Hygienic wall cladding

Well first you didnt mention the dimensions of the wall cover units--e.g., 4x8 sheets, 2x2 pieces, etc.

But 8mm is pretty thick, if it's fairly rigid (unbendable) then I dont see why you'd need additional backing, or even adhesive--

(assuming units are large enough) just furr or shim wall where needed to accept the wall covering evenly and fasten away.

Now, if you want invisible fasteners, you might have to do it another way, e.g., with "hangars" on the wall and

backside of the panels, etc.

Yeah 8mm is pretty thick, but also expensive.

What I like to do is glue on sheets of arborite, a.k.a. laminate to the walls.  Not with contact cement, but with construction adhesitive, the kind that comes in tubes and you use a caulking gun to apply.

If the walls are crooked, you will have to shim them plumb, like meez says.  Hang a plumb bob from the top of the wall and determine the widest distance from the wall to the string and then find lumber to fill this distance.  Shims can be nailed directly onto to the wall and then plywood or gyprock(a.k.a. sheetrock, a.k.a. plasterboard) onto this.  Then glue down the laminate.

I find the above method the cheapest and with no visible fasteners. The laminate that comes in solid plain colours is the cheapest, usually at around $40.00 per sheet.

okay that was helpful.....

Youre right the thin stuff (and Im assuming you (and foodpump) are referring to common grade FRP panels)

wont work on a moderately uneven wall, (I've used it a lot and hate it a lot), as you need a perfectly flat wall to

glue it to, or you'll see waves galore.

Now, just because youre talking 8mm doesnt mean itll stay flat on a wonky wall, just depends on

how much flex this pvc stuff has, and how uneven the wall is.

If you can cinch it up with  fasteners and it stays flat and rigid, problem solved.

If not, I see two practical choices here,

A) You run a long straight edge along the wall and mark the low spots, (and FP's plumb-bob method would be helpful too)

then glue shims to existing wall until its relatively flat at 24" intervals both horizontally and vertically.

Then glue up your panels and apply. And yes all purpose construction adhesive is the way, again as FP mentioned.

Its thick, cheap, and sticks to most anything. As to shims, the cardboard ones will work for a glued wall covering panel.

But dont use the construction adhesive to layer shims--its too thick. Use fast drying paper glue, contact cement, or etc.

B)You furr the wall with wood furr strips, making a "grid" with 24" centers.

With this method you have something more solid to attach to should you use fasteners rather than glue.

Things I'm still wondering:

1) Whats the current wall surface? plaster? Drywall? Ply?

2) Whats IN the walls? Wood studs? Galvy studs? Or other?

As to the domed celiing, do you really need a scrubbable surface up there? Something else might be more

decorative, small designer acoustic tiles or strips for example. Depends on the height and codes I suppose.

Rather than straight forward hygienic wall cladding, I'd get BioClad hygienic wall cladding, it's anti mold, antibacterial and antimicrobial. Far safer.

Stainless Steel   (Costly but forever)

Very true Chef...I just designed/built a commercial kitchen for someone...stainless wall covering ran about 200

bucks per 4x8 sheet...uninstalled.

Plus SS is very thin and bendy, so it still needs a very flat wall or above mentioned shimming/furring.

Gauge (thickness of steel depends on price paid)  and where manufactured

True again, and the ss we used I believe was standard 18 ga.

Theres an FRP panel I LOVE, Marlite's Artisan line,

gorgeous and health legal. But its also about 200 a sheet

or about 900.00 for a 16 ft wall, with tax and trims.

Gentlemen...

Materials are best defined by the use  and the cost.

The said wall is in a corridor.  No food prep in that area, no cleaning, no water.  S/s and anti micriobial are nice, but overkill for an application like this.  Now if the wall was behind the dishpit or in a meat prep area, I'd say go for it.

For a corridor, however plain laminate is good, but before this can be hung, the wall has to be sraight and rigid.  No sense putting up expensive panels if they are going to buckl;e and warp as soon as someone brushes gainst them.  

Well I do realize that FP, but first the OP's subj title says "hygienic wall claddding"

and secondly the OP said "the room itself is like a corridor"...not that it is a ccorridor.

From those,  and the fact he's mentioning using pvc, I construed his intention

to be a sanitizable wall covering. Unless I misssed something.

My 2 most recent posts were just aimed at Chef's SSteel comments, I wasnt suggesting

Barnaby use SSteel.

Youre right about that, the last kitchen I did we covered all 4 walls (18x26ft space)

with stainlesss, and it ended up with LOTS of dazzle! (recalls donning sunglasses)

So if a prep space, I'd use your pvc or FRP and shim for backing.

What is the internal framework and current wall covering made of Barnaby?