The Difference between Shiplap And PVC Wall Panels

When planning a new home renovation or remodeling an existing one, you're likely searching for durable and stylish decorative materials. Understanding the materials, properties, advantages, disadvantages, and application scenarios of different materials is crucial to helping you choose the best one for your home.

This article will introduce two common decorative materials: shiplap and PVC wall panels. We will delve into the characteristics, performance, and applications of each material, providing expert purchasing advice.

What is a shiplap?

Shiplaps originated during the Viking Age (roughly the 8th-11th centuries). Initially, they were used in shipbuilding. It wasn't until the 19th century that they began to be used in home decor, such as exterior siding for barns, sheds, and cottages. It wasn't until the 21st century that some designers and homeowners began using them for interior wall coverings. Shiplap boarding has undergone a long and complex evolution.

■ Features

Shiplap is a decorative panel that offers the look and feel of real wood while maintaining its strength. Its notable features include:

Natural Material

Shiplap is made from natural wood, giving it the look and feel of real wood. It is environmentally friendly and emits no harmful fumes. It's ideal for creating a natural or farmhouse-style interior look.

Mortise and Tenon Edges

The lap boards utilize a unique mortise and tenon joint. Typically, the top edge is the convex side, while the bottom edge is the concave side. During installation, the bottom edge fits into the convex side below, while the top edge fits into the concave side above. This allows multiple lap boards to be easily joined together to create a complete finish. Of course, it's important to note that nails are required to secure the lap boards together for added stability.

Unique Linear Aesthetics

Shiplaps are typically installed horizontally. The regular lines add beauty to your home's walls, adding visual interest to otherwise ordinary surfaces.

Flexible Finish Options

The natural wood grain is their most common color, but you can also stain or paint them to create a unique finish.

■ Advantages

Shiplap boards are ideal for creating a rustic, natural look in your interior and can quickly elevate the style of a space.

Rustic, Natural Appearance

Shiplap naturally possesses the rustic appearance of wood, and unpainted boards have a delicate wood aroma. They are boards sourced from nature, preserving the beautiful qualities of the original material. Suitable for a variety of styles, including farmhouse, coastal, Scandinavian, and industrial.

Durable

If properly installed and maintained, shiplaps can maintain their structural stability and finish over time. However, because the wood is susceptible to moisture, it requires regular waterproofing.

Design Flexibility

The wood grain finish is at its most natural appearance, but you can customize it with paint or stain. These shiplap panels can be adapted to suit nearly any design theme or color scheme.

Easy Installation

Installing the shiplaps requires no specialized tools or skills. The panels utilize a mortise and tenon joint structure, with the concave and convex sides of the different panels fitting together to create a continuous surface. They are secured with screws, ensuring they remain secure for years.

Add Value to Your Homeownership

Shiplap offers a convenient solution for quickly redesigning your home's style. It can add interest and a natural touch to your home. It's a practical and environmentally friendly investment that can increase your home's value over the long term.

Covers imperfections and provides protection

Like most wall covering materials (metal wall panels, PVC wall panels, WPC grating), shiplap conceals imperfections and provides excellent protection. This prevents damage to the wall from unexpected impacts.

■ Limitations

Due to the material properties and installation method of shiplap panels, they present several limitations:

Cleaning and maintenance present challenges

Whether shiplaps are installed vertically or horizontally, there are visible seams between the panels, which easily trap dust and dirt. Furthermore, traditional cleaning tools (feather dusters or soft towels) cannot thoroughly clean these seams, making daily cleaning difficult.

Poor waterproofing and moisture resistance

Because they are made of wood, they are not suitable for installation in humid areas. Even if the surface is painted or sealed, continuous exposure to moisture will shorten its lifespan.

Not suitable for use in high-temperature areas

Although these panels were originally used on ships and for exterior wall applications, it's undeniable that shiplap's paint finish can easily fade after prolonged exposure to the sun, and it can also crack or become brittle.

Therefore, if you want these panels to have better durability and a long service life, installing them indoors is a better choice. It can reduce the frequency and cost of your frequent maintenance.

Consider the cost

When comparing shiplap to plaster or regular wallpaper, the initial investment is quite high. Solid wood is often difficult to obtain and requires careful maintenance to ensure it maintains its structural integrity and lasts for many years.

Non-insulating material (flammable)

Layer boards are made of natural wood, which is flammable. Therefore, they are not the best choice for areas where fire safety is a concern.

■ Applications

Shiplap panels are a material that has a wider range of applications than PVC wall panels. They are used in ship design, outdoor, and indoor scenes.

Traditional Applications

Marine: Lapboard was originally developed for shipbuilding to protect the exterior of ships and make them waterproof.

Architectural Exterior Cladding: Later, lapboard evolved into decorative siding for sheds and other building exteriors, creating a rustic or distinctive farmhouse look.

Modern Applications (Interior)

Feature Walls: Shiplap is an ideal material for creating feature walls in modern homes. It adds a natural wood grain look and visual interest to areas like living rooms, bedrooms, and entryways.

Ceilings: Some homeowners paint shiplap white and apply it to ceilings to create a rich, country-style feel, brightening the room.

Bathrooms: Shiplap can also be used in bathrooms. However, it's important to note that shiplap is not waterproof. Even if the surface is painted or specially treated for waterproofing, it's not recommended to apply it directly to the walls inside a shower room. However, it's permitted to use it in dry areas of the bathroom, such as around the sink wall.

Kitchens: Shiplap can add warmth and character to a kitchen. However, because it's flammable, it's not recommended to install it directly near heat sources or open flames due to the risk of fire.

Commercial Applications

Restaurants and Cafes: Shiplap boards can create a vintage or farmhouse feel in restaurants or cafés, providing a comfortable dining experience.

Retail Stores: Local businesses use shiplap boards to create feature walls, often displaying interesting trinkets or exquisite artwork.

Traditional or Unique Hotels: Shiplap boards can be used to create guesthouses or hotels that embody brand values or local characteristics. They convey a timeless charm and leave a lasting impression on travelers.

What is a PVC wall panel?

PVC wall panels are a type of composite material. Made from a variety of materials, they can combine the appearance of wood, marble, and other materials, while offering the waterproofness and durability of plastic. They are suitable for interior decoration.

■ Features

Different from shiplap, PVC wall panels have better product features. Its main features include the following aspects:

Material Structure

PVC panels are made from a composite of various materials, including PVC resin, calcium carbonate, and additives, resulting in a more stable structure. Finished PVC wall panels are available in both hollow and solid styles.

More Diverse Finishes

Shiplaps typically have a single wood grain. Even applying other finishes through painting or staining is complex and expensive. PVC wall panels, on the other hand, utilize advanced coating processes, allowing for a variety of finishes to be achieved on the production line. These include wood, marble, skin-textured, leather, fabric, and diatom mud.

Lightweight Material

Compared to materials like solid wood siding, gypsum board, and marble, PVC wall panels are significantly lighter, allowing for flexible transportation, cutting, and customizing to any shape. This can significantly reduce transportation and installation costs for your project.

Excellent Waterproofing

The most prominent advantage of PVC wall panels is their exceptional water resistance. This means they have virtually no limitations in interior applications. They can be installed even in humid areas like bathrooms and kitchens without worrying about damage from heat and humidity.

Flexible Customization

PVC wall panels don't have a fixed appearance or size. They can be customized based on your design drawings. CREATEKING can bring your design to life based on your needs, ensuring the panels' appearance, size, and color perfectly complement your style.

■ Advantages

Thanks to its materials and manufacturing process, PVC wall panels offer more benefits than traditional materials:

Easy Installation

PVC wall panels offer the advantage of being easy to install. They utilize a mortise and tenon joint structure, allowing for a seamless joint by simply inserting the tongue of the panel into the groove. This joint provides a tighter fit than lap joints.

For flat walls, simply apply structural adhesive to the back of the panel to easily secure it to the wall. For uneven walls or those requiring moisture or sound insulation, you can first lay wooden strips as a base layer before installing the panels. The gaps between the strips and the wall can be filled with soundproofing or moisture-proofing pads.

Easy Maintenance

Cleaning the PVC panel is a simple task. Unlike solid wood or marble siding, which requires regular waterproofing, or marble, which requires sanding or polishing to maintain its exquisite finish, PVC siding can be cleaned of dust with a feather duster or soft cloth. Daily stains are much easier to remove. Mix mild soapy water, dampen a soft towel, and wring it out thoroughly to easily wipe away surface stains.

Affordable

PVC panels are an economical option. Unlike natural marble or solid wood, which require significant upfront investment, they also offer advantages in cleaning and maintenance.

Diverse Finish Options

PVC wall panels can be customized with a variety of finishes to match various design themes and color schemes.

Relatively environmentally friendly

Although PVC sheets are not biodegradable, they can be recycled for a second life. This reduces the need for timber felling and the over-exploitation of natural stone, making them a particularly suitable choice for those who value environmental protection.

■ Limitations

Likewise, PVC panel has limitations, so carefully evaluate the various factors when choosing between different materials.

Poor heat resistance

PVC panels are not suitable for installation near heat sources. Sustained high temperatures may cause irreparable structural deformation.

Limited Impact Resistance

Compared to metal or marble, PVC wall panels have relatively weak impact resistance. Even with a solid structure, their surface will still dent when subjected to significant impact.

A less-than-realistic finish

For homeowners or designers seeking a more refined look, the finish of PVC siding may not be realistic enough.

Limited Lifespan

With proper installation and proper maintenance, PVC wall panels can last 10 to 15 years, or even longer. While they're excellent compared to solid wood or wallpaper, they pale in comparison to the decades-long lifespans of hard metal or natural marble.

Difference: Shiplap vs. PVC Wall Panels

To help you make the right choice between shiplap board and PVC wall panel, the table below compares their performance.

Item	Shiplap	PVC wall panel
Material	Pine, cedar, fir, redwood, poplar, or MDF	PVC resin, filler, additives.
Appearance	Mostly wood surfaces.	Wood grain, marble grain, fabric grain, leather grain, skin grain, and diatom mud grain.
Installation	Secure with adhesive or nails.	Use a structural adhesive to glue to the wall.
Cost	Solid wood materials are more expensive, while MDF materials are cheaper.	Affordable
Maintenance	Paint or waterproof regularly.	Almost maintenance-free.
Moisture Resistance	Poor moisture resistance	Completely waterproof
Durability	It is easy to deform or breed mold after being exposed to moisture.	It can usually be used for 10 to 15 years, or even longer.
Applicable style	Farmhouse style, Coastal/Beach House style, Country/Cottage style, Modern Farmhouse/Transitional style, Scandinavian style.	Modern style, simple style.
Functionality	Decorative, protective	Decorate and protect walls; some panels provide sound and thermal insulation.

How to choose between shiplap and PVC wall panels?

Both shiplap and PVC wall panels are suitable for adding character or enhancing the style of interior spaces. Consider the following scenarios to guide your selection:

Shiplap: Living rooms/bedrooms (dry environments), Commercial spaces (cafes, restaurants, hotel lobbies), Outdoor spaces (exterior walls, balconies, and patios)

PVC wall panels: Kitchens, bathrooms/toilets, Corridor, Commercial spaces (cafes, restaurants, and hotel lobbies)

Conclusion

As you can see, both shiplap and PVC wall panels are ideal materials for interior wall coverings. By analyzing the materials, characteristics, pros and cons of each, and thoroughly evaluating your project needs, style, and budget, you can make an informed decision.

If you're planning your next space renovation, CREATEKING's high-quality wall panels may be the ideal choice. Contact our team of experts today for more details!