You can make fixing wall cladding and ceiling cladding easier and do work of better quality by following certain standard procedures. We look at certain key procedures in the following sections. There is no attempt to include all the finer points. Instead the aim is to give an overview and indicate some key points that need attention.
The first step is to fix the bottom and top edge pieces, by screwing them to the wall. Next comes the task of sliding the cladding sheets into these pieces. Once the sheet is in place, the horizontal joints are attached to the vertical ends of the sheets and screwed into the wall. Next comes fixing internal and external angles at corners, and around doors and windows.
We look at these fixing steps in a little more detail below.
Top and Bottom Edges
All four edges of all sheets must be secured to the wall. In most cases, J edges, H joints and internal/external angles can do the job. Where necessary, Maxbash Skirting can be used at the bottom instead of a J edge. For very uneven walls, two-piece joints can be used between sheets.
Where only wall cladding is being installed, the top edges can also be secured using a J edge. If ceiling cladding is also being installed, you might prefer trapping the top of the wall cladding sheets with the ceiling. Alternatively, a 2-piece internal corner is used as a coving.
Good quality silicone beading is used between the wall and J edge/Maxbash skirting to seal them permanently to the wall and floor.
Fixing Cladding Sheets
Flex a cladding sheet into the top and bottom J edges and fit a one-piece H joint to the vertical edge of the sheet, leaving necessary space for any expansion in the sheet. Secure the joint to the wall.
Now flex in a second sheet into the J edges and H joint and fix a joint on the other vertical edge of the sheet. Continue the procedure till the walls are fully covered.
Silicone sealant is used between sheets and J edges/H joints to seal the sheets.
Corners
Corners are typically fixed using internal and external angles. If the corners are not square, a universal angle is used. This type of angle has a flexible center that can be bent to a desired degree.
General
The above outline is intended only to give a general idea. There could be finer points that need to be mastered to solve specific problems in actual working. For these, you can refer to the instruction manual that comes with the sheets. Do take the trouble to go through the manual carefully. It could mean the difference between quality work and less-than-perfect work.
Conclusion
This article outlined how cladding sheets are fixed to walls. The typical procedure is to screw the bottom and top J edges first, flex a sheet into them, fix an H joint to the vertical edge of the sheet, add the next sheet into this joint as well the its own J edges, and so on.
Corners are fixed using internal and external angles.
Good quality silicone sealant is used to ensure waterproof sealing of the entire surface.