Interior wall paneling – a great look that’s easy to install

Across Canada, homeowners are looking for ways to add value and aesthetic appeal by installing interior wall paneling to spruce up the look of their homes. Whether it’s a hallway, recreational room, bedroom, living room – or even a wet environment like a bathroom in the case of luxury vinyl tile (LVT) – updating your interior walls to have a modern look with high-end finishings is a trend that never goes out of style.

At MAPEI we have accumulated over 85 years of construction knowledge and R&D, making us an industry leader in the development of best practices for sustainability; and of quality, low-VOC-emitting products tailored to ensure a lasting installation. This article will spell out what steps to take – and what products we recommend – for installing interior wall paneling of each of these types:

• LVT interior wall paneling
• LVT interior wall paneling for wet environments like showers
• Beadboard wainscoting (also known as “board & batten”) interior wall paneling
• Felt-backed wood slat interior wall paneling

Interior wall paneling – don’t forget surface preparation 

Before you get started, it’s crucial to take a moment to understand the basics of surface preparation. The key points to bear in mind to ensure a good installation are:

• All substrates must be structurally sound, dry, solid and stable.
• The substrate should be clean and free of dust, dirt, oil, grease, wax, soap, existing adhesives and adhesive residues, and any other substance that may prevent, reduce adhesion or affect product performance.
• All substrates must be plumb and flat to a tolerance in plane of 1/8" (3 mm) in 8 feet (2.44 m).
• All surfaces must be smooth and free of defects, voids, deviations, imperfections and irregularities.

To get the substrate smooth and prepared, you may only need spot-application of spackle in the case of a drywall substrate, followed-up (once dry) with an application of Primer L^™ , a quick-drying acrylic primer that will improve the bond of the adhesive and help ensure a long-lasting installation.

In the case of a concrete wall however, the inherent porosity of concrete and its potential high-moisture content mean that first, a skimcoating compound will be necessary to ensure proper adhesion of the interior wall panels.

If it’s starting to seem like a bigger job than you imagined, fear not! MAPEI has developed fast-track, easy-to-apply products that are specially formulated for this purpose, such as our “patch and go” Planiprep^® PSC, a moisture-resistant, fast-drying patch and skimcoating compound that can be applied from featheredge to 1/2" (12 mm). If high moisture levels are not a concern, Planiprep SC is another high-performance, rapid-setting skimcoating compound available. Both products allow for fast-track installations in 30 to 60 minutes after application, depending on thickness and environmental conditions.

You can find more detailed information within the various Surface Preparation Requirements reference guides on the Floor Covering Installation Systems section of our Website, www.mapei.com. Now, let’s get on with what you need to know for installing each of the different types of interior wall paneling.

Interior wall paneling with LVT

If resilient/LVT interior wall paneling meets both your budgetary and aesthetic needs, this popular option can be the perfect way to freshen up the look of a bedroom, playroom, garage or hallway for example. It can even handle wet environments like bathrooms – with the right product build for waterproofing and moisture control (see the section below).

The key in choosing the right adhesive for interior wall paneling of LVT is that it is both low-VOC-emitting (to ensure good, healthy air quality in occupied areas), and pressure-sensitive (for good adhesion so that you won’t have to worry about your wall paneling coming unstuck).

As far as ease of application goes, MAPEI products used to install LVT are all provided to you premixed and ready to go. There is no mixing of powder into water. This means there is no pot life to worry about. There is also no mess from dust when it comes to installing LVT.

MAPEI has several specialty adhesives recommended for installing LVT on walls, such as Ultrabond ECO 373 and Ultrabond ECO 399. For wet environments, there is also Ultrabond ECO MS 4 LVT Wall [NA] (more on that below).

The adhesive should be applied smoothly and evenly starting from the lower section of the wall, moving upwards. A 1/16" x 1/16" x 1/16" (1.5 x 1.5 x 1.5 mm) square-notched trowel is recommended.

Next, set the tile into the adhesive and immediately follow by rolling with a laminate roller. Continue to gently place the vinyl tiles in position, building upwards. Temporary supports are typically not necessary to hold the vinyl tile in place while the adhesive is drying. If the vinyl tile is shifting/sliding and not staying in place, the vinyl tile may be too heavy (more than 1.2 lbs. per square foot or more than 5.85 kg per square meter) or the adhesive may not have been given enough time to sufficiently flash. 

When rolling the vinyl tile with the laminate roller, roll the entire surface area in a crisscross manner, using firm pressure.

Interior wall paneling with LVT for showers

If the traditional ceramic tile bathroom and shower isn’t your thing, modern LVT is a popular option that can save material cost while being just as gorgeous and functional, and it can be applied jointlessly, saving the time and cost of applying grout.

As stated earlier, wet environments are easily handled as well, which brings us to a solution we call Shower System 4 LVT. It’s a combination of products that allows installation of LVT and other resilient coverings in showers, tubs and other wet environments.

The installation of LVT in wet environments starts off similarly to tile projects, with the proper placement of a waterproofing membrane over the entire surface (this precedes the application of the Planiprep 4 LVT [NA] skimcoating compound). The surface can be virtually anything ranging from cement boards to waterproof boards to drywall. Mapelastic^® AquaDefense is particularly well-suited for this purpose primarily because it is easy to apply using a roller or brush, dries quickly and works exceedingly well.

Finally, it’s ready for the installation of the LVT interior wall paneling. For this, you will need a special waterproof adhesive to apply a nonporous material (LVT) over a nonporous substrate. Ultrabond ECO MS 4 LVT Wall fits all those requirements. As a modified-silane-based, 100%-solids adhesive designed to install LVT of all sizes in vertical applications, it has the proper thixotropy to hold these materials on the wall without slippage. Once the LVT has been installed and the adhesive cured, the final step is to coat the LVT with Mapecoat^™4 LVT [NA], an anti-slip, polyurethane finish. This coating seals all the gaps in the installation, plus it provides wet traction to the LVT, with high resistance to wear. (LVT typically is not recommended for use in wet applications because it becomes slippery, which can be a safely hazard, particularly when used as a shower base. Mapecoat 4 LVT adds texture to the surface, making it more secure to stand on while wet.)

In any case, be sure to follow the instructions in the Technical Data Sheets for the products mentioned above, in conjunction with the Installation Guide: “Installing LVP and LVT on walls,” and Installation Process brochure for Shower System 4 LVT found on our Website, www.mapei.com.

Interior wall paneling with beadboard wainscoting

Beadboard wainscoting (also known as “board & batten”) interior wall paneling is another popular way to add vibrancy to walls, creating a classic, textured look. A successful installation of beadboard wainscoting requires some planning. You’ll want to make sure to measure the space carefully, creating chalk lines (or pencil lines) for guidelines to placement, and using the appropriate tools to ensure the angles aren’t crooked.

Choosing the right product as adhesive can eliminate the need for using any mechanical fasteners at all, making installation quick and easy, with a clean look. Before you get started, it’s important to always follow the manufacturer’s installation guidelines, in conjunction with the respective MAPEI products’ Technical Data Sheets to be sure of the right match for the specifics of the job.

As a general rule, if your material calls for full adhesive coverage, as by using a hand roller, MAPEI’s Ultrabond ECO 575 [NA] is a great choice, especially for the wall-base. Its light-colored, water-based, acrylic-polymer formulation won’t stain even the whitest wall base, and keeps corners wrapped tight. It also is available in a gun-grade cartridge, if your material is light and thin enough to only require partial coverage. Another gun-grade adhesive you could take advantage of is Ultrabond ECO 907 to apply a zig-zagging bead (or spot-bonding), assuming full-coverage of the backing isn’t necessary. Both adhesives offer great grab, and are ready-to-use, single-component products with low odor. Plus, they are third-party-certified for low VOC emissions.

Interior wall paneling with felt-backed wood slats

Perhaps the latest big trend in interior wall paneling is felt-back wooden slats, providing a singular, sleek look and the benefit of soundproofing. As more and more urban residential spaces in Canada are being built within residential highrises, the desire for soundproofing solutions perhaps speaks to our Canadian penchant for neighbourliness. (Is my wall-mounted TV too loud? Sorry!)

Unlike with beadboard wainscoting, wood slat interior paneling is too heavy to be applied without mechanical fasteners. Applying a high-tack construction adhesive on the felt backing first is essential to keeping each plank in place for fastening. Once again, the fast-curing gun-grade adhesive Ultrabond ECO 907 is the perfect choice for this purpose. And with the adhesive helping keep it in place, fewer fasteners may be needed to secure the panels, only enhancing the soundproofing effect of the wood slat paneling.

Still have questions or concerns about the your particular situation? Check out the brochures, manuals and other technical documentation within the Floor Covering Installation Systems page on our Website. You my also reach out to the MAPEI Technical Services team at 1-800-361-9309. Our experts are always happy to answer your questions on MAPEI products and solutions.