Grout for PVC cladding?

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

I've just covered my ceiling with PVC cladding. It looks mostly pretty good, but at the edge where I started, there are a few small (~1mm) gaps between the strips, which stick out like a sore thumb to me, and the butt ends don't always meet perfectly. This was due mainly to the wall not being straight, and me not dealing with it adequately. What's the best sort of thing to fill these with? I've done some experiments with the offcuts, and everything I've tried (e.g. decorator's filler and bath sealer) can't be scraped away without leaving a mark on the PVC. Or do I have to resort to masking tape?

[stuart noble]

Sounds like you need a coving of some kind?

Any kind of scotia moulding would hide the gaps and improve the overall look

[sm_jamieson]

A common way of dealing with uneven edges is some type of edging trim that covers any gaps at the edge (as for PVC windows, etc.)

Otherwise, white silicone sealant stays shiny and might blend in with the P VC if it can be scraped off flush. It you use one of the Fugi type sealant application tools, you can clear the surface alongside the silicone pretty well. It there is thin film of silicone remaining, you can very carefully a nd lightly run a sharp blade to cut the film away from the rest of the seal ant, then roll / peal the film of silicone off with your fingers. The thing to avoid with PVC is scratches, since these hold the dirt.

Simon.

[michael adams]

Why not simply apply, carefully, low tack masking tape to the PVC before applying whatever filler or sealer you choose and then peel it off afterwards ? Ideally before the filler has fully set or hardened.

michael adams

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[Etaoin Shrdlu]

Sorry, Stuart, I didn't explain properly. I can use quadrant at the edge, no problem, but I have some small gaps in between the actual boards, away from the edge.

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

Thanks, Simon. As I said to Stuart, I didn't explain properly. I can use quadrant at the edge, and have actually managed to get it quite straight by taking care with my battens. I'm hoping to hide the small gaps between the boards themselves. Perhaps if I get the silicone thin enough, I can remove it by rubbing? But I generally find it quite difficult to remove from things like baths and sinks.

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

I may indeed end up using masking tape, but I find it quite tedious to use accurately at ceiling level :-) On the plus side, I won't need to use to much of it. I was just hoping there'd be something I could scrape or rub off the faces with something soft after it'd dried/cured.

[Andy Burns]

I think you're meant to accept those as "the way cladding is", I'm likely to clad my bathroom ceiling, how bad do your gaps look? photo?

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

Bathroom ceiling will be easy and gap-free, I think, if it's less than

2.5m in one of the dimensions (which means you can use uncut strips side-by-side). My problem is that the living room ceiling I used it on is over 5m long (so I have to place them end-to-end, as well), and covered in bumpy Artex. The gaps aren't bad (less than 1mm), but I'm afraid that I'm something of a perfectionist (may even be classed as OCD), which just makes things harder for me.

[Andy Burns]

Ah oh, butted end joints, not the T&G joints, no I won't get any of them.

I may recognise that syndrome.

What about sealing over the join with something along the lines of white insulating tape? That itself would be too thick, but maybe the vinyl wrap material or something similar? RS have some duct tape under 0.076mm thickness - but only in black

[michael adams]

Just find some scraps of cardboard that fit into the gap - maybe cereal packets glued into a made-up thickness, slot it into the gap, fixing that to the wall with masking tape if necessary to stop it falling out, and position the masking tape up against that. Then pull out the cardboard.

michael adams

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[Andy Burns]

Feather edged tape? This one might not suit, but maybe other specialist tapes out there ...

[The Natural Philosopher]

decorators caulk

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

I couldn't find any with T&G at the end. It would have helped a LOT. You just have to cut or saw them and hope for the best.

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

That looks interesting. For all kinds of things.

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

Yes, that would certainly help to get it lined up. Good idea.

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

Thanks, I'll find out what I can about that. It has to come off the PVC easily. The bathroom stuff doesn't, which is probaby a good idea for that particular application :-)

[stuart noble]

There will be gaps over longer lengths. I would say get over it, but I'm not that unkind :-) Any remedial action will make it look worse IME

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

I just may. No-one else cares - not even the missus :-)

[michael adams]

You don't say how long these gaps are. But rather than peel masking tape off the roll in situ, if you cut some strips of copier paper around half the width of the masking tape and lay them on the edge of a table then lay the masking tape on top of them - half on the paper and half in mid air - by pressing down on the paper and cutting to length, with careful handling that will give you slightly stiffer lengths of masking tape which will be easier to handle in an awkward situation.

Sorry I misunderstood your original post as I thought that option was simply to cover up the gaps with permanent masking tape. Oops.

michael adams

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