How To Fit Laminate Bathroom Wall Panels

In this article we’ll be taking you through what laminate bathroom wall panels are and how to fit laminate wall panels, on both uneven walls and over existing tiles.

Laminate bathroom wall panels or shower wall panels, as they are known, are a solid length of laminated wood, designed to be one continuous panel without grout lines.

The laminate bathroom wall panels feature a Hydrolock fitting system which has a watertight finish suitable for bathroom walls. The shower panels can be installed on uneven walls (with a variation of up to 6mm), over the top of existing tiles and have a 30-year warranty when installed correctly.

The click-fit bathroom wall panels are easy to keep clean with just a wipe down, with no grout to protect from discolouration, offering a simple fit solution with longevity. As the panels are made of wood, they aren’t too heavy and can therefore be manually lifted by two people.

If you’re looking to fit porcelain bathroom wall panels, then please read our XL tile handling guide.

To achieve professional results and a watertight finish, laminated bathroom wall panels need to be fixed to a correctly prepared substrate.

Walls should be dry, flat and even, free from dirt and grease. Smooth out any lumps and bumps, if necessary, by sanding and filling the wall and ensure to remove any wall paper or loose paint as this will interfere with the adhesive bond.

The Hydrolock tongue and groove joining system can cope with walls that are not completely level, the bathroom wall panels can still effortlessly click together with a bow in the wall of up to 6mm.

The older your home, the more likely it is to have uneven walls so fitting shower panels directly on to the walls could result in the adhesive not making sufficient contact creating an imperfect installation.

Uneven surfaces can of course be levelled by replastering however this will add time and cost to your project. Another solution is to create a batten frame in front of the uneven wall to create a level surface for the panelling.

Not only can battens level out the surface of the wall but it will also provide room for pipe concealment helping to create a clean and flush finish. Check your walls can support a firm screw hold and then place a vertical batten under every panel join. If you’re hanging anything heavy in these areas such as a shower frame, it will be best to install additional battens for added support.

We would always recommend removing tiles before fitting anything new onto your walls, to reduce the load weight if nothing else. However, in some cases this might not be possible. If the tiles aren’t being removed then the wall will need to be completely flat and level.

If you have a half-tiled wall, the untiled half of the wall will need to be battened out to be level with the existing tiles. If your walls are fully tiled, then the shower wall panels can be stuck to the tiled area using a high grab adhesive.

When using wall battens, the panels and profiles can be secured directly on to the battens using hard fixings such as screws rather than high-grab adhesive.

The laminate bathroom wall panels are supplied with full installation guides specific to the type of panel you have chosen. Looking for help installing shower panels around a bath? Read our dedicated guide for step-by-step advice and tips.