Can You Glue Paneling to Cement Walls?

If you are looking for ways to finish your basement, you may be considering paneling your concrete walls. One of the quickest ways to panel the basement or other cement walls is to glue the paneling directly to the cement. Paneling can be glued to cement. Before you start applying adhesive, however, there are a few things you need to check for and some precautions you may want to take. There is also a quick alternative to gluing directly to your walls that may make installing and removing the paneling easier.

Preparing to install paneling directly to your concrete walls is critically important. If your walls leak, then applying paneling to them could start to trap moisture and enable the growth of mold and mildew. Mold left unchecked could become dangerous and begin to overrun your home. If your walls leak, have a professional contractor come in and look the situation over. He may tell you that you just need to seal the walls with a strong sealant to stop the leaking. It may also be that you need to have major work done to stop the water from getting into your basement. The water that comes through your basement walls must be dealt with completely before you can move on to installation.

You can purchase a very strong adhesive and use that to attach the paneling to your basement walls. Prep your basement walls by brushing them down with a stiff brush to remove debris that may be on the walls. Measure and cut your paneling pieces and try putting them in place before you apply the adhesive, to insure the paneling will go on properly. Make any cuts for outlets and light switches, and make sure the pieces all fit closely before you start applying that strong adhesive. Follow package directions for applying the adhesive one panel at a time so that the adhesive does not dry prematurely.

An alternative to gluing your paneling directly to the walls is to glue wooden studs to the walls and then attach the paneling to the studs. You can use standard 2" x 4" boards and strong adhesive to create a wooden framework, to which you can easily attach your paneling. If you need to remove the paneling to repair something in the basement, or if the paneling gets ruined due to mold or moisture, you can easily remove it and replace it when it is attached to wood strips that are glued to the wall.