Smart Décor panels are a decorative wall and ceiling covering that offers many benefits as they are waterproof, maintenance free, extremely versatile and very easy to install.
All panels are tongue and groove and need only simple tools to fit and attach them.
Smart Décor panels can be stuck to any surface including uneven surfaces, with little or no preparation required. Smart Décor also offer a range of finishing accessories such as edge trims, internal and external corners, cornice trims and skirting boards that ease the task of fitting and ensure a perfect finish, whatever your room is shaped.
Measuring for Wall Panels
To find out how many panels you require:
1. Measure each wall length and height in mm
2. Divide each wall length measurement by the panel width in mm
3. Round up any fractions to give the number of panels required for that wall.
As panels are only available in pack quantities you need to round up to the nearest multiple of the pack quantity.
This will give you an estimation of how many panels you require. To get an exact figure you will need to plan where each panel will be placed. It is always wise to allow extra for wastage and cutting errors.
Wall Height: The majority of the panels are 2.7m high so if your room is slightly more than 2.7mt high you can use skirting or cornices to make up the difference. For the significantly higher rooms or longer spans on the ceilings joining trims can be used.
Use the same technique to measure for ceiling panels
Surface preparation
In the majority of the cases there is virtually no preparation needed - the panels can go straight onto brick, cement block, plaster, timber battens or stud-work and can even go over existing ceramic tiles.
If the surface is very uneven, battens can be used to achieve a level surface and then the panels can be attached to the battens. Position battens with 300 to 500 mm intervals. Sometimes bathrooms are half-tiled. In that case tiles can be left in place and the top half battened out to the same level.
Before starting installation, make sure that the extra thickness of the wall paneling does not interfere with the operation of existing fixtures such as bath taps, shower mixer valves, doors and architraves..
Cutting the Panels
Panels can be easily cut or trimmed using a hand saw, table saw, portable circular saw, jig saw or sharp utility knife. We recommend using a fine-tooth saw. The finer the teeth, the neater the cut you will achieve.
Installation
You really start to appreciate the benefits of wall paneling when it comes to installation. Panels can be fixed to the surface using a solvent-free adhesive; neutral cure silicone; staples; nails or even screws. We recommend the use of adhesive or silicone in combination with staples, where possible when attaching panels to walls or ceilings.
Usually adhesives are quite thick and can be used to pack out the panels if the walls are slightly uneven. There is no need to cover the entire back surface of the panel - blobs of adhesive or zigzag pattern are sufficient as each panel is held in place by the next on via the tongue and groove system. When fixing to battens run a bead of glue along the batten where the panels will be fixed.
There are different approaches to panels' installation and there are personal preferences on how to do it. The most common approach is to use finishing trims anywhere the panels are being cut or bent. Below is one of the methods aimed to minimize the use of trims and achieve very neat and professional finish.
 Start working from one corner. If cornice will not be used to cover the top edge of the panel, then first fix start/end trim or cornice trim at the top along the wall where panels will be fixed. Mitre the ceiling trims where necessary. First, trim off the tongue of the first panel. Apply adhesive to the back of the panels or onto the wall or battens. Insert panel into the ceiling trim, if installed and slide it into its position in the corner. Make sure that it is placed vertically before fixing it to the wall. Slightly tap the panel to achieve better adhesion. Fix panel in place with staples through the lip on the groove side of the panel. Follow the same procedure to fix the first panel along the other wall from the start corner. Make sure that the gap between panels in the corner is small enough to be properly sealed by silicone. If the gap is too big (for example, due to the walls being not plumb), trim the panels accordingly to minimize the gap. Continue installation along one of the walls by inserting the next panel into the groove of the first panel. Carefully measure, mark and cut the last panel to closely fit into its position on the wall. Follow the same steps to finish all the walls. Use a fine tooth hole-saw to make holes for taps, pipes, etc. Always measure twice and with care.
When all walls are covered use neutral cure silicone (anti-fungal silicones recommended) to seal the corners and horizontal joints against baths or shower trays as well as the gaps between panels and bathroom fixtures.
The joints between the panels do not need to be sealed, but in a shower area a thin bead of silicone can be applied between tongue and groove to ensure complete protection against moisture - just to be on the safe side.
 Apart from using trims, both internal and external corners can be neatly done by bending the panels - just carefully cut the back face of the board along where the corner will be and shape the panel into the internal or external curve.
Use the same installation technique when fitting panels onto the ceilings - apply adhesive to an existing ceiling or battens and fix the panel with staples to hold it in place. When fitting halogen ceiling lights, there needs to be a 10mm gap between the halogen bulb and the panel.
Once the panels are installed there might be other items that you need to fix to the walls, such as soap dishes, shower curtain rails, etc. For lightweight items you can fix directly to the panels using plaster plugs or through the panel into the wall. For larger or heavier items you it is recommended that you fix wooden battens behind panels where accessories are to be fixed. Use of spacers between the wall and the surface of the fixed panels is also recommended when fitting heavy items.
Cleaning
Once installed Smart Décor panels are easy to clean with conventional cleaning products. Do not use solvent based products, abrasive or chlorinated agents on panels.
Acessories and Trims
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