using the same liquid nails or glue-sealant. Sometimes they also offer edge tapes, but any method should not disturb the color harmony of the canvas.
A separate topic is guides for wall mounting of laminate; the step between them should not be more than 0.6 meters.
How to lay it?
Laminate flooring swells as it becomes wetter. And therefore, no matter what installation method you choose, be sure to leave a gap of 1.5-2 centimeters from the corner along the entire perimeter. Spacer wedges on the walls can help with this, but there is a much better solution. Completely flat boards or slats of the required thickness are placed below, which are wrapped in thin plastic film. And on the sides you can safely use wedges, where they will not be squeezed out by the weight of the sheathing.
Experts recommend that after completing the work, lay a plinth over the gaps to prevent debris and dirt from accumulating there.
Laying the canvases should begin from the far left corners, it is carried out as the clock progresses. Left-handers will be more comfortable working on the right against the clock. Installation of laminate flooring is allowed both vertically (from left to right) and horizontally, with the second method being preferable. Solid strips, contrary to imaginary evidence, are by no means simpler or cheaper. Joints running along the same line must be covered with plinths attached to mounting nails.
The technology involves drilling mounting holes directly through panel joints. And even in the case when the wall is lined with continuous strips along its length, you will have to install skirting boards every 170 centimeters or even more often . Continuous panels support each other only in one direction, and if there is no additional reinforcement, the cladding can fold.
No matter how well you try to install the covering, no matter how high-quality nails, gluers and glue you use, these holding elements may no longer perform their function. Excessive proximity will create increased mechanical stress.
It is best to lay the laminate using the comb method: cut exactly in the middle as many strips as would fit on half of the horizontal rows. When ten lines can be laid in height, five strips are required to cut. Installation proceeds alternately: a solid part, then cut, again a whole block. This solution will make the load on the fasteners as uniform as possible.
Laminate on the wall - what makes this covering option unique?
Previously, the walls in the apartment were either covered with plaster or covered with wallpaper. In rooms such as a corridor, a bathroom, or a bathroom, decorative panels or tiles could be used. But designers continue to look for more and more interesting and practical options for wall decoration. Surprisingly, now they have begun to attach a material such as laminate to vertical surfaces, which is known to everyone as a practical, beautiful and interesting floor covering.
Laminate decor
Laminate on the wall in the interior
If we talk about laminate flooring, it is worth noting that it can not only imitate natural wood or stone, but also serve for many years. Moreover, it is so easy to install that anyone can install it, even without the involvement of outside help in the form of master finishers.
What influenced the fact that laminate began to be used for purposes other than its intended purpose? Why did they start mounting it on walls, and not just on floors? It's simple - this material is distinguished by its beauty and ease of installation, and fixing it on the walls is considered an even simpler task than laying it on the floor. Walls finished with laminate look very interesting; they can visually enlarge the space, make it more original and comfortable. Sometimes it is even fixed on ceilings.
Laminate on walls
On a note! Wall decoration with laminate is very often used in small rooms.
So, the advantages of finishing walls with laminate can be considered:
- the ability to obtain a perfectly flat wall surface;
- a chance to achieve the ideal color combination of the surface of the walls and floor, as well as furniture and other elements of the room;
Laminate layers
- laminate can be mounted by placing the lamellas both vertically and horizontally, which gives you a chance to choose the ideal wall design;
- laminate will allow you to perfectly zone the space and visually divide even the smallest and cramped room into several zones;
- laminate is much stronger and more reliable than traditional wall coverings such as panels; it will not break from an accidental blow to it, unlike PVC;
- By analogy with the previous point, laminate is much better than tiles - it does not break from impact and is much easier to install than the latter;
- This type of coating is very easy to care for – you don’t need to buy any specialized products to clean it;
- This is an environmentally friendly material that can easily imitate a wooden or stone surface due to the variety of colors and textures.
What do the images on laminate packaging mean?
But laminated walls also have their drawbacks, which are important to consider when deciding on this option for wall decoration. For example, do not forget that laminate does not like water, which means that it should not be installed in a bathroom or on the floor or on the walls. This material will deteriorate quite quickly in conditions of high humidity. The exception is moisture-resistant lamellas, which have increased resistance to water, but are much more expensive than regular standard laminate.
It is also worth assessing your budget. Laminate, although considered far from the most expensive floor covering, is still more expensive than the same PVC wall panels. And one more feature that is important to know: laminate is a heavy material, and it must be securely attached to the walls, otherwise it may collapse . But it is important to understand that under the influence of humidity and temperature, the coating can slightly change its physical parameters (dimensions), which means that it is better to avoid a clear and rigid connection of the lamellas with each other.
Which one is best to choose?
Laminate, ideal for wall coverings in the bathroom, is divided into moisture- and water-resistant. The first is made on the basis of wood-based materials. It is not intended for direct and prolonged contact with water and has surface protection against atmospheric moisture. When wet for a long time, the material swells and loses its original properties. The waterproof material is made from artificial compounds and is therefore ideally protected from both dampness and water. It is most suitable for installation in the bathroom.
Types of waterproof laminate
Laminate with waterproof characteristics is produced on the basis of:
- Plastic or polyvinyl chloride.
- Vinyl multilayer.
PVC-based laminate has a simple single-layer structure. The lamellas have air pockets in their design. They serve to increase the sound and heat insulation properties of the material, as well as reduce its weight while maintaining strength. The front side of the panels has decorative and protective layers.
Vinyl is the most modern and ideal finishing material for bathrooms. Its structure includes at least 4 layers - protective, textured, elastic and responsible for strength. Available in different modifications - panels, tiles, rolls. There are also materials with a self-adhesive adhesive base.
Features of laminate wall finishing
Thus, it is quite possible to attach laminate flooring to walls. The main thing is to adequately evaluate all the pros and cons and make an informed decision. The recommendations below will help you make your choice.
- Laminate is a wear-resistant material, but it is still recommended to put one that has a good class on the floor . But you can fix the thinnest one on the walls - the impact on it will still be much less than on the floor.
- You should not hang laminate on the walls near the radiators - in this part of the room it is better to choose another finishing option . Hot air during the heating season will negatively affect the condition of the lamellas and can render them unusable.
- In any case, the walls need to be leveled before installing the laminate, if they do not have a perfectly flat surface . However, here everything will largely depend on the method of fixing the coating. Craftsmen also note that this finishing option helps in some cases to hide defects and unevenness of vertical surfaces.
Class, color and other factors
When choosing laminate for walls, you can relax a little. It is more difficult to choose for the floor, since the base is in any case exposed to much greater impact than the same walls. But, nevertheless, the class, color and type of coating must be taken into account when deciding to install it on the walls.
Laminate class table
Table. Tips for choosing laminate.
Care
Properly installed laminate flooring requires minimal maintenance.
The main thing is to prevent increased accumulation of dampness on the walls, ensure good ventilation in the room and avoid direct contact with water. When choosing a laminate for a bathroom, it is better to give preference to waterproof multilayer modifications based on vinyl or PVC. Locking systems are more durable, but will require additional preparation in the form of lathing, and for adhesive lamellas the wall will need to be leveled. Properly installed waterproof laminate does not require special care.
Using laminate to decorate walls in a toilet
Finding original decoration is always difficult, especially if you plan to decorate not the simplest room, but a toilet or a combined bathroom. Standard tiles or porcelain tiles certainly cannot be called unique decor, and you have to look for other types of decoration. In addition, the situation is complicated by the requirements for materials in terms of moisture resistance. Under such conditions, there is one solution that may interest you - finishing the toilet walls with laminate, photo illustrations of which can be seen in this article along with design examples.
Examples
Sometimes it can be difficult to imagine an unfamiliar material in the interior and therefore, you definitely need to look at at least a few examples of such design. Below are some photos of examples of what finishing a toilet with laminate looks like and how its walls look after such a renovation. In addition, it is possible to choose the appropriate option on the Internet.
Why laminate
Among the variety of materials for wall decoration, laminate is considered almost the last, and there are reasons for this. This coating was originally intended for flooring. At the same time, the material seems unsuitable to many due to the fact that moisture can become the enemy of the coating. In general, everything is correct, however, if we consider the main properties of the coating in more detail, we get a completely different picture:
- Laminate can be of various types, among which there are also waterproof modifications - the problem with moisture is solved immediately.
- The fact that it is intended for floors is also not a problem - porcelain stoneware was originally invented specifically for finishing the surface underfoot, and only then models for walls appeared.
- Strength is not in question - if the material can be walked on, then a much lower load on the walls will allow it to last for a very long time.
- Externally, the material looks like wood. At the same time, the use of natural materials and their imitations is now a very fashionable idea.
- The color and texture are selected from hundreds of options - you can find one suitable for absolutely any style and design.
- You can attach the coating in several ways and this will help solve several other related problems. For example, you don’t have to level the planes, as is necessary when laying tiles.
- The originality of the solution will be one of the main trump cards - finishing the walls in the toilet with laminate is almost unique, and beautiful options for laying out the parts can be found on the Internet.
- In large combined bathrooms, you can zone the space, using either materials of different colors, or highlighting a specific part of the room with laminate.
- You can do everything yourself if you have a minimum set of simple tools.
- The cost of coverage can vary greatly depending on various factors. However, you can find both very expensive and quite budget models.
- In terms of time, such repairs will only take a couple of days, if you are not in a hurry. In principle, finishing can be completed in one day.
Considering the listed advantages, you can take a different look at both the coating itself and the possibility of using it in this part of the house.
Color solutions
Most often, classic laminate flooring is laid on the walls under wooden panels. In private homes and classic interiors, it looks good as the main material.
But you can also use it instead of an accent: to decorate functional areas, a niche for a TV, or the space behind the head of the bed. In small rooms it looks stylish when creating a transition between wall decoration and floor decoration. This technique visually enlarges the room and corrects its geometry.
Light, bleached or aged laminate will fit into rustic country and romantic Provence. And dark panels imitating precious wood are good in neoclassical, English or modern styles.
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Features to consider
If you like this finishing option, you need to remember several important features of this material. First of all, they are related to moisture resistance:
- To decorate bathrooms, you can use different types of parts: with a protective coating that ensures water resistance and without it. The second option is suitable in cases where a separate toilet is designed rather than combined with a bathroom.
- In the sink area and near the shower in combined bathrooms, splashes may fall directly onto the coating. A combined finish is best suited here - the walls are decorated with laminate in those places where there will be no contact with water, and those areas of the toilet walls where water can get on them are decorated with tiles or other water-resistant material.
- During installation, it is advisable to use a special sealant for seams. Which will prevent moisture from getting under the coating.
- Too dark colors should not be used - the room is very small and dark shades will only make it visually smaller. For large bathrooms, dark types of coating can be an interesting solution, if the general design idea implies this.
- The coating can be attached directly to the surface using glue, if it is initially quite flat. If there are level differences on the plane, it is better to use a sheathing made of thin slats or a metal frame. This design will allow you to hide pipes or a layer of soundproofing and insulating materials.
Taking into account these points, you can make this part of the house very interesting in terms of decoration, without spending too much money and time.
Rules for choosing materials
In order for the laminate to be not only practical, but also durable, for the presented room you need to choose a coating based on the following rules:
- The coating must be protected from moisture. It is best to use a varnished surface. A layer of varnish provides additional protection, creating an attractive interior. You also need to pay attention to waterproof slats. This will allow you not to change the decoration in this room for a long time;
- Attractive appearance. The shade and texture of the floor must correspond to the chosen interior style. Since the room is small, it is best to use light shades; they will visually make the toilet several times larger;
- Choose the right type of locks. This affects the quality of the product and ease of installation. Usually a special lock is used; for toilets, it is best to use wax-coated locks.
