Decorating the walls of the room with mdf panels. Finishing MDF is an easy way to transform a room at minimal cost. Adhesive method of mounting MDF lamellas on the wall

How to clad the interior surfaces of the premises using modern MDF wall panels to achieve the striking stylish design shown in a photo, we will consider in this article.

Material for MDF panels

In residential buildings and apartments, their use was limited to the decoration of hallways and loggias. The design of MDF panels was not very diverse and therefore this material was considered a budget option for an official restrained style.

Budget option for a room

Now MDF products are used for wall cladding, which are sometimes difficult to attribute to this material. They differ not only in their quality, but also in their diverse appearance.

Light colored panels

But let's first look at what these products generally represent. MDF wall panels are a decorative finishing coating of wood origin, made from wood waste, crushed to a dust fraction, with the addition of organic binders.

That is why the abbreviation MDF stands for "fine fraction". During the manufacturing process, the raw material is subjected not only to pressure, but also to high temperatures, as a result, the processed product in the form of panels is obtained with a dense homogeneous structure.

In terms of the possibilities of further processing during installation, such products surpass even natural wood and are not inferior to it in terms of technological and environmental requirements. The panels are mounted either by fixing them to a frame made of wood or a galvanized profile, or by gluing them to the wall surface with “liquid nails”.

TOP-8 types of MDF wall panels

By their form, the panels are:

1 In the form of rails(narrow panels) having a groove connection: a groove - a comb. They are easy to install on their own and are widely used for cladding.

Narrow panels with groove connection

2 In the form of sheets of various sizes. Sufficient sheet area allows you to use different techniques for its design: photo printing. 3D images, panels and graphics.

3 In the form of plates, similar to a large tile. For fastening in the design of these products, as well as for rack panels, a tongue-and-groove locking connection is provided.

In appearance they are produced:

4 With veneered surface when the top layer consists of a thin covering of natural wood, which is called veneer. The product has a look that is completely identical to a natural wooden board and is much lower in cost.

5 with laminated surface, representing a thin coating with a special film, with an imitation of various natural materials, color or plain patterns. A wide variety of designs make laminate products the most sought-after MDF products for wall cladding.

6 with painted surface when the lamella is painted on top in a variety of color shades. Paint performs a protective and decorative function.

7 The image is applied on the front side of the panel. From above it is covered with an acrylic colorless varnish that protects from external damage.

8 Panels with a pattern or pattern that has a 3D effect. These products are newly developed and are a novelty in design. The surface of the products, which depicts abstract three-dimensional drawings, geometric shapes imitating various types of relief, looks unusual and very impressive.

TOP-7 options for the use of modern MDF panels

Now, having such a variety of MDF products, you should not be limited to finishing only the corridor, balcony or loggia, although they can be decorated in a completely new way by choosing the appropriate design option. You can successfully decorate with such sheets the walls of the living room, hallway, kitchen, as well as ceilings, entrance doors, sides of flights of stairs.

Let's look at how to decorate rooms and places with different purposes with panel MDF.

Finishing the hallway with MDF panels

Given these features, it is better to finish the hallway with slatted panels. They are convenient for facing the hallway, because they are small in size and can fit into any problematic place.

The appearance of the surface of such products must match the style of the hallway and its characteristics. For facing a small hallway, light-colored products are better suited, they will visually enlarge this room.

Successful is the use of vertically arranged panels of yellow and white, which alternate with each other. The doors are upholstered with brown slats to match the furniture elements located in the corridor.

You can not completely decorate the walls in the hallway with panels. The corridor looks interesting, in which the walls are sheathed with MDF only from below, and from above they are pasted over with wallpaper that matches in tone.

This design can be applied to a medium-sized hallway or in a large space.

Using MDF panels to decorate the living room

For example, you can focus on one wall by lining it with 3D panels with a pattern that matches the style. The photo shows a design option for a living room, in which one wall is lined with 3D elements in the form of waves. This panel is well suited for the overall interior of the living room.

Designers often use paneling on a single wall to play with a piece of furniture, such as trimming the wall on which a TV hangs.

If you still decide to clad the walls in the living room completely with panels, carefully consider their location. Longitudinal arrangement is suitable for rooms with low ceilings. This visually increases the height of the room.

The transverse arrangement is suitable for large spaces.

Bedroom decoration

MDF is not afraid of large temperature fluctuations and is not subject to deformation from this. It is also better to sheathe the walls in the living room in fragments. Often they trim the wall at the head of the bed with such material.

It looks interesting to cover the wall behind the bed with 3D panels with an imitation of a carriage banner of the canvas. This design looks especially modern.

The use of MDF panels in the decoration of the bathroom and toilet

Modern MDF wall panels can be successfully used to finish the bathroom and toilet. Now many types of such products with moisture resistant qualities are being produced.

With the help of them, you can successfully imitate ceramic tiles without fear of destruction of the material from moisture. At the same time, it will cost much cheaper than tiles. At the same time, the variety of design design is much wider than ceramics. It is possible, with the help of panels, with fragments of a picture applied to them, to create a whole panel in the bathroom.

Having picked up products in the form necessary for the implementation of the intended style, you can decorate your bathroom in a completely original way.

The bathroom is finished with panels covered with a protective varnish in dark colors. With a white bathtub and sink, the walls look magical.

Using a design in light colors, you can get a completely different look to the bathroom.

These walls will last a long time. They also wash well from dirt without losing color brightness. The only negative is that you can not use aggressive cleaning products so as not to scratch the protective surface.

The protective and decorative layer of MDF must be protected from damage so as not to reduce the resistance of the material to moisture.

MDF panels are a fairly popular material that many people know about, and those who don’t know will definitely get acquainted with it in the process of selecting coatings and compositions for wall decoration. MDF is a fairly thin and light type of coating that can be used for a number of jobs, which include finishing vertical surfaces. Panels are made from small particles of wood, interconnected into a single array using high pressure accompanied by heating. The main component is lignin - a natural substance released by wood under the influence of high temperatures. And the main advantage of MDF panels is that they do not contain substances hazardous to human health (for example, phenol, which can be part of a number of adhesives used to create other derived materials from wood residues). Although a number of third-party substances, in addition to lignin, each panel still contains. It can be epoxy resin, which, when cured, does not pose a danger to the body.

On a note! The abbreviation MDF stands for "fine fraction".

The panels created in production are then decorated. That is, they need to be painted, pasted over with a special film, laminated. Only after that the panel can perform a decorative function. She is often able imitate various natural materials like wood or stone, but it can also have a completely different, brighter and more creative color.

MDF is used in various fields of human activity, but above all - for the production of furniture, doors, materials used to decorate surfaces inside rooms. In the latter case, we can say that the panels are suitable for finishing vertical and horizontal surfaces, including for the ceiling, sometimes they are also used for decorating floors, but very rarely (much will depend on the type of MDF, which will be discussed below). Most often, however, the panels can be seen precisely on the walls and ceilings.

Important! MDF panels that do not have a specific treatment do not like high humidity, so they can only be used indoors, provided that they are dry and warm enough. Otherwise, the material will become unusable very quickly. But laminated panels can be used for finishing kitchens and bathrooms.

The coating fully complies with sanitary standards and requirements, which means that the panels can be used for decoration even in bedrooms and children's rooms if desired. Panels are a great option to make walls smooth and pleasing to the eye in any room. The main thing is to choose them correctly.

Find out how to do it, and also check out interesting ideas (photos) and instructions in a special article on our portal.

Panel types

Not all MDF is the same and can be purchased for all types of work. It is important to understand here that there are certain types of panels, and each is used only in certain cases.

Table. The main types of MDF.

Depending on how the MDF panel is finished, it is also divided into several types.

1. Veneered, which resembles in appearance an ordinary natural tree. Sometimes such a panel can hardly be distinguished from an ordinary wooden board. That is, the panel is covered with veneer on the outside - thanks to it, it is possible to achieve the desired appearance. Veneer is the thinnest layer of natural wood. This is the most expensive option for MDF.
2. Painted panel can have any color, which can be achieved by applying coloring compounds to the material. Moreover, MDF can turn out both matte and glossy. There is no imitation of wood texture.
3. Laminated panel- cheap and affordable, this is the reason for its popularity. Outside, it is usually covered with a melamine film. Such panels look beautiful, and they are not afraid of water. They are also fairly easy to wash.

As for the format, for wall decoration can be used:

• rack MDF, 2.5-3.8 mm long and 13-28 cm wide;
• tiled square shape with a side width of 30-98 cm;
• sheet, with a length of one panel 1.25-2.5 m.

In the apartment, you can use both rack and tile variations of MDF. But for finishing spacious rooms it is better to buy a sheet version.

Prices for MDF panels

MDF panels

Advantages and disadvantages

We can say that MDF is one of the simplest, easiest and most convenient ways to finish walls and align them. But these panels have a number of other advantages.

Characteristics of MDF

1. Panels can protect walls from external influences.
2. The price of the material is relatively low, despite the fact that it is quite environmentally friendly and safe for humans.
3. It is easy and convenient to work with MDF - they are light and easy to process, do not generate dust, and a minimum of construction waste is formed. And for cutting panels, you can use both a hacksaw and a jigsaw. To install the panels, you do not need to have any special skills, just read the instructions on the Web. Yes, and you don’t have to align the walls first if the material is fixed on the bars.
4. If necessary, MDF is easy to dismantle.
5. Cleaning the panels is easy - dirt can be easily removed from them using a damp cloth.
6. The material has a beautiful appearance, is able to imitate various surfaces, and also has heat and sound insulation properties. This judgment is especially relevant if the panels were attached to a wooden frame base.

But it should be understood that there is not a single material that would not have flaws. And MDF has them too. So, the material (especially - simple, not laminated) is afraid of an increased level of humidity. Also, the panels are not durable, and if desired and as a result of negligence, they are easy to damage. Because, in fact, they rarely trim the floors. MDF, in addition to the refractory option, burns well, and this is also its minus. It is important to remember that when mounted on a wooden frame, the panels will take up some space and may narrow the room somewhat. So in cramped rooms it is not always worth mounting them.

Find out what to use for, and also check out the installation options and process in a special article on our portal.

Where to start work? Tools and materials

Working with MDF is easy and simple, but the master will still need a certain set of tools and materials. So, it is without fail a jigsaw or a hacksaw for sawing, a screwdriver, a pencil, a puncher, a tape measure. Of the materials in the right amount, you need to purchase fasteners, the panels themselves, as well as wooden bars or metal profiles. If wires are laid behind the panels, then it is advisable to purchase a corrugation for them.

Advice! Determining the required amount of coating is simple - for this you need to take measurements from the walls and perform simple arithmetic operations. By the way, it is better to purchase panels with a small margin - in the process of work, some of them may be damaged, and there should be no gaps between individual planks. So some panels may need to be replaced.

The finished look of the wall, finished with MDF, will give the finishing corners. It is worth purchasing them in advance and installing them after the installation of the coating is completed.

How can panels be fixed?

There are two ways to fix the material on the walls - using glue or a frame. The choice of method is usually made depending on the condition of the walls and the wishes of the master. So, adhesive version involves the installation of panels on an adhesive composition such as "liquid nails", but this method is only suitable if the surface of the walls themselves is not curved. This is the easiest way, but limited in its applicability. In other cases, only the wireframe method becomes relevant.

Frame method of fastening MDF- this is the creation on the wall surface of a crate-like structure made of bars or metal profiles. A similar frame is created when installing drywall on the walls, only the crossbars will be located horizontally. The step between the horizontal supports is 50 cm, and between the vertical bars that serve as a support for the horizontal ones - about 3 m.

The panels themselves are fastened to the crate using clamps. They are installed from the end of the panel so that they will not interfere with fixing the next panel on the crate, but they will perfectly hold on it the one that was fixed with their help.

Wall panels are a quick and inexpensive repair, and at the same time a neat and stylish appearance of the room.

The process of mounting panels on the frame

Step 1. The first step is to inspect the walls and identify the most protruding place on them. It is on him that you will have to focus when creating the frame. On the wall surface, using a pencil, you can make notes for the crate (the distance between the horizontal parts of the crate is 40-50 cm). You need to take a bar 20x40 mm and file it into segments of the desired length (this is usually the width of the wall).

Important! The frame rails are always attached strictly perpendicular to the panels, so if they have a different orientation, then the frame lines will be drawn in accordance with their orientation (for example, not horizontally, but vertically).

Step 2 Next, the bars must be attached with self-tapping screws on the wall strictly horizontally. It is important to understand that if the wall is concrete, then you first need to mark the holes for the dowels, drill them, install the dowels, and then attach the rails to them.

Step 3 It is necessary to fix all the elements of the crate, observing a step of 40-50 cm. Above and below, near the floor and ceiling, you need to maintain a small distance - about 3-5 cm to the base.

Step 4 Before further work, it is important to make sure that the rails are fixed evenly. You can do this using a level.

Prices for building levels

Building levels

Step 5 If the wall is not even, then you can align the slats by placing pieces of bars of the desired thickness under the right places for support. These pieces of bars must be fixed with self-tapping screws.

Step 6 It is important to fasten the details of the crate both along the edges of the walls and in the area of ​​​​doorways.

Step 7 Now you can start installing the first panel. It starts from the corner of the room - you need to attach the first panel to the corner of the wall and check with a level that it is level. If necessary, the panels can be cut to the desired length.

Step 8 Next, the panel must be attached to the laths of the crate using self-tapping screws. They are screwed only along the edge of the panel. Moreover, only the first panel or the last one is additionally fixed to the screws (in places that will be covered with skirting boards, corners, etc.).

Step 9 To fasten the remaining panels, you need to use special fasteners - kleimers. Kleimers must be installed as follows - slide into the groove of the previously installed panel and fix it on the crate with a construction stapler or small nails.

Step 11 Then you need to fix the panel with a clamp on the crate.

Step 12 All panels are fixed in the same way.

Step 13 If the panels need to be cut, then this is done like this. First you need to apply markup to the panel - how much it needs to be shortened or made narrower. And then just saw off the excess with a jigsaw or hacksaw.

Step 14 After all the panels have been installed, you can install the fittings to give the wall a finished look. Glue must be applied to the folding corner on the wrong side, then folded and glued into the joint between the walls, pressing firmly. Excess glue should be removed immediately with a cloth. Panel installation completed.

screwdriver prices

screwdriver

Video - Wall decoration with MDF panels

The nuances of the work

Mounting adhesive prices

Mounting adhesive

Working with MDF panels is not difficult, but there are certain nuances that should be taken into account when installing this material. So, the panels immediately need to be joined very tightly - any gaps between them are quite difficult to close, and they will be striking. Where it is possible to hide the heads of the self-tapping screws, it is better to additionally fix the panel itself with them - this will avoid distortions of the material in the future.

From the first panel, it is best to cut off the comb before installation. She doesn’t need it, but his absence will allow her to move the panel as close as possible to the corner. It is easy to cut the material, but sometimes it can crumble, and the laminated coating can crumple. So you need to work with a hacksaw or a jigsaw blade with very fine teeth, then this can be avoided.

Important! Always cut the material from the front side!

Some communications can also be laid behind the panels. But this aspect is important to take into account even before the installation of the frame, since the thickness of the bars will directly depend on how wide the free space between the panels and the wall is needed.

Find out which popular options can be used in a special article on our portal.

In general, there are no difficulties in working on wall cladding with MDF panels. The main thing is to strictly follow the instructions. Even a beginner can handle the job, so this is a great chance to save money on renovating the room if you do the MDF installation yourself.

To date, the easiest and fastest way to make the walls of your home beautiful and even is to finish with MDF panels. This solution is, of course, not suitable for all rooms, but for corridors, stairwells, closets and hallways, this material will be almost ideal. We will talk about it in this article, in which, together with the website, we will consider how the installation of MDF panels is carried out in a frame and frameless way with our own hands.

There are two ways to fix MDF panels on the walls - the so-called glue and frame. Both of these methods are good and are used depending on the circumstances. If the decoration of the walls with MDF panels provides for the hiding of any communications, then the frame method of fastening the MDF is used. If we are talking about finishing even walls, then the adhesive method is used.

Wall decoration with mdf panels photo

Installation of MDF panels: frame installation method

The very name of this method speaks for itself - for its implementation, you will need to build a frame, which in some way resembles the design that is used for. The difference lies only in the position of the carriers - if they are installed vertically to fasten drywall sheets, then MDF provides for a horizontal arrangement of profiles. In this regard, there are also features of the construction of such a frame.

In principle, at the first stage, everything happens in a similar way - the plane of the future frame is beaten off, then guide profiles are attached along the perimeter of the wall, on the floor, ceiling and adjacent walls. This is where the differences begin. In a given plane, the vertical cd bearing profiles are installed not after 600mm, but after 3000mm, which is the standard length of the carrier profile.

Installation of MDF panels: frame method

This is done in order to subsequently install horizontal cd bearing profiles between them, the pitch of which is 500 mm. They are connected to vertical profiles using crab cd connectors, and fixed to the wall with the same U-shaped brackets.

Mounting the frame is the main work in the process of installing MDF panels. Mounting itself is an easier process that almost everyone can handle. MDF panels are attached to the frame using clamps (special clips). The clamper itself is inserted into the groove located at the end of the panel before being attached to the frame, thus ensuring their secure fixation to the frame. The kleimers are designed so that they do not interfere with inserting the next panel into the groove.

Do-it-yourself installation of mdf panels photo

Do-it-yourself installation of panels on glue: installation features

Mounting MDF panels on walls with glue is much easier - the entire installation process is greatly facilitated by the absence of a metal or wooden frame, the construction of which takes a lot of time.

Installation of mdf wall panels photo

Before proceeding with the direct fastening of the panels, first we will deal with the glue that is used for these purposes. Or what kind of glue is not suitable here - you need a composition that has certain qualities.

• Firstly, the glue must be plastic even after hardening - the fact is that MDF panels made from pressed cardboard are highly susceptible to deformation depending on the temperature and humidity in the room. Therefore, an adhesive is needed that can quench these very thermal expansions.
• Secondly, the adhesive used for MDF panels should help them to fasten even in places where the walls are slightly curved. That is, the texture of the glue should make it possible to spread it both with a thin layer and with a thick one - in a word, it should be thick enough. Under these requirements, the so-called "", which are successfully used to solve the question of how to mount MDF panels, are the best fit for almost all masters.

Liquid nails for mounting mdf panels photo

The installation of panels with glue itself looks quite simple - its technology is almost completely described on a tube with Liquid Nails glue. It is not recommended to break it. To begin with, the walls glued with panels must be cleaned of dust and dirt - in principle, if you are going to seriously engage in self-repair, then the priming process, which is performed to clean the walls from dust and dirt, and at the same time to improve the adhesion of materials, should be included in your habit. Priming always, everything and everywhere.

Primer walls before mounting MDF panels photo

After the primer has dried, proceed to the direct gluing of the panels. In the meantime, it dries, you can do other preparations - for example, cut several dozen panels to size.

The glue is applied directly to the panel itself in a dotted manner and in a checkerboard pattern - the glue drops should be large. After the adhesive has been applied, the panel is pressed against the wall, firmly tapped and torn off. This is required by the gluing technology - it is necessary to tear off the panel so that the glue is weathered and the panel does not peel off from the wall under its own weight. To speed up the process and make the installation of MDF panels with your own hands faster, you can immediately, one after another, smear up to a dozen panels, attach them to the wall and tear them off. While the glue is weathered, it is allowed to smoke - after five minutes, the panels can be hooked onto the wall again and slammed down.

How to glue mdf panels on the wall photo

It is easy to glue the panels - it is much more difficult to cut them evenly and with high quality. In this regard, special attention must be paid to slopes and similar obstacles that get in the way of mounting MDF panels. It should be understood that the appearance of the room depends entirely on the even trimming of the panels.

Installing mdf panels on walls

Well, in conclusion, let's dwell on the main nuances of installation, which are typical for both methods of fastening MDF panels.

• First, there are the corners. It should be understood that bending MDF panels will not work, so they are simply cut as close to the corner as possible, after which the cut edges are safely covered with a special corner that can be used for both external and internal corners.
• Secondly, this is a frame - the lowest horizontal profile should lie on the floor. In this way, you will ensure a secure fastening of the skirting boards.
• Thirdly, in order to avoid distortion in the future, the first panel must be installed in accordance with the vertical level and firmly fixed with self-tapping screws in places where they will subsequently overlap (at the bottom with a plinth, at the top of the ceiling, in the corner with a decorative overlay). It is advisable to check the position of the panels with a level in the future - you should not control everything in a row, but you need to apply it to every fifth panel.

That's basically it. This is how MDF panels are installed. This process is not complicated and not simple, as, in general, any finishing work, in which your attitude to the little things plays an important role, which together affect the overall picture of the repair. Simply put, there are no trifles in this matter.

Wall decoration with MDF panels is not used so often. But this finish has its advantages, which are extremely difficult to dispute.
Therefore, this article will be about how to install MDF wall panels for interior decoration, you will learn all the intricacies of fixing this material. Get to know all the details.

Before buying, you should learn more about this type of finishing material. There are details that you may like, and there are things that will make you change your mind.
First of all, you should look at the photos and videos on this finishing material and imagine what exactly you want to see. After that, see what you will get in this design.
So:

• The installation of this material is dry. That is, you do not need to do a long alignment of the walls and spend money on it.
  Of course, this should be attributed to the merits;
• You can also immediately make additional wall insulation, this will be exactly as an addition, and not a separate work, therefore, the costs will decrease;
• Wall decoration with mdf plates is done completely with your own hands and without outside help. This greatly reduces the cost of the entire structure;
• Finishing with MDF panels, even without the use of additional materials, is an additional heat and sound insulation;
• After installation, you do not need to do additional cladding of the plane. And this is a direct cost reduction.

And how to do without disadvantages, they must be considered:

• Wall panels for MDF interior decoration are afraid of dampness, and this is quite important. They should no longer be used in rooms with high humidity;
• Some have seen MDF paneling in the office, the bottom edge of the finish is not attractive. It cracks and swells.
  Therefore, it should immediately be said that they should not be fixed in the veranda. Here, temperature drops and splashes from shoes can still fall on the coating;
• This finish occupies a usable area, is not attached to the frame. Moreover, it is possible to damage it mechanically and it will be impossible to make repairs unnoticed;
• The low fire safety of the material can also repel the consumer;
• Well, and most importantly, they will look extremely ridiculous and office-like in the hall. But if you use them when decorating an office or a hallway (see Decorating a hallway with MDF panels: types of panels and installation), then it will be just right.

We start finishing

If you decide to use this type of wall decoration and everything suits you, then for a start you should look at the interiors with MDF trim. There are several options here and it is necessary to decide on this at the initial stage.
All work will be done by hand and without outside help. Only in its implementation it is necessary to adhere to certain rules.

Surface preparation

This will be the first stage, which will largely determine the durability of the structure.

Attention: If your base plane is covered with a plaster layer of more than 10 cm and at the same time it was damp before. Then it will have to be completely removed.
Otherwise, MDF panels will absorb moisture and will peel and warp. Yes, and the mount will turn out then not too strong.
Need too long screws.

So:

• We clean the plane from the previous coating and for this we use a metal brush. We remove everything from wallpaper to plaster.
  We should have a completely clean base;

• Now you should treat the surface with antiseptics, they are commercially available. Give preference to a deep penetration liquid and treat a couple of times.
  Make sure to do this, it will significantly extend the life of the entire structure;
• After cleaning and processing, the surface should be coated with a primer layer. To do this, use a brush or spray gun.

Lathing installation

MDF sheet panels for interior decoration are mounted on a frame, which can be made from a metal corner or wood. The design is not light weight and therefore it is worth doing everything thoroughly.
The fastening must be rigid and reliable.

Attention: If you chose a tree for the frame, then it should be treated with antiseptics and done in advance.
This will significantly increase the life of the wood and protect against mold and rot. Allow the material to dry completely before installation.

So:

• First you need to determine the correct mounting plane. After all, the panel is a rather rigid structure and you cannot fix it over bumps.
  Yes, and the edges must completely match in height. To do this, we take a plumb line and attach it to the wall and determine the degree of its deviation.
  You should immediately take into account the thickness of the insulation, if you install it. We put marks on the wall at the top and at the bottom.
  After that, you need to connect these points and for this we use a nylon thread. We do this on all planes.
  This will be the contour of the fastening of the panels;
• Now we take the slats and cut them into the desired size. It should be noted that they should be made a little shorter, about one cm.
  They should not be fixed end-to-end against the wall. This way you will avoid trouble with temperature changes;
• We attach rails. If the wall is made of wood, then self-tapping screws are perfect.
  If the plane is made of concrete or brick, then you should make holes with a puncher and then make a connection with dowels. We make the fastening step not less than 40 cm;

When renovating a house, you always want to kill two birds with one stone and combine high quality materials with low cost. At first glance, such an idea seems utopian, but what if we tell you that it is quite real?

In this article, we will not only talk about how MDF wall paneling is done, but also show a short video on how to sheathe MDF walls.

Something that should not be forgotten

Before moving on to a detailed answer to the question of how to sheathe walls with MDF panels, let's take some time for useful tips. In order for the repair to turn out to be of high quality and last for many years, it is necessary to do it, observing all the rules and regulations.

Often, such rules are neglected, and then, when the finish begins to deteriorate, they complain about low-quality materials and everything else.

Most often in such situations, the problem is in the person who made the repair, so here are some practical tips:

• Before sheathing the walls with MDF panels, be sure to prepare the base. Walls need additional protection so that fungus does not form on their surface. This can be done using a special deep penetration primer or impregnation for concrete or stone surfaces.
• If the crate under the panel will be made of wooden bars, treat them all with wood impregnations that protect the bars from absorbing moisture and from bark beetles. There is no need to spare the impregnation, the better the wooden guides are protected, the longer the finish will last, and it will not have to be edited.

• In fact, walls sheathed with MDF do not need additional protection., but if you are installing them, for example, in a kitchen (see Kitchen wall decoration: material selection), where the environment is traditionally difficult, you might consider varnishing the panels. This will not affect the appearance in any way, but it will give additional protection against moisture and mechanical influences.
• Wall cladding with MDF panels can be done in several ways.. We will talk about this in more detail below, but for now we will only say that you need to decide on the method even before you purchase the material. The fact is that the panels may differ in the configuration of the groove, and for example, MDF for fastening with a stapler is not suitable for fixing to clamps.
• Modern manufacturers produce a wide variety of panels that differ in quality characteristics. There are laminated and moisture resistant. Of course, the price for them is also different, but in some cases it makes no sense to overpay, for example, if you sheathe the walls of the bedroom (see Bedroom decoration: looking for options), then spending on laminated MDF will simply be meaningless.

Advice! If you decide to make repairs with your own hands, before you start work, be sure to see how to sheathe the walls with MDF video panels. This will help you understand the whole essence of the process and learn some subtleties that we, due to the scope of the article, will not be able to mention.

So, we have decided on the intricacies of the process, which means that we can proceed directly to the installation, and it does not begin with the panels themselves, but with the careful preparation of the surface and the manufacture of the crate.

Preparatory work

In fact, sheathing MDF walls is not difficult, it is much more difficult to prepare the walls and assemble the crate. It is on this that the subsequent quality of the finish and how long it will last without alteration and restoration will depend.

First of all, we prepare all the necessary tools so as not to look for them later around the house. Everything should be at hand, and then the process will go much faster and easier.

So, for paneling, we need the following set of tools:

• Roulette.
• Pencil.
• Building level.
• A hammer.
• Wood saw.
• Perforator and drill to it, with a diameter corresponding to the selected dowels.
• Brushes or paint roller.
• Construction stapler and staples to it.

Now that everything is at hand, let's move on to the next step.

Wall marking

Before you sheathe an MDF wall and make a crate, you need to clearly define how your panels will go, horizontally or vertically. It is necessary to determine at this stage, since the installation takes place in a perpendicular order.

If you have decided on this issue, then you can proceed to applying the markup. We will talk about the vertical installation of panels, as it is considered more common.

First of all, we need to fix the extreme bars, and for this we find the lowest point from the ceiling and from the floor. From these points we retreat about five centimeters, and with the help of the building level we draw a line along the entire perimeter of the room.

Now we have the extreme lines, and, starting from them, we break the entire wall into equal sections, approximately 40-60 centimeters each. This distance is enough so that the panels do not sag and stand straight.

Now that all the lines have been drawn, we put marks on each of them after about 50 centimeters. At these points, the guide battens will be fixed to the wall, so you should not waste time on trifles, the more often the fasteners are installed, the stronger the structure will be.

Lathing construction

Instructions on how to properly assemble the crate are clearly shown in the video in this article. Be sure to watch it to the end to visually understand the whole process, and in the meantime we will continue.

In those places where we put marks on the horizontal lines, we use a puncher to drill holes of the required depth. Now, with dowels, we nail metal braces to the wall, on which the guides will be held, and bend their ends perpendicular to the wall.

For the manufacture of crates, you can use three materials, each of which has its own pros and cons:

1. wooden beam. The cheapest, but at the same time, the weakest material. As you know, a tree is subject to many negative influences, and subsequently certain difficulties may arise with it.
2. Metal profile for drywall. The metal is more resistant to various influences, but upon contact with moisture, it begins to rust, which after a certain time can appear on the surface of the panels.
3. Galvanized profile. The most expensive material of all listed, but at the same time the most stable. The galvanized profile is not afraid of contact with water, and easily tolerates temperature changes, so it can be used in rooms with an aggressive environment, such as a kitchen or bathroom.

Important! If you need to cut a galvanized profile, in no case use a grinder for this. From high speeds, the entire protective coating will simply burn out, and the profile will remain unprotected.

Panel mounting

So, our crate is ready, which means that we directly approached the question of how to sheathe the walls with MDF panels. In fact, all the worst is over and the process of installing panels is the easiest step. You can start installation from any side that is convenient for you, there are no specific rules here, just take the panel, attach it to the corner and, using a stapler, through the comb, fasten it to the crate.

One of the photos shows how the installation begins, and that the next bracket is driven into the comb. We remind you that we are talking about how to sheathe walls with MDF boards using a stapler, and if you choose kleimers, the technology will be slightly different, and you can read more about this in one of the articles on our website.

Next, insert the next panel into the groove, the one that we just fixed and repeat all the steps. Thus, all walls are sewn up, and difficulties should not arise at this stage. The walls are ready, and it remains only to fix the decorative corners. They are mounted on PVA glue. Everything is simple and clear, so we will not even focus on this.

And in conclusion

Well, here we figured out the question of how to sheathe walls with MDF. As you can see, there is nothing complicated or impossible here. The main thing is not to be afraid of difficulties, and feel free to get to work, and if you still have questions, then you can read other articles on our website, where we are sure you will find answers to all your questions.