Can You Put Bathroom Wall Panels Over Tiles?

Bathroom Wall Paneling And Obstructions In This DIY Project

Wall tiles have long been used to decorate and style bathrooms. And there’s no denying that bathroom wall tiles produce reflective surfaces that draw attention. However, the notion of installing panels in the bathroom leaves the consumer perplexed about the selection of the best alternative to create charming bathroom decors.

The Comparative Analysis Between Tiles & Wall Panels

We’ve listed the most obvious variations between wall tiles and panels below.

• Panels are grout-free and therefore feature barely discernible seams. Tiles, in contrast, have obvious seams irrespective of the type and design you choose.
• The best quality bathroom shower panels don’t get stained but you can’t keep tiles from getting this evident damage.
• For ease of cleaning and maintenance, you’ll find paneling to be the best choice. That’s a major reason for homeowners shifting to paneling treatments for bathroom upgrades.
• When compared to tiles, bathroom paneling treatment is more pocket-friendly for covering the exact surface area.
• In terms of customizability, tiles get the upper hand and are preferable choices because wall panels don’t allow changes up to a considerable extent.
• Similarly, wall panels can’t beat tiles for being more durable and sturdy and there are more chances of paneling cracks or damages during DIY installations.

Bathroom Paneling Over Existing Tiles: Feasible Or Not?

The answer is a big “Yes” to the question and why not? When you can save a lot of time, effort, and money (not hiring professionals for demolition) by paneling the bathroom walls over existing tiles. Irrespective of the type of tiles already installed in the bathroom, you can proceed to fit the panels over them. Thus, there is no need to remove the existing bathroom tiles and you can proceed with paneling treatment for bathroom renovations.

Bathroom Panel Fitting Over Existing Tiles: The Procedure Explained

Now that you know about the feasibility of this bathroom renovation project, the question arises how can this task be efficiently performed by a DIYer? For your better understanding, we are going to break down the installation process into various steps. You just have to follow these steps to ensure a smooth and perfect paneling treatment.

1. Measure The Bathroom Walls

For a precise fitting, you have to cut the panels into appropriate sizes, especially when working around corners and edges. Therefore, taking wall measurements is a must to ensure perfect installations. Having this done, you can estimate how many panels will you require to completely cover the bathroom walls.

2. Gather The Supplies Needed

The following tools and materials should be preferably arranged for efficiently completing the installation.

• Caulking Gun
• Tape Measure
• Adhesive Sealant
• Sealing Kit
• Sandpaper
• Pencil
• Fine-toothed Saw
• Safety Goggles
• Sharp Blade

3. Cut & Install The Panels

Taking into account the wall measurements, you need to cut the wall panels to a suitable size. Make sure you use a jigsaw or fine-toothed saw and there are no rough edges.

4. Perform Sanding Procedure

There may be leftover wood debris or bumps that you have to eliminate for smooth panel surfaces. Yes, you guessed it right, sandpaper is to be used for this purpose.

5. Attach Trims To The Panels

Before fitting the wall décor panels, you have to attach trims using an adhesive sealant. After that, the panels are to be slotted into the trims. For corner attachments, you have to apply the adhesive on the panel as well as on the wall surface.

6. Finalize The Installation

Make sure you coat the panel surface with enough adhesive sealer that allows it to stick to the trim and it doesn’t fall off. Now, you have to place the panel against the wall and keep putting some gentle pressure on it for quite a while until the attachment is ensured. You have to repeat this step for installing all the panels.

In Conclusion

Bathroom wall paneling over existing tiles is possible by all means and should be preferred to save a lot of time, effort, and money that’s usually spent on professionals for bathroom demolition. In this post, we’ve explained the differences between wall panels and bathroom tiling. Plus, we have briefly yet comprehensively explained the DIY bathroom wall paneling procedure over existing tiles.