Wall panels for the kitchen: a review of materials, cost, photo

Wall panels for the kitchen are a real lifesaver. This facing material will help in many cases. Uneven and crumbling walls can be easily fixed with inexpensive materials, hiding all flaws in one fell swoop. At the same time, installation will take a little time, such a wall will last a very long time, and the choice of design solutions is simply huge.

Features and Benefits

Kitchen wall panels solve many problems:

• The surface is leveled in one layer, without removing the old.
• Underneath is the entire external wiring harness.
• Places of connections to columns and boilers will look very neat.
• The entire working area is protected against splashes of water and grease.
• Additional insulation and soundproofing.
• The ceiling and curved walls are aligned. This option is optimal for apartments with floor slabs, which eventually shift and sag.

Such repairs are convenient in that there is almost no construction debris. And it’s also very good that you can not wait for the paint and plaster to dry out, and do not carry out “wet repairs”.

The decorative surface will help to combine the countertop with the wall and become a catchy accent of the interior. You can extend the wall panel for the kitchen even further and veneer it and the ceiling. See how the illuminated glass looks original - flash panels for the kitchen photo. The room is getting wider. Moreover, each figure is individual and such products look memorable.

What types are

1. Wall panels are made for interior and exterior decoration.

• External (from plaster, stone, concrete). Today’s technology makes it possible to use even paraffin-impregnated chipboard for the street.
• There are a lot of options for interior decoration: 3D (plastic, MDF, gypsum, polyurethane); soft (eco-leather); bamboo.

1. Wall panels vary in functionality.

• To protect working areas - aprons (up to 60 cm wide).
• To protect and decorate the walls, and their dimensions can be limited only by the footage of the room.

Materials

PVC plastic. The cheapest, but at the same time quite durable. They are light and flexible; they are conveniently mounted on curved planes. Plastic is mounted on the walls and ceiling with high humidity (in unheated houses), since the material is not subject to decay. They are also easy to clean with ordinary detergents. In color panels, the drawing is applied by offset printing or thermal transfer, and is fixed on top with a layer of varnish. The second option is lamination. In this case, the plastic becomes textured.

Plastic may not be mounted on all work areas. Those adjacent to a gas or electric stove will deform at high temperature. Disadvantages of PVC - soft and combustible material, easily scratched. White slats will turn yellow after a while.

Another variety of such panels is acrylic. They are lightweight, durable, do not fade and have the best glossy performance. Their only drawback may be considered high cost.

Particleboard and fiberboard, coated and without. These materials belong to the middle price range and vary in price and characteristics. Only standard sizes are available for sale. But there are a lot of design options. You can choose panels of various thicknesses, with the necessary degree of load.

Particleboard has been laminated for a long time, and such products are much better than ordinary wood-based panels. In the latter, a thin film of paper serves as protection, which over time will surely begin to pass fat and moisture inside. The surface will swell and deform. In laminated surfaces, the top layer is protected by a strong transparent varnish that protects the internal structure of the plate from mechanical stress and wetting.

MDF and HDF board these are high-density materials, hot-bonded. New - a thin HDF-plate is not inferior in quality to a thicker MDF. Such surfaces can be installed in all areas (dining and working). The materials are completely harmless (in the composition - trees from the areas of sanitary felling), do not succumb to wet and high temperatures.

A decorative plastic or laminated layer can be anything:

• glossy
• plain
• under the skin, natural stone or wood,
• imitate popular types of metal.

In some cases (in conditions of high humidity), a plate has to be laminated on both sides.

Glass - ordinary with or without drawing, hardened or multi-layer. Glass is uniqueness and light. This finish is the most expensive, but also the most spectacular. A one-piece decorative panel for a kitchen made of glass is always made to a specific size. It is used both ordinary (film with a picture and the outer glass layer), and three-layer glass that cannot be damaged or scratched (at least 4 mm thick). In the latter case, under the glass is a decorative layer of film with a pattern. And below it is the base of the wall panel.

Another option is small glass and mirror squares, ranging in size from 18 to 60 cm. They can have seams or look like a monolithic wall. With the help of glass, they also protect expensive and unstable finishing materials - ancient tiles, decorative panels.

The main decorative methods:

• staining
• matting
• 3D printing
• the photo.

Such products can be mounted above the sink and stove. Glass does not absorb odors, is well cleaned, hygienic and does not change color over time. Moreover, each apron makes the interior unique.

Another expensive type of wall panel is wooden. Walls can be sheathed either with whole plates or with small slats. The base is made of cheap technical species, but the top layer is the veneer of expensive wood. Their connections in the form of grooves or protrusions, and after installation become completely invisible. But any tree under the influence of steam will dry and crack, and when it comes in contact with water, it will absorb moisture. Therefore, it is best to fix such walls in the dining area, and in the working area - to combine.

Dimensions

Wall panels for the kitchen are different sizes, which is very convenient for all types of rooms. You can always choose the best finishing option. The average thickness of the plate is from 3 to 10 mm, the length is 2.5 or 3 m.

Manufacturers have a tendency to reduce wall panels. If the first copies were 1 cm, now there are a lot of 3-4 mm on sale.

1. Rack and pinion. These are not wide strips from 12 to 50 cm wide and up to 3 meters long. Most often these are inexpensive plastic products connected with grooves and fixed to the crates.
2. Rectangular, tiled. Their length is from 30 to 60 cm. Such kitchen panels instead of ceramic tiles will be a wonderful replacement.
3. Sheet - the most convenient. Their sizes range from one and a half to three meters. They are the easiest to install - cut out the required size and fastened to the wall.

Color schemes and decor

1. Even cheap plastic quite plausibly copies wood. The varnished texture can be embossed and resemble a board, marble or textured plaster.
2. White slats are in perfect harmony in the Provencal style kitchens, consisting of light pastel shades.
3. For rooms in a rustic manner or country, a tree or its imitation is suitable.
4. But in classic kitchens in daylight, glossy plastic will look like a foreign body.
5. Using glass, you can transform and enlarge a small and dark room. White headset is perfectly combined with dark photo printing. A strict monophonic interior with the help of a bright apron will receive the accent he needs.

How to install do-it-yourself

Materials are fastened in various ways: on metal profiles, crate, with glue or directly on the wall.

1. When installing PVC strips, you should calculate the distance between them, based on their weight and width. The thinner and lighter they are, the smaller the interval should be. The sides of the panels are assembled together using grooves, and the sides and top are closed with a similar plastic profile.
2. Finished sheets of chipboard, MDF are cut and the edges are closed with special ribbons. This must be done, as otherwise moisture will get inside and the stove will begin to delaminate.
3. Installation of particle boards is carried out in any direction (vertical and horizontal). If the panel goes to the entire wall, then it is mounted using special hooks. Under very wide and heavy sheets, a special metal frame is made.
4. Manufacturers do not recommend using screws directly on the wall or on the crate, as the integrity of the wooden panel may be impaired. She will begin to absorb moisture and fail.

How much are

Wall panels, due to their versatility and versatility, are very popular. Some of them are quite expensive - especially for textured and textured sheets (the so-called 3D).

• Plastic and PVC belong to the economy option. Their price is from a thousand rubles per sheet (2.5m * 1.2m).
• The price on the MDF panel starts at 1.5 thousand. rubles (3m * 60 cm). Lamination of panels is single and double pressing (HPL). The last sample is more expensive, but for the working area of ​​the kitchen is most justified.
• Glass panels have different price ranges. Ordinary glass with a pattern will cost you less and you can cut and fix it yourself without resorting to the services of a wizard. But hardened is much more expensive, this is an expensive segment of finishing materials (from 2 thousand. rubles per linear meter).

Overview of the best manufacturers

1. Isotex. This company from Finland is quite famous in Moscow and abroad. Their kitchen wall panels are moisture resistant. Installation can be carried out in rooms with unstable indicators of temperature and humidity.

The basis of such a panel is fiberboard with paper or textile coating.

1. A German company that produces all kinds of wood products: laminate, parquet, cork, veneered parquet and wall panels made of MDF. The novelty of the last season is 3D-panels made of MDF, interconnected by a system of double grooves.

They can be used in any room, even saunas, avoiding only places with running water.

1. Green Line. Leading domestic manufacturer of PVC panels, whose facilities are located in the Vladimir region. In his catalogs, you will choose a wide range of 3D plastic products that you can buy inexpensively and install yourself.

Photo: wall panels for the kitchen in the interior