Multipanel wall panels for a shower enclosure?

[sbplanet]

Browsing through the Bathrooms.com Oct brochure I spotted an example of shelving built-in at the end of a shower enclosure. So I thought I'd show it to the plumber.

But in this case the shower enclosure uses Multipanel panelling. I've seen the sheets of panels in bathroom places but never seen any bar in caravans! Has anyone used them and what are the cons & pros?

So moving deftly around @redemptionsong1 post there...

I can't a problem.The piccy looks like a shelving area build from studs and ply and then tiled over and a shower door around the shower area. Nothing fancy or difficult about it except you lose the width of the shelving unit from the room.

We have panels around our bath.I got fed up of cleaning tiles and they look good and whipe down easily
If someone in the future want to tile it will be a simple job to remove them,a lot easier than removing the original tiles and replastering.

Thanks. Was wondering how these panels 'feel' compared to tiles. Are they watertight if you bump or scratch them?

We have some kind of UPVC panels in the shower. They’re ugly but handy. They wipe clean easily, are watertight and are a lot cheaper and easier than tiles. We are replacing the bathroom and I’m really considering buying some to my own taste. They don’t need to be cement boarded behind unlike tiles in a shower, and no grouting etc just silicone.

@AGreatUsername I've seen that you can have your own choice of picture put on the panels?! :D I was thinking about it as they look easier to fit than tiles, but I do like tiles.

I have had wall panels but into two shower rooms, chose modern designs etc.

Love love love no more manky grout!!!

We have panels in all our bathrooms.
Easy to fit and great to clean

We have matt grey with slightly shiny speckly bits wall panels in the shower. They've been great. Easy to keep clean and look lovely.

They're water tight.We just got gloss white and white walls.Its a small modern bethroom and looks bigger without the tiles and cleaner too.

They are a lot easier and quicker to fit than tiles. Normally come in 1.2m by 2.4m.Can vary in price to cheaper than tiles per square, to a lot lot more expensive. If fitted correctly, they should be more waterproof than tiles as you have less points that can fail. On tiles, you have each place that grout is, each tile and then the siliconed area. You can also, like tiling, put a shelf unit in your shower using them. You will need to buy edging for each join as well

We have wall panels. They're great. As others have said no mould, easy to clean and are watertight. I much prefer them to tiles

We have the panels in our shower and they are great - we live in an area with really hard water, and not having to scrub the tile grouting every other day is a real bonus!

No downsides as far as I'm concerned. The panels are watertight (they're sealed along the edges of the bath/shower with that white mastic-type stuff), you can just wipe them down to get rid of watermarks/limescale, and they were easy to fit. (By the plumber!)

Oh and you can drill into the panels to fix things like your shower pole, shelving etc - it all works really well.

Hi I have them just in my shower enclosure and it was the best decision I made. So easy to keep clean, no grouting to worry about. Sounds awful but mine are a light grey with a very subtle marble effect. Only needed 2 panels. I know what you mean about caravans but when you look at the range they are aot better. They tend to come in various thicknesses. My fitter tried to persuade me to go for top end but I stuck to my guns and can't tell the difference when fitted. For anyone who is handy then they looked fairly easy to fit. I think it would be the cutting, if any, that might be a worry if you got the measurements wrong. Im can't say about hVibv an inserted shelf with these. Suppose it would work but you will have the corner joins. I will try and attach a photo if you want

I had one called black pixels in previous house and this one its white/pale with sparkly bits in.

Thanks everyone, maybe you've swayed me. I remember there was a big selection when we went out looking at bathroom showrooms a while back.

Would like to see some real pics rather than brochure, thanks @Robert1987

We put wall panels in the shower of our holiday home about 5 years ago. We went for cheap and cheerful white metro brick tile design and they do the job. Easy to keep clean, (no grout), look ok, inexpensive, and totally waterproof as long as they are fitted properly. Quicker and cheaper to fit than tiles but they do remind me a wee bit of the shower room in MIL’s caravan.

Now in the process of doing our en suite and have gone for Multipanel in Calacatta marble. This is a far superior product. It feels fantastic and looks superb. Really thick and solid panels. No grout lines so looks like sheets of solid marble. However it is not a cheap option.

In another bathroom I have a tiled shower enclosure and have a ‘niche’ of shelves built into the wall. It is a pain in the arse. Water always gathers on the shelves and you have to wipe it dry every time or it goes all slimy and smells. This is nothing to do with the tiles. It would still happen with panels. I would advise against built in shelves within the shower area unless you can guarantee that everyone will keep the area clean and dry. Unfortunately my teenage son is incapable of this.

I was dismissive of the panels at first. Thought they were a bit naff but the range available now is fantastic. Marble, wood, slate, concrete, tiles, sparkly, matt, glossy etc. They are easy to cut to plumb in the shower, taps etc. Easy to drill into to fit soap basket, shelves, hooks etc.

Thanks @Belindabelle. Will definately go and have another look at the choices - when 'this' is all over that is. :) Don't want a niche in the shower but do need a 'ledge' of some sort for resting my foot on - about the height and width of the side of a bath would be perfect! :D

We have panels in the shower of our ensuite and main bathroom. So easy to keep clean and loads of different colours/patterns to choose from.

Is it to shave your legs?

If so Google shower foot rest.

Think I prefer a ledge something like the one in this pic. As it would be an enclosure and only the front 'wall' is glass.

Hi ab planet, here are a few photos - not the best and it does look far better in real life.

Thanks @Robert1987. I shall ask the plumber about them later this afternoon. They look like a good solution in the shower alcove - no grout!

Does anyone have the tile effect ones? Feel like I would like the impression of tiles but not actually have tiles.