Proudly Manufacturing in the UKChoosing The Right Bath Panel
Choosing the right panel for your bathroom can be harder than you imagine. At BathPanelStore.co.uk we pride ourselves on giving our customers the best possible choice of bath panels to choose from. Here are a few things to consider when choosing the best panel to suit you and your bathroom.
Bath Panel Materials
Most bath panels are either made from MFC, standard MDF, moisture resistant MDF, water resistant MDF or Acrylic. Our AQUACLOAK moisture and water resistant MDF panels are solid and do not bend like acrylic panels when fitted correctly and provide a much more permanent panel for your bathroom.
When choosing an MDF panel look out for the following :-
- Thickness of board (typically 5mm – 18mm) - the thicker the board the less likely it is to bow and has a more solid looking end result
- Whether vinyl wrapped or sprayed. 'Vinyl wrapped' means that the panel has been wrapped in a plastic coating - this makes the finish very consistent, it's water resistant for longer and the finish lasts for the life of the panel. 'Sprayed' means that the panel has been sprayed with a paint to give its final finish
Acrylic Bath Panels have the following attributes
- Very easy to cut but split easily if knocked once installed
- Cheap
Bath Panel Styles
Bathrooms are all about style. We have the largest selection of stylish bath panels in the UK to suit any bathroom, from modern plain high gloss panels to traditional shaker and tongue and groove styles.
Bath Panel Shapes
Baths come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Replacing plastic bath panels on an unusually shaped bath, such as a corner baths, P & D shaped shower baths or offset baths, often meant trying to find the manufacturer of the bath which in most cases is very difficult or impossible. We have produced a flexible corner bath panel which can be used on any shaped bath including straight baths. We also accommodate the modern L shaped square shower bath with a 3 piece panel.
Bath Panel Sizes
Different sized bathrooms need different sized bath panels. Most manufacturers only sell the standard sizes which are:
These sizes fit most installations and the standard 1700mm is the UK’s most common size. However, not all installations are the same so as well as the standard size bath panels we also manufacture different sizes as standards including 750mm, 900mm, 1200mm, 1400mm, 1500mm, 1675mm and 1680mm. These sizes normally accommodate bathrooms with mobility pools or old cast iron baths.
On new installations baths can normally be adjusted in height using the bath legs supplied but if you are replacing a bath panel and cannot adjust the height of the bath because of tiles, pipe work etc., you will have to check the height of the panels carefully. Each manufacturer seems to make slightly different height panels so please check this before ordering, Most panels come as either:
- 1 piece - a fixed height and non adjustable
- 2 piece - one fixed height panel and a separate plinth which is installed either in front or behind the main panel to the required height; this option also helps make a neat job of sloping floors
For those bathrooms with very specific requirements or just to make installation easy, we offer a custom sized made to measure bath panel service - this service allows you to tell us the exact measurements of the bath panel you require. We will then make it in our factory to your specifications and deliver it to your home for you to simply install.
Bath Panel Finishes
Bath panels are coming in more and more finishes now and more people are choosing to add colour or and texture to their bathrooms with the bath panels. Standard colours are now:
- High Gloss White
- Matt White
- High Gloss Black
- Matt Black
- Anthracite (Gun Metal Grey)
- High Gloss Silver
- High Gloss Cream
- Matt Cream
- High Gloss Red
- Aubergine / Purple
Panels also come in wood effects to match furniture, wall cabinets and toilet seats; these wood effects include:
As well as stone effect bath panels such as Black Graphite and Black Galaxy
Other Bath Panel Ideas
We are always looking for new and inventive things to do with bath panels and over the last few years a number of great and exciting ideas have been added to our product ranges such as a personalised engraving service, split bath panels to help with installing into small over crowded bathrooms, Low level bath panels to aid getting in and out of the bath and extra high bath panels for raised bath installations. We have also introduced two new brands of our own to help the more creative homeowners and installer. Marinex Marine Ply Bath Panels are perfect for Tiling onto and TubCraft bath panels allow you to paint your bath panel to match walls or bathroom furniture.
LED Lighting
Bathroom lighting is becoming very important - why not push the boat out and opt for one of our LED bath panels? These are fully waterproof and really add the wow factor to any bathroom. These should be installed by a qualified electrician and be wired to the bathroom lighting circuit to be controlled with the main lights or to a separate switch to create mood lighting in your bathroom.
Storage and Delivery
Your panel will be delivered by our couriers TNT; TNT will send an email to confirm they will be delivering and will need a signature on delivery. Once you have your new panel, remove it from the protective card and check the panel is correct then place it back into the protective card and lay flat on the floor to acclimatise prior to installation. If storing the panel for a long period of time it is important to lay on a flat surface.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: What is a bath panel lip?
Answer:
A bath panel lip is a 5mm extension to the top edge of the bath panel, available on our 15 and 18mm range only. It is useful on installation of the panel to slide under the edge of the bath to keep the top of the panel flush. This can, however, make installation tricky as most baths have an uneven under edge. For best results opt for a panel without a lip and fix the panel securely to your bath frame or battens surrounding the edges of the bath.
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Answer:
A bath panel frame is advisable and ideally should be constructed from 1.5"-2" batons; this will help support your panel as well as strengthening your bath. A simple construction, as in the picture opposite, will give you ultimate support and allow you to fit your new panel easily and firmly.
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