DIY Bath Panel

[RJH]

Need a new bath panel, and even if I liked the off-shelf ones, £50+ seems a bit much. This sort of thing looks OK:

he's a bit quiet on corners, and I don't have a router*, so rebating the cladding would be tricky. The rest of the bathroom has new/stripped pine elsewhere.

Any ideas?

Thanks, Rob

• I see a router/table/bits can be had for about £80 at Aldi but I can't see much other use for it. I have most other woodworking tools.

[A.Lee]

Dead easy to do, I've done maybe 10 over the last 3 years.

2x1 framework first. Pieces of skirting to match existing, or a suitable moulding along the bottom. T+G then fitted, horizontal or vertical, as required, then another piece of suitable moulding along the top to finish off. It costs more than £10 though, probably £25ish.

If 2 sides of the bath are showing, just use another piece of moulding at the corner, or, butt up the T+G, then fix a piece of angled moulding to the outside. Finish by either painting or varnishing. I've been using a Sadolin white varnish that give a dull 'whitewashed' effect recently, customers love it.

Alan.

[Lobster]

I did ours similarly but simpler; I didn't make a complete removable panel as such but fitted the T&G strips individually and permanently (though I glued the last three together to make one removable service access panel).

There was a rough timber framework behind the T&G, so I could nail them top and bottom; no routing involved - I didn't use a top rail, just tucked the T&G under the lip of the bath edge. Bottom rail is a length of skirting, matching the rest of the room. All looks good.

David

[newshound]

+1.

If you don't have a router and have never used one it's not justified on this job. Plenty of mouldings in the better sheds for corners, etc. They look expensive until you have tried and realise the amount of time, effort, and material to get up the router learning curve!

[RJH]

Thanks all - the tucking under the bath edge bit will work, and just been out for some T&G. Onwards :-)

Rob

[Reentrant]

I broke ours removing it to lay some Aqualoc flooring. I made a temporary panel using the leftover flooring with battens behind. Several years later it's still there ...