3 minute read
TIMELESS PLYWOOD | MERMAID
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As the cost of living continues to rise, many homeowners are looking for a cost-effective way to spruce up their bathroom. One such category to have risen to prominence is bathroom panelling, with forgotten materials such as plywood carrying the potential to revitalise a space with ease and without the hefty price tag. Mermaid´s Keely Greenhalgh discusses what makes plywood bathroom panels so timeless.
As one of the most frequently used rooms, many homeowners have become acquainted with the positive impact a comfortable, well-designed bathroom can have on their day.
However, with the cost of living continuing to rise at its fastest rate for 40 years, many larger scale home improvements have taken a back seat. The average bathroom renovation can cost upwards of £5,000 and take between 5 and 10 days to fully install, leaving many homeowners struggling to justify such a significant outlay right now.
This has helped bathroom panelling become an increasingly popular way to spruce up a bathroom interior without the need for a complete room overhaul. While the cost-effective alternative has proven itself as a perfectly viable alternative to traditional tiling, contemporary materials have tended to take the spotlight away from longstanding options such as plywood. But there are many reasons, especially in the current climate, why plywood remains an option well worth considering.
Plywood, while an affordable, easily sourced material, is also very simple to work with. The lack of requirement for specialist tools makes the installation process of plywood simpler and quicker. Like other Mermaid ranges, installation of the Timeless plywood panels can take as little as four hours, which could leave buyers with a saving of hundreds of pounds on their total project costs.
Reduced cost doesn´t have to mean reduced quality, with the layered construction of plywood tending to make it far stronger than traditional timber. Mermaid’s Timeless collection of plywood panels is a great example of how this trait has been combined with its watertight tongue and groove joining system and antibacterial coating to allow installers to feel confident that their installation will stand the test of time.
Choosing to use plywood panelling does not have to compromise aesthetics either, with many plywood ranges offering an assortment of different finishes and designs to meet any need. Mermaid’s Timeless collection, for example, boasts 30 different designs ranging from Cream Stone to Dark Wood, Graphite Sparkle and even a Welsh Slate, meaning whatever look or trend you’re going for, there’s a panel to suit. The high-pressure laminate (HPL) also comes in an array of textures, from stone, woodgrain and high gloss finishes, all handpicked to suit the design.
In a climate where sustainability is a key consideration for many, plywood panels offer an ethical solution. Mermaid’s Timeless range is sourced from France and Spain and carries Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) proving that the plywood comes from sustainably managed forests, recycled and controlled sources. A large percentage of the complementary HPL is then made at the Wilsonart factories in France and Germany. Bringing the two together ensures that installers can reap the benefits of a panel with an attractive price point as well as a completely transparent origin.
A TIMELESS ALTERNATIVE
With the cost of living creating a challenging home improvements market, installers need to be aware of cost-effective options that they can offer to customers to update their bathroom without compromising aesthetics. Plywood bathroom panelling provides a strong costeffective option without losing any of the added benefits that some of the more contemporary materials bring to a bathroom.
