Tiles or wall panels ?

[MrsPeacockDidIt]

We are having a garden room installed in the next few weeks which will have a full shower room. I’ve always used tiles for bathroom spaces but wondering whether to use wall panels for the shower cubicle for this project. It won’t be used a great deal so I feel it would be less maintenance. There doesn’t seem to be much difference in price between the tiles and panel that I like. Is there anything to consider when choosing one over the other ? Any other advice ?
thank you 😊

1. don’t buy dark panels if you live in a high limescale area 2) our downstairs shower room with panels gets absolutely freezing - LL even added a little electric heater on top of the towel rad. Idk why, so I can only blame the panels. One side of it is external but not on a corner, and not on the side we predominantly get high winds.

We had wall panels put in for the walk in shower in our family bathroom. Our main reason was that they were quick to install as we had a leak from the shower 2 days before Christmas, with family due to stay, and this is the only bathroom. Ours are heavy duty and are insulated. I like the fact that we don’t have grout to keep clean.

Thanks. We are in a VERY high limescale area so are looking at white tiles or panel. Interesting about the insulation. The shower area would be on 2 external walls (albeit insulated wood and not brick as garden room). I’ll check that the panels I’m looking at are insulated ones which mine might be as they are not coming out any cheaper than tiles.

Thanks. I will be checking on the insulating properties of the panels I choose. Good to hear that you are happy 😊

We put in panels to avoid having to clean grout. They worked fine.

We have wall panels that look large tiles. Visitors are always surprised when I say they are panels as they think they are tiles. They are easier to keep clean than tiles

Now that I come to think about it, it wouldn't surprise me if those shower panels come with a protective covering that my LL's cleaner has bleached off, just like she has with every single floor surface throughout the house.

It could just be a thing in our house. Or she went bargain basement. They might not all be the same re: limescale.

@mydogisthebest We're looking into changing tiles to panels - do you have a link to panels like yours as they sound ideal?

We got our from Bathroom Cladding Direct. They have quite a lot of different styles. We have the Chicago ones.

@mydogisthebest Oh these are lovely, thank you.🙂

Yes we think so. I must admit I was a bit doubtful when DH suggested panels as I was thinking of those panel sheets you can get.

DH fitted those for my elderly parents and they were more than happy with them and it made it much easier for mum to keep clean but they are not my cup of tea.

I am very happy with the ones we have though. As I say, they are so easy to keep clean unlike normal tiles and grout

Neither Panels nor tiles are significantly insulating, perhaps panels might be slightly better, but what's important for mould and temperature would be (actual) insulation, heating and ventilation.
We put panels on an ensuite against an old solid wall of a 100 year old house, but we insulated first and put the panels on a wooden framework. No issues with temperature or mould.
The panels are great and easy to squeegee down.