Spabord Panels - Colour Deletions

Some of the Spabord range of shower wall panels have been earmarked for deletion

The colours to be deleted are:

• Beige Mosaic


• Cappuccino


• Luxor


• Warm Coral


• Oasis Blue

Some of these colours have been slow moving so stocks of these are being run down and will not be replaced by the manufacturers of Spabord, Wilsonart. Stocks of Oasis Blue have already been exhausted. Please check with us before ordering any of these colours to ensure there is sufficent stock to fulfill your order.

There will be new colours added to the range soon but we do not have any definite details as yet.

Grosfillex Panels - Easter Availability

The importer's warehouse for Grosfillex panels will be closed for Easter for a week. As the panels are despatched directly from this warehouse this will affect any orders placed with us during this period.

The warehouse will be closed on Friday 10th April 09 and will re-open on Monday 20th April.

Order for all other products sold by The Bathroom Marquee will be unaffected.

Bathroom Marquee Closed 25.05.09 for 1 Week

The Bathroom Marquee will be closing on Monday 25 May 09 for 1 week and will re-open on Tuesday 2nd June at 9.00am

You will be able to place orders via our website while we are shut - orders will be processed on our return on the 2nd June.

Sealing Wall Panels In The Corner of a Shower Cubicle

We very often get asked about the best method for fitting the panels into the corner of shower cubicles.

There are three methods for fitting panels into the corner of shower cubicles:

1. Use a corner trim supplied by the manufacturers of the panel


2. Butt-joint the panels in the corner and seal with a good quality silicone
   
3. Score the back of the panel and bend the panel 90 deg to form the corner

Most fitters tend to use option 2 as it is the quickest, easiest and neatest method - providing you cut reasonably accurately.

If you are concerned about water ingress you can dry fit the panels first, then run a thick bead of silicone into the corner and then push the first panel into the wet silicone, embedding the corner of the panel in sealant. Run another bead of silicone down the corner and push the second panel into the wet silicone to form the corner. Wipe off any excess on the front of the panel and run thin bead of silicone down the newly formed corner to completely seal it off.

This method is ideal for patterned panels such as mosaic or tile effect panels as corner trims tend to break up the pattern.

This method can be used where there is a shower over the bath or in shower cubicles.

Christmas Opening/Closing Times

We will be closing for two weeks at Christmas. We shut at at 3pm on Friday 19th of December and will re-open on Monday 5th January 2009.

We would recommend Monday 15th as the last day of ordering for wall panels to ensure that you receive the goods in plenty of time before we close. It will be possible to order up until we close but we will not be around to deal with any queries, should there be an issue with your delivery. Outasights can be ordered up until Wed 17th Dec and deliveries will be made on Friday 19th.

You can orer online while we are closed - any orders placed online over the holiday period will be processed on our return in January.

Panel Joints

All of the UPVC panels that we sell are tongue and grooved enabling the panels to be joined together and making them suitable for use in showers, bathrooms and wet rooms.



The visible join on the surface of the panel will vary depending on the joint style of the panel:

• flush joint
• contrast joint
• v-groove joint

There are pages with information regarding these different joint types on the website and the flush joint page has just been re-vamped with some new images to show in more detail the appearance of this type of joint.

The joint types refer only to the visible surface and do not affect the performance of the joint. We would always recommend running a thin bead of silicone inside the groove prior to installation in a shower area just to ensure no water is forced through the joint (the joint relies on the springiness of the plastic so if you took a power shower spray head and pointed it at the joint you could force the joint apart with a powerful enough jet)

Spabord Stocks Back To Normal

The manufacturers of Spabord recently changed one of the production facilities for their panels.

While this was occuring they ran out of stock of many of the more popular colours. The new facility is now up and running and stock levels are now returning to normal.

Bathroom Ceiling Panels

When wall panels are installed the weight of the panel rests on the floor, bath or shower tray so the panels are effectively just "leaning against the wall" Consequently the bond between the panel and the wall does not have to be that strong to be effective. When panels are fitted to a bathroom ceiling however the bond is much more critical.

Most filters that we have spoken to use a combination of adhesive and a staple gun. Solvent-free adhesive tends to be slightly less effective that those with solvent (if using adhesive with solvent be sure that there is plenty of ventilation when you are fitting the panels). The staples help hold the panel in place whilst the adhesive sets.

The panels that we sell are very easy to cut so we always recommend taking your time cutting them to ensure a good fit. The joint between the ceiling panels and the wall can be sealed with silicone. If you are not confident of achieving a neat cut finish you can use trims to help cover the edges of the panels. The problem with most of the trims sold by the manufacturers is that they are designed to be used with wall panels rather that ceiling panels. They can, however, be adapted for use with ceilings by trimming away the back section that would usually clip over the top of the wall panels. The trims can then be mitred and stuck up once the panels are in place. Any trim could be use for this purpose, not just the trims that we sell. Tile edge trim, quadrant or scotia moulding could be fitted once the ceiling panels are in installed.

Tiled Bath Ends

Some baths are installed in such a way that the end of the bath does not fit against a wall. The "gap" is then taken up by boxwork with the surface covered in ceramic tiles. This can prove reasonably successful if the bath is used purely for bathing but less so if a shower is to be used over this end of the bath.

If a small masonry wall is created to fill the gap then this can work quite successfully but a timber framed box covered with plywood or plasterboard can be problematic. Any slight movement in the bath can caused the grout to crack. This can lead to water ingress and damage to the underlying area. The damage can take place for some time before it becomes aparent as the box effectively covers up what is going on underneath. Also water can remain on the surface without draining away which can mould to grow in the grout which can evetually lead to its failiure.

We were recently asked if an Outasight concealed shower curtain could be used in such a situation. It could, but there are few provisos.

The Outasight should be watertight along the tiled area. If the bath is slightly lower than this level there will be a small gap underneath the curtain where the tiled area ends and the bath begins. You could use a fillet of silicone to prevent water from escaping underneath at this point.

If the tiled is level with the bath the joint between the tiles and the bath will usually mean that there is a slight "trough" which can hold water and cause the grout to turn mouldy. It can also conduct water under the Outasight shower curtain and lead to leaks.

If the tiled area is lower than the bath then showring is not recommended at all as the water landing on this area cannot drain into the bath.

Our overiding advice would be to re-site the bath against the end wall rather than try and fill the gap.

Sealing Around A Shower Tray

Ensuring there are no leaks from a shower cubicle is vitally important as any water egress can cause damage to the property in the long term.

The first step to elliminate leaks is to ensure that the shower tray is installed solidly. The tray then needs to be sealed to the existing wall with a good quality silicone sealant (we recommend Dow Corning). Smear the silicone up the wall slightly so that there is a skirt of silicone running around the tray.

The panels should then be run down over this seal and another seal applied where the panels meet the tray.

Silicone usually turns mouldy from the back and grows through the seal to appear on the front. For this to occur there must be permanent moisture behind the silicone which can occur due to faulty grouting or movement of the shower tray breaking seals. The surfaces needs to be bone dry and free from dust, soap residue etc before application of the silicone sealant which, together with a solidly installed tray, will ensure it does not peel away.

Summer Shutdown

The Bathroom Marquee will be closing at 3.00pm on on Friday 18th July and will re-open on Monday 4th August 2008.

We would recommend Monday 14th as the last day for ordering amy of our panelling products. You can still place orders via our shopping cart system while we are closed - any orders placed over the holiday period will be processed and despatched on our return on 4th Aug.

Outasights can be ordered while we are closed. If you order and pay online we have arranged for the order delivery details to be forwarded to the manufacturers who will then despatch the Outasight directly to our customers. This also applies to any Outasight spares ordered online.

Outasight Due Back In Stock

The Outasight looks like it will be back in stock very shortly. A recent batch of Outasights were rejected on quality grounds by Lee Brown (the manufacturer and inventor of the Outasight) which has resulted in production being returned to the UK.

This has taken a while to undertake but the final components are now in stock and production can re-commence. We have a large backlog of orders to process and aim get orders despatched as soon as possible. The backlog should be cleared in the next two weeks so and any new orders will be available for delivery week commencing 14th July.

Textured Panels

Although we try our best to ensure the images and descriptions on the web site are accurate and comprehensive as possible there are some things that are not easily portrayed on the internet.

One area that we get asked about quite regularly is whether the mosaic effect panels and tile effect panels are smooth or actually have grout line moulded into them.

Both panels are moulded with a smooth finish - there is no "relief" to the pattern. As the panels are extruded it would be possible to mould the vertical grout lines into the surface but not the horizontal lines. The effect of these 2 panels is therefore just printed onto the surface.

There are however some textured panels within our range - Ambiance White Wood and The Ligno Range of panels all have a woodgrain patern moulded into the surface. Velvet Slate in our Spabord range also has a very realistic slate effect moulded into the laminate surface.

There is also the possibility of using panels from the ambiance range to give a brickwork effect - see the following page for more information: Ambiance . Please note that this brickwork method of installation is not waterproof.

Wall Hung Toilet Pans

We get asked quite often if we sell "spacers" for the panels. Spacers are used to pack out the void between the wall and the surface of the panel when fixing heavy objects or items that need to fixed very securely such as grab rails.

We sell two types of panelling - UPVC panels and Spabord. UPVC panels are hollow while Spabord has a foam backing which means that the panels can be crushed if too much force is applied to them when tightening screws. For most items such as toilet roll holders, shower heads etc this is not usually a problem but some items such as grabrails need to be very securely fastened as a lot of force is applied to them in use. This is where spacers come in. A spacer can be anything that cannot be compressed which is a suitable size and shape to do the job. Discs of plywood, plastic blocks (usually used for cabinet making) or even metal tube. These are fine for small items but some larger items need a slightly different approach - such as wall hung toilet pans.

These type of pans can exert very large forces as fixings bare the the full weight of the user so a large spacer is made from a sheet of marine plywood.

Click the link or the image above for more details on this type of wall hung installation.

Currently Out Of Stock

The Outasight is currently Out Of Stock.

April saw a huge leap in sales due to the re-vamped website, some national advertising and Outasight taking a stand at the Ideal Home Exhibition.

This resulted in us exhuasting current stocks - a new shipment was hastily arranged but this will take another wee or so before the stock will be available for despatch. We will post any updates we get from the manufacturers as soon as we get them - hopefully we will have a definite delivery date in the next few days.

In the meantime we are advising new customers to order online and choose the "pay Offline" option. We will then contact you when the stock becomes available to arrange payment and delivery.

Outasight Updates

The Outasight section of our website has had some major updates recently.

There are now improved images as well as 4 videos:

• Outasight Infomercial
• Installing The Outasight
• Fitting A New Curtain
• Cleaning The Curtain

There are expanded sections covering Technical, Pros and Cons, Installation and a new easy to navigate menu structure.

The Technical page has now been split into separate pages covering dimensions, components, limitations and cleaning.

The Outasight is compared with its main rivals, namely the shower curtain and the shower screen, in our revamped Pros and Cons section. There are also more background pages on both shower screens:

• Bath Shower Screen
• Bath Screen
• Shower Screen
• Folding Shower Screen
• Sliding Shower Screen
• 4 Fold Shower Screen
• 5 Fold Shower Screen

as well as more details on shower curtains and the components needed:

• Shower Curtain
• Bathroom Shower Curtain
• Unique Shower Curtain
• Ringless Shower Curtain
• Shower Curtain Idea
• Shower Curtain Rod
• Designer Shower Curtain

There are further improvements scheduled for the website to make it as comprehensive as possible, so watch this space for details.

April 08 Special Offers

This months we have a special offer on Mosaic wall panels and also the Outasight concealed shower curtain system.

Mosaic panels are sold in packs of 4 and are usually ££51.96 per pack but they are currently on promotion for just £39.96 per pack. Prices include VAT but carriage is extra (see our carriage page for details)



The above image shows both the mosaic tile effect wall panels together with a chrome Outasight (click to enlarge)

This image is taken from our customer gallery - the customer previously had a bath shower screen but also had to use it in conjunction with a shower curtain as the screen did not stretch far enough along the bath (see the following image)



As can be seen the installation of both wall panelling and the Outasight has made a big difference in the appearance of the bathroom. When not in use the Outasight is extremely neat, consisting of a slim chrome-effect box on the wall which opens out to provide a very large showering area (see the following image)





This shows the curtain only half open but it still offers a greater showering area than was offered by the shower screen alone.

Easter Closing Times

We will be closed from Good Friday to Easter Tuesday inclusive. Any online orders taken during this time will be processed on our return.

Have a good Easter.

Forthcoming Closures

The Bathroom Marquee will be closed on Friday 8th of February and on Monday 11th of February.

You can still place orders via the website during this period - orders will be processed on our return on Tues 12th.

Outasight Promotion

We have just been informed by Outasight that the promotional price of £149* for the concealed shower curtain system will run for another month until 29th Feb 2008. This price applied to both polished silver and white finishes.

*plus £10 carriage.

Bathroom Marquee Closed 1st Feb

The Bathroom Marquee will be closed on Friday 1st February 2008 as we will be attending a family funeral.

Christmas Opening Times

We will be closing at 3pm on Friday 21st of Dec and will re-open on Wed 2nd January 2008.

The last order date for delivery before Christmas is Monday 17th Dec.

We will only have a partial service available on 2nd, 3rd and 4th Jan as some of our suppliers are not back until Monday 7th Jan - the following items will not be available until that time:

All Grosfillex Products
Outasight Spares

Outasight Special Offer

We have just had details through from Outasight that there is to be a special offer on until 31st Dec 2007.

Usually the Outasight retails for £189.00 plus £10 carriage but during the offer period the price will be just £149.00 plus £10 carriage.

Spabord Shower Panels Stock Availability

As well as UPVC bathroom cladding The Bathroom Marquee also supply a new range of large sheet shower panels called Spabord.



Sales have been growing steadily but stock availability has become a bit of a problem in the last week as the manufacturers are in the process of changing one of their production processes and as a consequence stocks of some of the more popular colours are depleted until the new stsyem if up and running As of 14th November the colours currently out of stock are:

Dazzling White
High Force
Mosaic Beige

We have been advised that stock of the shower wall panels will hopefully be back to normal at the end of the month (Nov).

In the meantime if you wish to order the panels we would advise contacting the sales office first on 029 2056 0949 or if ordering online choosing the "Pay Offline" option.

Outasight Delivery

Outasights are now being despatched directly from the carriers warehouse which means next working day delivery if you order before 12.00pm*

Any orders placed between 12.00pm and 3.00pm will also usually arrive next day but this subject to confirmation by the warehouse.



* some areas of the UK are excluded from next day service (Scottish Highlands for example)

Postal Strike

The majority of our products are sent around the country via carriers so most deliveries have been un-affected by the postal strike. We do however send some items by Royal Mail:

• Outasight spares
• UPVC Panel Sample Packs
• Spabord Samples
• Invoices & Receipts

Please let us know if you feel that any of the above items are overdue and we will check to ensure they were despatched correctly.

Hopefully everything will be back to normal once the backlog has been processed at the Royal Mail.

Spaceline 333 Panels

The Spaceline 333 wall panels that were being sold off as they have been discontinued are now sold out. This was a v-grooved version of our standard Spaceline Range (which are a flush-fit). If you require V-groove marble effect cladding we have 4 colours available in the Evol 3000 range:

Evol 3000 Grey Marble
Evol 3000 Beige Marble
Evol 3000 Peach Marble
Evol 3000 Green Marble



The standard Spaceline range of waterproof wall panels is still available and is as popular as ever.

Bathroom Marquee Closed Fri 26th Oct

We will be closed on the 26th October and will re-open on Wed 31st October.

Any orders placed during this period will be processed on our return.

Please see our main website for emergency contact details (existing customers only)

Wet Room Floor

We are asked quite often about the best way to install our waterproof wall panels in conjunction with a wet room floor.

Fitting the panels to the wall is no problem - our wall cladding is ideal for use in these enviroments - but the question that always gets asked is "Which trim do we use at the bottom of the panels?"

At present the two manufacturers that we deal with (Decos and Grosfillex) have no trim specifically designed for use in these situations but having spoken to the importers we have come up with what, we think, is the best way to deal with situation.

The answer depends on the type of flooring that is being installed. If ceramic floor tiles are being used there are 2 options:

1. if the tiles are to be run on the floor only - seal the tiles to the existing wall using silicone, run the panels down on top of the tiles and seal again
2. if the tiles are to return up the wall to form a skirting - ensure the adhesive bed gives an overall depth of 10mm for the skirting, apply a bed of silicone on top of the skirting and run the panels down in the silicone

If you are using a cove-formed vinyl flooring in your wet room then we would recommend the following method:

• fit the wet room flooring first and return up the wall
• run the panels down over the flooring
• finish the edge of the panel with a tile edge trim stuck into place using silicone sealant
• use an 10mm trim for decos panels and 8mm for most of the Grosfillex range*

*except Evol 2000 and Topline

Outasight Design Changes

The manufacturers of the Outasight concealed shower curtain system have introduced several new features to the model including a new curtain design and a new strut. Details and photos will be posted soon.

There has also been a slight price increase as of 01.08.07 . The new price is £189.00 plus £10 carriage to UK mainland addresses.

You can buy online by clicking the link above.

Wall Panel Installation

We will shortly be re-vamping our installation instructions as there are several items that we regularly get asked about that they obviously do not cover in enough detail, including the following queries.

Who can I ask to fit the panels?

Most tradesmen (or tradeswomen) will be able to fit the panels as they are extremely easy to work with. Included in our regular customers are:

• plumbers
• bathroom fitters
• kitchen fitters
• carpenters
• joiners
• tilers
• decorators
• plasterers
• handymen

as well as a whole host or enthusiastic DIYers!

We are in the process of compiling a list of existing trade customers who offer a fitting service within specific geographical areas.

What's the best way to cut the decos flush-fit wall panels?

The panels can be cut with any fine-toothed saw although coarser saws (such as handsaws) can be used. Some tradesmen use a jig-saw to cut the panels - if you use this type of saw be careful that the metal cutting plate does not scratch the surface of the panel (either cut the panel face down or cover the metal plate with a peice of tape to reduce the risk of sratches).

If stapling onto battens can a stationery stapler be used?

We weren't too sure about this so we gave it a try ourselves. It turned out that a standard stapler could not get in tight enough to the edge of the visible panel to enable the staple to fix through the tongue and also the staples themselves proved to be a little too flimsy.

Many of the "Pound Shops" sell cheap staple guns which will be perfectly adequate for fixing the panels. Staple guns are especially usefull when fixing ceiling panels. We recommend a combination of adhesive and staples for ceiling fixing as the staples will hold the ceiling panels in place while the adhesive dries.

Removeable Panels

We have been asked by several customers if the bathroom panels that we sell are removeable.

The panels are not designed to be removeable, as such, but they can be installed in such a way as to make removal easier.



It is possible to fix the panels with screws, rather than sticking or stapling (the more widely used methods) and then use either the Grosfilex Multi Trim or Decos Corner Trim 030 to hold the final panel in place - both these trims have a clip-on section that can be taken off if the panels need to be removed.

Ceiling Coving

Decos produce a coving that can be used in conjunction with their wall panels.



The trim is designed to clip onto the top of the wall panel and fit flush up against the ceiling.

If you are not using wall panels and are just panelling the ceiling it is possible to use the coving trim but you will need to cut of the "leg" at the back of the trim with a sharp knife and then simply stick the coving up using panel adhesive (Gripfill, No More Nails etc.)

Barley Grey Wall Panels

The UK importers of Decos have a reasonable quantity of Barley Grey wall panels left in stock. These panels were produced for a special order but there is some excess stock now available and on offer through The Bathroom Marquee.



The panel is suitable for use in shower cubicles, bathrooms, utility rooms, kitchens or anywhere inside the home where you require a wipe-over, condensation-free easy to clean, waterproof surface.

The panels themselves are 250mm wide, 2.7m long, 10mm thick and come in a pack of 4. Barley Grey costs just £27.96 plus carriage.

They are similar in colour to Spaceline Silver grey but are slightly lighter, with a white, rather than light-grey, background and a subtle marble effect print.

Sales Office Closed on 19th June

Our sales office will be closed on Tuesday 19th June due to a funeral.

You will still be able to order online - any orders will be processed on our return on Wed 20th June.

If you have any queries please leave a message on our answerphone and we'll get back to you on Wednesday.

New Product Range

The Bathroom Marquee are pleased to announce the arrival of a completely new range of waterproof shower and bathroom wall panels - SPABORD.



Rather than the smaller, tongue and grooved panels of our UPVC panels these panels are large, one-piece panels that are ideal for lining the walls of a shower cubicle. Spabord uses a lightweight foam backing so they are extremely light to handle, unlike many of the wood-based alternative panels. Each shower packs contains:

• 2 x wall panels 2400x1200mm
• 1 x internal corner
• 1 x butt-joint trim
• 3 x edging trims
• Fixing instructions
• Maintenance instructions

There are full details of all of the shower panels in the Spabord range on our website

Some Recently Asked Questions

Is there an Outasight that can be used with a corner bath?

At present there is only one version of the Outasight available and that is designed to be used with a straight bath. Outasight do have long term plans to introduce a model suitable for curved or corner baths but these are still a long way off at the time of posting. The standard Outasight can be used with a corner bath but it is not ideal - there is a previous post detailing their use with a corner bath below.

I have a sloping ceiling - can I still use the Outasight?

Yes, providing you have sufficient room for the arm to open out fully to its horizontal position - which means 1450mm high and 1450mm wide when fully open. If your ceiling cuts into this space then the unit will not work as the shower curtain cannot be pulled out if the arm is not fully horizontal.

Is there a trim I can use at the bottom of the panels?

You can use caping trim at the bottom of our panelling but we do recommend it in wet areas as it can act like a trough. How you finish-off the bottom of the panels depends on the flooring used.

If there is an existing tiled or vinyl floor it is usually run down on top of the flooring and sealed with silicone. If carpet or carpet tiles are being used then the panels are run down to the substrate and the carpet run up against the panels. Laminate flooring sometimes requires a 10mm expansion gap so it is possible to fit the laminate floor first and then run the panels down onto the flooring, finishing off with silicone.

What is the best trim to use with ceiling panels?

It depends on the exact installation.

If you are fitting wall panels and ceiling panels then these can be fitted without the need for a trim - simply fit the ceiling panels first, run the wall panels up to the ceiling panels and eal-off with silicone.

If you are fitting the ceiling panels on their own you can still use the above method but seal to the existing wall. Using a trim will give you a lttle bit of leeway when it comes to cutting so the easiest trim to work with is the Grosfillex Multitrim.



The Grosfillex Multi Tim can be used as an internal corner joint (1st picture) or as a 2-part Capping Trim (2nd picture) by triming off the "leg" with a sharp knife. The backplate for the trim is fitted to the ceiling first, then the panels fitted and then the front section clips into the backing plate to give a nice neat finish.

To use 1 part capping trim on a ceiling (3rd picture) you would need to fit the trim on two of the walls, slot the panels into the trims and then cut away the back of the next two trims and then just stick them on after the ceiling panels have been fitted.

Alternatively you could use other products not supplied by The Bathroom Marquee such as standard coving, white plastic quadrant or even tile edge trim.

We have just been informed by Consortias (the UK importers of Decos panels) that Orion Byzantium panels are going to be discontinued and that current stocks are almost depleted.

This is a shame as this was one of the most distinctive panels in the Decos range with a crackle finish and subtle colouring. The rest of the Orion panelling range (Amarante, Carrara, Lugano, Pompey) is unaffected and will be available as normal - these designs being a marble effect rather than a crackle effect.



If you have any queries regarding remaining stock levels of this panel please contact the sales office.

Summer Shutdown Dates

We will be closing at 3.00pm on Friday 20th July and will re-open on Monday 5th August.

We would recommend orders be placed by Monday 16th July to ensure any problems with delivery etc can be sorted out before we close.

Any orders placed over the holiday period will be processed on our return on the 5th.

Ceiling Panels and Spotlights

We get asked quite regularly whether it's alright to use spotlights with wall panelling. Unfortunately there is no clear cut answer as it depends totally on the temperatures involved.

The panels are designed to withstand temperatures up to 60deg C which is sufficient in most spotlight installations but we have had 2 occasions where the lights have generated temperatures in excess of this and caused the panels to degrade.

The first instance was where a customer fitted the lights in a room with an attic space above. The attic was lagged and the lagging was placed on the back of the lights so that there was no ventialtion space behind the lights.

The second instance occurred when bathroom rated spotlights were used which were fixed to the surrounding flange (as opposed to the pivoting kind that only touch the outer flange at the pivot points) . The flange is the only part of the light in contact with the panels and temperature generated by these lights caused the panels to degrade and melt slightly where the flange made contact with the panels.

It is impossible for us to guarantee that panels will not be adversely affected by using recessed spotlights as it it is purely down the heat generated by the lighting in-situ.

There are now LED recessed spotlights available which generate hardly any heat - check with your lighting supplier as to the suitability of your chosen lighting for use in your room, paying particular attention to bathrooms and shower rooms, where extra regulations apply.

More Changes To The Grosfillex Range

The French wall panelling manufacturer Grosfillex has decided to make some more changes to its range of decorative cladding products.

The panels affected that are offered by The Bathroom Marquee include

Mineral Natural Patchwork
Mineral Brilliant White
Evol 3000 Baltic Blue

There are still reasonable stocks left of Brilliant White and Baltic Blue and a smaller quantity of Natural Patchwork - please check with our sales office on 029 2056 0949 before ordering online so that we can get you up-to-date with the stock situation.

May Special Offer

This months special offer is for Tinto panels from Decos.

These are very good looking panels with a matt finish rather than gloss which is the more common finish on waterproof cladding - but they are still perfectly suitable for use in bathrooms and showers.



The above image is taken from a recent cloakroom refurbishment we carried out using Tinto Desert. This is a light beige/stone effect panel, which coupled with some modern sanitaryware and chrome fittings resulted in a very clean, minimal design but with the all the advantages that cladding brings:

• totally waterproof
• no grout to go mouldy
• easy to install
• no maintenance
• no condensation

All in all, a very pleasing result.

To find out more about this and other special offers click here

Can An Outasight Be Used With A Corner Bath

Outasights can be used with a corner bath but they are not ideal - the Outasight was designed to be used with a straight bath.

If you do fit an Outasight on a corner bath the shower curtain can end up dangling in mid-air - depending on how straight the side on the bath is before it starts to curve.



The above diagram shows the arm in the open position and highlights the problem: if you fit the unit nearer to the outside of the bath it gives you no protection; if you fit the unit inboard (as shown) the curtain end up dangling in mid-air. A power shower would make this type of installation more problematic as the force of water would cause the shower curtain to flap.

There are some folding shower screens available that are suitable for use on corner baths. Their hinge mechanisms allow them to open to more than 180deg so that they can follow the curve of the bath. Most folding shower screens cannot do this but there are some available on the market that can.

Outasight - Silver Delivery Dates

The Outasight concealed shower curtain system is currently out of stock in the polished silver finish. Outasigfht have informed us that stock will be available for delivery during the week after Easter for delivery on Friday 13th April.

If you wish to order a silver Outasight please order via the shopping cart but choose the "Pay Offline" option. We will then contact you when they back in stock to arrange payment and delivery.

Sorry for any inconvenience.

Easter Opening Times

The Bathroom Marquee will be shut on Good Friday (6th Apr) and will re-open on Wed 11th April.

Any orders placed while we are closed will be processed on our return.

The warehouse for Grosfillex products will be closed on Good Friday and will re-open on Monday 16th April which will result in delays on any Grosfillex wall panelling ordered during this period.

Silver Outasight - delivery delays

Outasight are still waiting for confirmation of a delivery date for the silver casing. It looks as if it will be in with them this week (w/c 18th Mar) but this means that completed stock is not going to be available for delivery until next week (w/c 25th Mar).

Once we have a confirmed date we will post it on this site. All customers with outstsanding orders will be contacted directly once we know a definite delivery day.

Sorry for the continued delay but it is outside our control.

Grosfillex Panelling - Deletions

It looks like Grosfillex might be culling a few more deisigns from the range of waterproof wall panelling.

We haven't had official notification yet but it looks like Baltic Blue (Evol 3000 Range), Birch (Ambiance Range), Beige Marble (Topline) and possibly Beige Wood (Topline) might be dropped - although this last panel might continue in 4m lengths( there is also a 2.6m length that we do not have on the site at the moment.

Usually when Grosfillex delete products it is to make way for new designs but we have haad no notification of this as yet. As soon as we do we will post the details on the Blog.

Outasight Back In Stock

The Outasight is now back in stock after a delay of two weeks with deliveries.

The manufacturers were waiting a shipment of gas struts (the bit that holds the arm open)



These are now back in stock and all back orders will be cleared tomorrow (Friday 8th Feb) All order received this week will be despatched next Thursday for delivery Friday (15th)

Blanca

Although we have only just launched the Blanca range of matt white ceiling panels from Decos, we have just been informed that two of the panel lengths will no longer be available in the Classic White. They will, however, be available in Ultra White so the range now reads as follows:

2.5m - Classic White
3.0m - Ultra White
5.0m - Classic White
6.0m - Ultra White

Previously the panels were only available in Classic White so at least customers looking for a matt finish panel for their bathroom ceiling have two choices of colour - even if the length options have been reduced.

Spaceline 333

We have been running a clearance promotion on Spaceline 333 wall panels (these are a wider version of the 250mm Spaceline but with a v-groove joint).

Spaceline 333 is being discontinued and stocks of the Silver Grey and Jade are now depleted. There may be some more of this product left with the manufacturers in Belgium but at present the UK warehouse has no more available. There is still some stock available of in Blue and Rose (42 packs and 44 packs at time of posting).

If ordering online please use our "pay offline" facility as we can check stock levels and arange delivery before processing your payment.

Spaceline 250 is not being discontinued and there are healthy stocks available of all colours.

replacement shower curtains - now available online

We have just added all of the Outasight spares to our shopping cart system.

Click here if you need to order a replacement shower curtain or any of the components that make up the Outasight.

We hope to add an exploded view of the Outasight so that you can see which bits are which - this should make product selection a bit easier. In the meantime if you have any problems please give us a ring.

Magic Black

The UK importers of Decos wall panels, Consortias, are currently out of stock of Magic Black panels. Decos in Belgium are running more of this profile next week and stock should be available in the UK for delivery week commencing 27th November.

Sorry for any inconvenience this might cause.

UPDATE 24.11.06 - now back in stock

Outasight Offer

We have a special free delivery offer running until Christmas on the Outasight cocealed shower curtain system.



This offer applies to deliveries to the UK mainland only - see the following page for more details or click the image above FREE DELIVERY

We're Only Human!

A customer has just pointed out that our website is out of date. We asked what she meant and it turns out that we have put the wrong graphic on our site for our November special offers - we had the April graphic showing.

This has now been ammended to show the correct image highlighting our extended offer on our Mosaic wall panels.

Sorry for any confusion caused - this only applied to the graphic, any orders placed during November have been charged at the correct sale price of £9.99

Cold Weather Conditions

As the temperatures are starting to drop we thought we'd remind you about keeping your panels inside to get to room temperature before attempting to cut them. This makes them less brittle than cutting them when they freezing cold.

Also, keep any panel adhesive at room temperature as it can start to get very thick when cold making it difficult to squeeze out and putting extra strain on your skeleton gun.

Christmas Closing

We're not too keen on mentioning Christmas in November but we've already been asked by our suppliers if we have decided on our Christmas shutdown period.

We haven't finalised the exact dates yet but we will more than likely be closing at 3.00pm on Wed 20th Dec and will re-open on Wed 3rd Jan (I believe Mon 1st & Tues 2nd are Bank Holidays).

If these dates change we wil post notification.

Gallery Update

We have added quite afew new images to our customer gallery including a very nice shower refurbishment by Mr Cave of Reading.



Mineral Beige Tile Marble was used from our Grosfillex range of waterproof panelling and it has transformed the room - see the gallery for more before and after shots.

Mould Free Grout and Sealant

We recently came across two products that looked interesting in that they both have been manufacturered to incorporate Microban, an antibacterial material that can be added to products to make them mould free.

The products in question were grout and silicone sealant - both products that can be adversely affected by mould growth (although faulty application/installation can also be a major cause of these types of products failing).

The grout is made by BAL - details can be found on their website at www.building-adhesives.com (look under rthe catalogue section of the BAL pages)

The silicone is Forever White by Everbuild - details on www.everbuild.co.uk

Discontinued Lines

There is still some product left with the UK importers of a few of the recently deleted Grosfillex wall panels.

Evol 3000 Satin White is still available at the time of posting as is Ambiance Natural Wood.

There are also some panels availble that we have never sold via the web site namely Evol 2000 in Grey Marble, Beige Marble, Peach Marble and Gren Marble. These are 250mm wide boards, 2.7m long and come in at £12.99 per panel. A flush effect version of Ambiance Pink Marble is also available.

Baltic Blue, Evol 2000 Dark Blue and Mineral Turquoise are now depleted and we will alter the web site to refelct this.

Outasight Spares List

We have now been selling the Outasight concealed bath shower screen for nearly three years. Up until now we have had very little call for spares for the product but obvioulsy nothing lasts forever and we know that customers are going to require spares for their Outasights at some point.

Following a meeting with Outasight last week we have now been given a price list for spares - we will be completely re-vamping the web site in the next few weeks and will be adding the spares to our shopping cart system. In the meantime just give us a ring if you require any spares.

Retail price incl. V.A.T.

Strut £25.00
Curtain £39.99
End cap £4.99
Strut bit £4.99
Hinge £7.99
Curtain clip £4.99
Magnet £5.99
Curtain pole £9.99
Plastic strip £5.99
(for end of replacement curtain if not saved out of original curtain)

Gallery Revamp

We've had a large number of Outasight customers that have sent in photos for our Customer Gallery so we have had to completely revamp it to fit in all the images and tidy up the appearance.

Some of the customers have done a superb job of remodelling their bathrooms as can be seen by the following examples.



The neat, minimal appearance of many of the rooms has not been spolied by installing a shower curtain or bath shower screen - the Outasight is certainly the right choice to maintain a clean, uncluttered look.

Tinto Wall Panelling Range Extended

We have just added two more colours to the Tinto range of decorative wall panelling.

This versatile panel is suitable for use in a variety of different rooms around the house. Its matt finish means it will not look out of place in the bedroom, living room or dining room while its waterproof structure means that it is still perfectly suitable for use in bathrooms and showers.

As well as adding two more colours we have introduced a special offer across the Tinto range with the panels now available at just £9.49 per panel (plus carriage).

Cork Tiles

A customer has just asked us if it is possible to fix the panels over cork tiles - I've never tried this so I'm not exactly sure.

The panels will go up over anything - the only thing you have to be concerned about in this instance is that you are relying on the adhesive sticking to the cork tile, and the the cork tile sticking to the wall. If they are still fixed solidly then there should be no problem. Also, each panel holds the next panel in place so it's not so much of an issue as it would be with other forms of wall covering.

You could also mechanically secret-fix some of the panels (staple gun on plasterboard, screws on masonry) to back-up the adhesive. Any bathroom accessories fitted throught the panels will also act as mechanical fixings.

Clearance Line

Decos have produced two versions of their Spaceline range of panelling: a 250mm wide flush fit board and a 333mm wide v-groove board.

The smaller board has proved to be much more popular than the larger panel and so decos have taken the decision to stop producing the larger size. We have therefore started a promotion on the Spaceline 333 range which will run until the current stocks are exhausted.



The 250mm wide panels will continue to be made (which is a relief as it is our most popular panel!)

If you are unfamiliar with v-groove or flush fit joints please visit our main website as there are pages highlighting the differences. They can be seen at:
http://www.bathroommarquee.co.uk/help-flush.php
http://www.bathroommarquee.co.uk/help-vgroove.php

Spaceline Jade Added

We have added a fifth colour to the Spaceline range of panels - Jade.

This is a green marble effect panel and ties in niceley with the other marble Spaceline colours and will be sold at the same low price as the rest of the range.



We are expecting this to be a very popular choice, at present the only other colour in the Decos range is the Firenze Jad and Orion Lugano.

Ceiling Panelling Infill Strips Added

We have just added Silver and Gold effect infill strips for use in conjunction with our Labo ceiling panelling.



These are narrow self adhesive strips designed to fit in-between each panel and give a reflective highlight, breaking up the large expanse of plain white. Being self adhesive they are easy to fit and are available in 2.7m lengths in Silver or Gold effect finish.

More On Fixing Spotlights

Up until this week we had never had a problem with spotlights being fixed through our ceiling panels but one customer has experienced a problem with his particular installation.

He had fitted the panels to an upstairs ceiling but had not allowed any ventilation behind the spotlights. This meant that the heat generated by the spotlights had nowhere to dissipate and as a consequence was starting to degrade the panels. He is in the process of ensuring the lights have adequate ventilation behind them and we are awaiting his report on whether this has cured the problem.

Spotlights can be fitted to our panels providing they do not subject the panels to more than 60deg c. Unfortunately this is not the kind of information that spotlight manufacturers tend to provide so we can only state that apart from the case mentioned above, we have never had a problem reported to us regarding the installation of spotlights (and we have been selling this type of panelling for over 15 years).

More Gallery Photos

The first of several updates of our customer photo gallery has just been undertaken - and there are quite a few more to come...

Mr Walters of broxbourne sent in some photos of his shower cubicle. This particular installation is very typical use for our wall panels and a lot of our sales are to customers using the cladding for this purpose.

The following images show a before and after shot of Mr Walters' shower cubicle highlighting the very neat finish that you can achieve using this form of shower wall panelling.



We have just created a new shower wall panelling page with more details on this particular type of installation.

Outasight Back In Stock

The Outasight is now back in stock - although there is a bit of a delay due the amount of back orders generated while the item was out of stock, due to the shower curtain material delay from Germany.

This situation should be remedied within the next week or so (just in time for our Summer shutdown!)

Fixing Ceiling Panels

When fixing ceiling panels it is usually best to use a combination of adhesive and staples (if the sub-surface if suitable for staples). To make sure the first panel stays in place you can apply Gripfill / No More Nails etc using the "contact adhesive" method using .

Test your panel to make sure it fits, put blobs of adhesive on the back of the panel, fit the panel into place and then remove it. You will then have some adhesive on the ceiling and some on the back of the panel. Leave the adhesive go tacky and the re-fit the panel - you should get an instant "grab" from the adhesive.

Alternatively you can use laths or bamboo sprung into place to hold the panels while the adhesive sets (use a piece of scrap panel or plywood to ensure the wood doesn't mark the panel).

Bathroom Marquee Summer Shutdown

The Bathroom Marquee wil be closing on 3pm on Friday 21st July for two weeks. We will re-open on Monday 7th August.

Please ensure orders are placed well in advance of this date to ensure any problems that arise can be dealt with before we close.

Our online store will still be up and running while we are closed if you want to place any orders - they will be processed on our return.

Outasight Summer Shutdown

Outasight are now on their Summer shutdown and will reopen in the last week of June.

The outstanding delivery of the curtain material from Geramny is expected during the stop and they will be working flat out on their return to clear the backlog of orders.

Outasight Summer Shutdown

Outasight are now on thir Summer shutdwon and will reopen in thelast week of June.

The outstanding delivery of the curtain material from Geramny is expected during the stop and they will be working flat out on their return to clear the backlog of orders.

Photo Gallery

We have been busy with several site updates recently and while concentrating on that a pile of new images has built up from customers sending in their photos for our gallery.

We shall be wading through them later this week and adding the photos as soon as we can.

There some very nice additions to our already large collection includinh some very nice Outasight photos and loads of wall panelling shots.

Wall Panelling Uses

As well as being used extensively in bathrooms and showers wall panelling can be used in other rooms - and not just in the house.

We regularly get request from people looking to fit it inside caravans, motor homes and boats. Its lightweight construction and ease of installation make it the ideal choice n small confined spaces and the fact that it is maintenance free comes as an added bonus. We shall be adding some photos from a customer who used in in the head (shower room) and galley of his boat.

We have also sold wall panelling for use around swimming pools and one customer used it for the surround of a hot tub. The hot tub was sited indoors - this was important as our panels are designed for interior use only and can suffer from UV damage if used outdoors.

Outasight Delivery Delays

Due to delivery delays from the German shower curtain material supplers and huge demand following the Ideal Home Ehxibition the Outasight is currently out of stock.

We have been told that stock will be made available as soon as the material arrives with the manufacturers but the situation is further compounded by the fact that Outasight will be shut themselves 16th June until 3rd July for their Summer shutdown. This could result in orders not getting despatched until week commencing 3rd July.

We are very sorry for any inconvenience caused by these delays but unfortunately they are outside our control.

Trade Users

We have completely re-vamped our trade page to account for the different stypes of trade user of our panels - you can see the page at http://www.bathroommarquee.co.uk/trade.htm

Theere are several different categories of trade customer split into the following sections:

Installers of our wall panelling
General Builder
House Builder
Property Developer
Plumber
Bathroom Installer
Kitchen Fitter
Double Glazing
Decorator
Tiler

Specifiers
Architect
Interior Designer
Bathroom Designer
Kitchen Designer
Housing Association
Drawing Office
Spatial Design

Trade Users
Hotel
Sports Club
Leisure Centre
Swimming Pool
Golf Club
Local Authority
Hospital
Schools
Guest House


Stockists
Bathroom Showroom
Kitchen Showroom
Builders Merchant
DIY Store
Plumbers Merchant

Distributors
Bathroom Disributor
Kitchen Distributor
UPVC Distributor
Flooring Distributor
Laminate Distributor

The Bathroom Marquee - Easter closing

The Bathroom Marquee will be shut on Good Friday and will re-open on Wednesday 19th April after th Easter Weekend.

Fixing Wall Panels Over Wallpaper

We regularly get asked if it is possible to install the panels over wallpaper. It is possible - but it depends on the underlying structure of the wall.

If you have plasterboard walls the panels can be attached using a mechanical fixing. The best way would be to use a staple gun and secret-fix the panels through the tongue:



If you stick the panels to the wall you are relying on the adhesive bonding to the paper and the paper bonding to the wall - so effectively you are relying on wallpaper paste! It would be better to try and scrape off some of the paper (you don't have to be very fussy about this) and stick directly to the wall.

Easter Shutdown

The UK importers of Grosfillex wall panels will be closed from Friday 14th April (Good Friday)until Monday 24th April.

Please order in plenty of time to ensure that this shutdown does not affect your delivery.

Gallery Update

There have been quite a few additions to our Customer Gallery over the last couple of weeks including this superb shower cubicle photo from Mr Lindsay of Dunfermline.



Mr Lindsay has used Decos Mosiac panels in Azure Blue for his bathroom makeover and has done a splendid job! You can see this image and more shots from Mr Lindsay together with many new images on the gallery.

Grosfillex Trims

As well as a raft of deletions from their range there are also some other changes that have been made by Grosfillex.

One that will make packing the panels ready for despatch a bit easier is the decision to change the length of the trims from 2.7m to 2.6m. This is mainly due to the fact that there will now be no 2.7mt panels left in the range - only 2.6m and 4.0m

At present these shorter trims are not available but start to replace the 2.7m trims over the next few weeks and we will alter the site as and when they are available.

Coving Trim added to site

We have now added a two-part coving trim to our web site.



This trim is very useful if you are installing ceiling cladding as, being two-part, the front section can be clipped on after the ceiling has been fitted, making installation much easier.

The trim is 2.7mt long and is available in white only. At the time of this post it is priced at £5.29

We will also be adding another coving trim to the site shortly. This one is made by Decos and is a one part trim making it ideal for use with wall panels (it is quite tricky to fit any one-part trim to ceiling panels)

Alternative Panels

We've had a quick look through our existing range to come up with some alternatives for the panels that Grosfillex have discontinued.

Evol 2000 Blue Marble - Tinto Sky Blue
Evol 3000 Light Blue Marble - Spaceline Blue
Evol 3000 Satin White - Decos Blanc
Evol 3000 Blue Wood - Ligno 10 Blue
Ambiance Natural Wood - Belmont Maple (coming soon)
Mineral Naugeux Beige - Tinto Desert
Mineral Turquoise Marble - Firenze Blue
Topline Beige Textile - Mineral Natural Patchwork

Waterproof Wall Panel Update

We have finally had a full list of Grosfillex recent changes to their range of waterproof wall apnels and there are quite a few products affected.

The panels that have been discontinued are as follows:

Evol 2000 Blue Marble
Evol 3000 Light Blue Marble
Evol 3000 Satin White
Evol 3000 Blue Wood
Ambiance Natural Wood
Topline Beige Textile
Mineral Naugeux Beige
Mineral Turquoise Marble

There is still some stock available at the time of this post but please check with the sales office for the latest situation.


There several new products added to the Grosfillex range and we will be adding these to the site once we have received samples of these panels.

Another panel bites the dust

We have just discovered that Grosfillex have discontinued Evol 3000 Satin White panels. This is a major blow as this was one of their best sellers and an extremely popular choice for those looking for a non-glossy ceiling panel.

We do have an alternative available in the shape of Decos Blanc which has just been added to our web site and is available online.

Outasight At The Ideal Home Show

Outasight are displaying once again at the Ideal Home Show at Earls Court.



Lee Brown, above, will be on hand to answer any queries and demonstrate his invention. You can see the Outasight on the World of Water stand (1J31)

Evol 3000 Blue Marble Panel

We have just been informed that Evol 3000 light Blue Marble is being discontinued by the manufacturer, Grosfillex.

We predicted in an earlier post that there would be more deletions from their list. It is really annoying that they don't give a list of all of the colours they have targetted for deletion - instead they let the UK importer know one-by-one as and when they order more stock.

We have asked them to try to obtain an exhuastive list of panels that are due to be deleted but as yet the manufacturers have not been forthcoming. Obviously if they do let us know we will post a notice here with the details.

Blanc Panel

We have added a new panel to our range - the Blanc panel from Decos.

This panel is ideal for use on walls and is perfect for use on ceilings.




The panel size is 375mm wide 8mm thick and 2.6m long. They are available in packs of 4 at £57.96 per pack plus carriage.

Magic Grey Wall Panelling

Magic Grey by Decos has been discontinued by the panelling manufacturers.



There is some limited stock still available.

Magic White and Magic Black will continue to be made - it is just Magic Grey that is being discontinued. As noted previously Magic panels are curently on special offer this month.

March Special Offers

We have some excellent special offers for our customers in March.



Decos Spaceline wall panels are on offer at £7.49 per panel. Also from Decos, the Magic range is also on offer with prices at £9.99 per panel insstead of the list price of £13.39

We are also running a promotion on Beige Tile Marble panels by Grosfillex. Usually £19.49 these are now available at £16.49 . Beige Tile Marble panels are ideal if you want the look of ceramic wall tiles in your bathroom without the hassle of of hard-to-clean grout. See our special offer page for more details.

Satin White Panels

The UK importers of Grosfillex bathroom wall panels have just informed us that they are running very low on Satin White panels.

There is still some stock available but it will be two weeks before the new stock arrives from France.

In the meantime we will be adding a new satin finish panel from decos suitable for walls and ceilings.