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As one of the largest fixtures in this room, the bath is usually the focal point in many bathrooms. For many, the bath is a design statement that often takes centre stage in the room. Therefore, it’s crucial to keep this essential fixture in tip-top condition. 
Yet, as a bathroom fitting that can require covering and protecting, some of us may find that we need to add a bath panel to our bath to complete the look. Here, The Bathroom Showroom looks into bath panels, discussing who would benefit from their addition, while highlighting their material, sizes, and potential alternatives.

What Are Bath Panels?

Bath panels are designed to run alongside your bath and cover up any exposed pipework underneath. They also work to seal off the area underneath the bath and provide a complete sleek finish with clean lines. 
Straight baths, shower baths, and corner baths are the most common bath types that require bath panels. Some will need one bath side panel and short-end panels, while corner baths require an angled or curved panel to finish them off. The only bath type that won’t require a panel is a freestanding bath, due to its complete shape.

Are Bath Panels Essential?

The area under and around a bath is home to pipework, fixtures, and fittings that many of us find we’d rather cover than leave on show. This is especially so if you’re looking at completing your dream bathroom design and want to ensure a conformed look. 
Also, some people like the uniformed look of a bath panel as it boxes off the curvature of a bath and seals the area, giving it the perfect finishing touch. As you can find bath panels available in varied colours and styles, they can also play a key feature when lending a hand with bathroom decor.

Are Bath Panels a Standard Size?

Though bath panels are not universal in size, they do offer a standard selection of sizes for both side and end panels. You’ll typically find side panels available in measurements from 1500mm to 1800mm and side panels from 750 mm to 800 mm. 
A selection of our iflo bath panels include a plinth for height adjustment and are available as 700 (w) x 510 mm (h) and 1700 (w) x 510 mm (h). They also offer a choice of gloss white, matt graphite grey, oak, and matt dove grey.
When considering the height of bath panels, most choices are adjustable and can be cut to suit. But, there are a few bath panel types that are non-adjustable and therefore set to a certain height. So, you will need to make sure before purchasing that you select the correct one to match your needs.

Are Bath Panels Easy to Fit?

Fortunately, fitting a bath panel can be done as a simple DIY bathroom task, taking as little as 30 minutes to an hour to complete.

What Are Bath Panels Made Of?

There are two primary material choices used in the makeup of bath panels. These include acrylic and wood. You’ll find acrylic more commonly promoted for its durable and long-lasting properties while wood tends to be favoured for its stunning design features and finishings.
  • Acrylic Bath Panels
Composed of transparent plastic, an acrylic bath panel provides great strength, is a tough choice, and works harder to protect the bath area for many years. A more practical panel choice, acrylic is the easier of options when installing and often the less expensive of choices. Acrylic bath panels are also more diverse when it comes to their colour selection and designs. 
  • Wood Bath Panels
For a touch of warmth around the bath area and indeed bathroom space, a wood bath panel is a superb aesthetic. A stylish choice, wood panels are also widely available regarding their shades and designs and can enhance the natural look of your space. What’s more, with many bathroom furniture collections offering panels, you can perfectly complete your bathroom suite with such choices. 

Is There an Alternative to Bath Panels?

Finally, If you’re looking for an alternative bath panel then you could consider tiling your panel. Though a little more costly because of the additional material required, a tiled bath panel can offer a more unique and personalised finish. This method will require a suitable frame to hold the tiles in place. 
Whatever panel type you choose, always be sure when installing a new bath panel that you maintain access to your pipework underneath. This will ensure that, should you need to access this area for future maintenance work, your bath panel won't be affected by the disruption. 
If you’re considering adding a bath panel, book an appointment with The Bathroom Showroom. Experts in all things bathrooms, we can help turn your dream bathroom into a reality.