Wall panels have been present in homes for years, having first been introduced to the bathroom industry as an alternative to tiles. In recent years, however, wall panels have become a prominent part of the bathroom market beyond simply being an alternative.
Multipanel’s Director of Key Accounts, Michael Dobson, says: “Modern innovation has led to state-of-the-art bathroom panels that serve, not just as an alternative product, but as the optimal choice for bathroom design, with huge benefits to both homebuilders, tradespeople and homeowners.”
Dobson takes us through the top 10 reasons to opt for bathroom panels for your next bathroom project:
- No grout
One of the biggest benefits to using wall panels in a bathroom is that there is no need for grouting. Grout is infamously messy, time consuming and is prone to contribute to installer error—with a relatively short shelf life.
Due to bathrooms being the most humid room in the home, grouting can also be a hot spot for mould and mildew. Using panels for a bathroom is a great choice, because you don’t have to worry about the mess, mould or hassle of grout.
If the look of tiles is what you or your customer is after, you can still get the best of both worlds with bathroom panels. At Multipanel, we have recently launched our Tile Collection, with grout lines that have been precision etched by state-of-the-art machinery which gives you the all the aesthetics of tile, with none of the inconvenience of grouting.
- Save time on installation
A real bonus of opting for bathroom panels instead of tiles is that they are quick to install and can be ready to use in just 24 hours. There’s no hanging around for grout to be applied and then dried before you can hop into the shower – which is particularly important if you only have one bathroom.
In fact, using bathroom panels instead of tiles saves on average 21 installation hours per bathroom, meaning they can be installed five times faster than tiles, which positively contributes to accelerating home completion timescales.
- Reduce snagging
Snagging issues can be both costly and time consuming to fix. Some of the most common snags in bathroom projects can be reduced by opting for bathroom panels.
By choosing waterproof wall panels instead of traditional tiles, you can eliminate the problem of water leakage due to improper tile installation and grouting in bathroom wet areas.
- Multiple style options
Don’t be mistaken in thinking that the look you can achieve with bathroom wall panels is limited. panels have come a long, long way, and as the market leader, Multipanel leads the charge in offering homeowners an array of design options to suit all homes.
Bathroom panels from Multipanel’s Neutral, Tile, Linda Barker, and Classic Collections are both beautiful and versatile, and are suited to almost any interior – from the largest bathroom to the smallest cloakroom. Great for a quick refresh or a complete bathroom revamp.
- Easy maintenance
As well as being easy to install, bathroom panels are easy for homeowners to maintain. There is no need for harsh bleach or chemicals when it comes to cleaning panels—all you need is warm water, normal soap and a soft sponge.
- Long Lifespan
Bathrooms with tiled walls should be re-sealed every year, and grouting loses its colour after a few years. The grouting used for tiles also needs to be replaced every 8-15 years. Wall panels have the advantage of lasting much longer—our Multipanel bathroom panels come with a 30-year warranty.
Using bathroom panels gives your bathroom more life, so you can be sure that the performance of the walls will perform well as long as you need them to.
- Upskill easily
If bathroom panels are an as-yet unfamiliar part of your trade, you need not worry. Bathroom panels are designed to be easy to install. At Multipanel, we have created Multipanel-U, a learning portal for homebuilders, architects and specifiers to learn how to install our panels professionally.
Opting for bathroom panels for your next project means you can add to your skillset, helping you increase your offering
- Sustainability
Making sustainable choices when it comes to your bathroom design/project doesn’t have to be a challenge when you opt for bathroom panels. For instance, Multipanel’s bathroom panels use sustainable timber, and are both Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC®) and Made in Britain certified.
The long lifespan of panels means that you are creating less waste, and additionally, our bathroom panels are recyclable, giving them a new lease of life when they are replaced.
- Cover over existing tiles
Another great benefit of wall panels is that you don’t need to spend time and resources on preparing the wall surface. Panels can be installed directly over old tiles, adding to the list of reasons why panels are easy to install.
- Waterproof
Using panels for your next bathroom project not only means that you can avoid the hassle of grout, it also means you can avoid the worry of water leakage.
Joining shower panels has now never been easier or more aesthetically pleasing – particularly with Multipanel. Our unique virtually seamless Hydrolock tongue and groove joint provides a watertight installation without the need for additional profiles so that there’s nothing to interrupt the flow of your beautiful wall of shower panel.
Multipanel is the UK’s leading manufacturer of bathroom wall panels, offering a sustainable and modern alternative to traditional bathroom tiling. Multipanel believes that sustainability should complement performance, in turn creating an easy-to-install, high quality, grout-free product that lasts for years.
Multipanel bathroom wall panels are available in a range of surface designs, including marble, granite, wood and tile effect.