Wall panel problems, and how to fix them
Panels fail for a small number of predictable reasons, and almost none of them are the panel. Here is what actually goes wrong, what causes it, and what to do — including the cases where the honest answer is that we are not at fault and the cases where we are.
Most panel failures are wall failures.
WPC, Clvin PVC, charcoal and ACP are waterproof and termite-proof through the core. They do not rot, swell or feed mould. So when a panelled wall goes wrong, the cause is nearly always underneath it: a damp substrate, a powdery surface, or a fitting shortcut.
That matters because the fix is different. Replacing panels on a wet wall just repeats the problem in six months.
The one rule that prevents most of this: never panel over a wall that is still damp. Find the water, fix it, let the wall dry, then panel. Sealing moisture behind a waterproof panel is the single most common cause of failed installations in India, and it is entirely avoidable.
What goes wrong, and what to do.
Gaps have opened up between the panels
A small seasonal gap is normal movement, not a defect. PVC and WPC expand and contract with temperature, and a wall fitted tight in a 20-degree January will push in a 45-degree May.
Panels were fitted hard against each other or hard into a corner, with no expansion allowance.
Small gaps can be closed with a matching trim or filler strip. If panels have buckled rather than gapped, they need refitting with a 2-3 mm allowance at the ends and behind the trims. Always leave that allowance on a wall over 8 ft.
A panel is lifting or peeling at the edge
Almost always an adhesion problem at the edge, not a panel problem.
The wall was not fully dry or fully flat when the panel went on, or adhesive was applied only in the centre and not along the edges.
Ease the edge back, check the substrate is dry, and re-bond with adhesive run along the full edge plus mechanical fixing into the batten where possible. If the wall itself is damp, fix the damp first - see the warning below.
The whole panel has come loose or fallen
A fixing failure. Panels are light, so this is rarely weight.
Bonded to a powdery, painted-over-damp or freshly plastered surface that never gave the adhesive anything to hold.
Remove it, take the surface back to something sound, and refit on a batten frame rather than direct bonding. On uncertain walls we recommend battens from the start.
There is a musty smell or mould behind the panels
This is a wall problem the panel has revealed, not caused. The panel itself cannot rot or feed mould.
Moisture trapped between the wall and the panel - seepage, a leaking pipe, or rising damp that existed before the panels went up.
Take the affected panels off, find and fix the water source, let the wall dry fully, then refit. Panels can be cleaned and reused; they are unaffected by the damp.
The panels look misaligned or the pattern does not line up
Usually set-out rather than product.
The first panel was not plumbed, so every panel after it inherits and multiplies the error. On fluted and wood-grain finishes this shows badly.
There is no fix but refitting from a plumbed first panel. This is why we send a fitting guide with every order - the first panel decides the wall.
The finish has scratched or dented
Panels are hard-wearing but not indestructible. Charcoal and fluted profiles are more forgiving than flat gloss.
Impact, or dragging furniture against the surface.
Light surface scratches on textured finishes are usually invisible once the light changes. Deep damage on a single panel is a panel replacement, not a wall replacement - which is a real advantage of panel systems.
The colour looks faded, especially outdoors
Genuine fade is rare on PVDF-coated ACP and is covered. What people usually see is dust film.
Either surface dust and pollution haze, or a non-PVDF coated sheet from a cheaper source.
Wash it down first - most "fading" cleans off. If genuine fade appears within the warranty period on material we supplied, that is a warranty claim; send us photographs.
Water is getting behind panels in the bathroom
The panel is waterproof, but a joint is not automatically watertight.
Open joints or edges left unsealed at the floor, ceiling or around fittings where water can run in behind.
Seal the perimeter and any penetration around taps and fittings with a neutral-cure silicone. Inside a shower where jets hit the wall directly, tiles remain the better choice.
Cleaning, cutting and what panels can go over.
How do I clean wall panels?
A soft, damp cloth and mild soap. For fluted and charcoal profiles, run the cloth along the groove, not across it. Nothing abrasive, no scouring pads, no thinner, acetone or harsh solvent - those attack the surface coating, and that damage is not a manufacturing fault.
Can I fit panels over existing tiles?
Yes, if the tiles are sound, flat and dry. Loose or drummy tiles must come off first or they will take the panel with them. This is one of the most useful things about panels - a dated tiled wall can be covered in hours with no demolition.
Can I fit panels on a damp wall?
No. Fix the damp source first and let the wall dry. Panels will not rot, but sealing moisture in creates the smell and mould problem above, and it is the single most common cause of failed installations.
Can panels be removed and reused?
Panels fitted on a batten frame can usually be taken off and refitted. Directly bonded panels rarely survive removal intact.
How do I cut around switches and sockets?
Mark from the back, drill a pilot hole and cut with a fine-tooth blade or jigsaw at low speed. Cut slightly tight and ease to fit - the switch plate covers a 2-3 mm margin.
When it is a warranty claim.
Every Urbane Decor panel carries a 6-year warranty against warping, swelling and termite damage. Genuine material defects — delamination in normal conditions, fade on PVDF-coated material, swelling of a waterproof core — are ours to put right.
Installation faults are not material faults, and we will tell you honestly which one you have. Send photographs of the problem and a wide shot of the whole wall on WhatsApp and we will tell you what we are looking at, whether we supplied the material or not.
Send us a photo and we will tell you what it is.
A close-up of the problem and a wide shot of the wall is usually enough to diagnose it.