About wall panels: types, characteristics, purpose

In the case of repairs in the apartment, the question inevitably arises of how to finish the walls. Wall decoration options are varied. This is a traditional wall painting, wallpaper and so on. At the same time, walls can be decorated with a relatively new material - wall panels. More recently, the range of wall panels has been rather scarce, but now there are many varieties of this finishing material. Unlike other materials, wall panels are easy to mount, they can be of a wide variety of colors, natural and chemical components are used for their manufacture. To understand all this diversity, you need to conduct a small review.

Characteristics of wall panels by type

So, modern wall panels are divided into:

Stacked rack panels.In appearance, these are planks fastened to each other, with a standard length of 240-370 cm, a width of 12.5-30 cm and a thickness of 8-12 mm. These are very compact sizes: it’s convenient to sheathe rooms with a small area or many bends and nooks and crannies. Stacked panels must be mounted on wooden or metal battens. You can connect them through the grooves, as well as the spikes. With the help of steel brackets or screws, they are attached to the crate. The material for the manufacture of such panels - particleboard, fiberboard, PVC, MDF.
Type-setting tile panels. These panels are made with squares of different sizes (from 30 to 98 cm). Such panels are attached to the walls by means of glue, as well as by special devices called clamps. Such panels are made of PVC, particleboard, fiberboard, MDF.
Sheet wall panels. They are the largest in size. Their size is 2.44 x 1.22 m with a thickness of 6 mm. They are made of PVC or fiberboard and impregnated with resins. On top of such panels are covered with several layers on which various patterns are applied. These panels are attached to the walls with glue. Compared to other types of panels, such panels, due to their size, can cover large areas in a relatively short time.

It should be borne in mind that in addition to the types of panels listed above that can be used to decorate walls, there are also individual types of panels, also called wall panels. Of these panels, internal partitions and walls are being erected. In addition, modern industry produces another type - sandwich panels. Exterior walls are made of them in modular buildings for residential and industrial use.

Materials for the production of wall panels

Information about what materials the panels are made of can be found in all kinds of catalogs. However, further clarification is needed here. Most of the panels are made from several materials, but there are also panels from homogeneous materials. So, what materials can wall panels be made of:

Made of wood. For this, various types of wood are used: maple, alder, oak, cedar, bamboo. Wood-paneled surfaces create coziness and warmth. Wooden panels are tiled, as well as rack. In addition, they are still of the mosaic type. Mosaic panels are made of fiberboard, and then covered with wooden slats.
From fiberboard. These are the most requested wall panels. The basis for their manufacture is natural wood fibers pressed under hot pressure.
From MDF. The technology of their manufacture and the material from which they are made are the same as that of fiberboard. These two types differ in that the MDF panels have a looser structure, due to which they retain heat more and hardly conduct sound.
From PVC. Panels of this kind are moisture resistant, serve for a long time, various patterns imitating wood, marble, wild stone, brick, tile, etc. are easily applied to them. In terms of form, these panels are slatted, sheet, tiled. They are also called "chameleons."
From glass. Glass panels can give the room lightness and extraordinary style. True, they are quite sensitive to physical influences, but currently such panels are made of durable glass. The color of such panels can be varied.
From gypsum vinyl. The basis of such panels is drywall coated with vinyl. This compares favorably with ordinary drywall. They have great strength and reliability, and their surface is covered with a diverse color palette.

As you can see, the modern market can offer a very impressive selection of the most diverse types of wall panels.