5 Practical Uses for PVC Flat Bar Strip You Might Not Have Considered
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PVC flat bar strip gets bought for one job more than any other, covering a gap or finishing an edge. It is a straightforward product, a flat rectangular section of rigid or flexible PVC, but that simplicity is exactly why it turns up in more places than most people expect. Here are five uses worth knowing about beyond the obvious.
1. Bridging Gaps Between Boards and Panels
When two boards or panels sit side by side with a visible join, a strip of flat bar fixed across the gap covers it cleanly without the bulk of a full angle or channel profile. This works well on wall panelling, shed cladding, and any flat surface where the join needs hiding rather than protecting from an edge.
2. Reinforcing and Finishing Shelf Fronts
Fixed along the front edge of a shelf, flat bar gives a clean, flush finish and adds a small amount of stiffness to the board edge. Unlike angle trim, which wraps the corner, flat bar sits on the face, making it the right choice where you want a subtle finish rather than a visible corner wrap.
3. Creating a Flat Mounting Surface for Fixtures
Where a wall or panel surface is uneven or you need a consistent flat strip to mount brackets, hooks or fittings to, a length of rigid PVC flat bar provides a stable, level base. This is a common trick in signage and display work, where fittings need a predictable surface regardless of what is behind it.
4. Building Simple Frames and Battens
Rigid flat bar can be cut and fixed to form basic frames or battens for lightweight display boards, greenhouse staging, or storage dividers. It will not rot or swell like timber battens, which makes it a better fit for damp sheds, greenhouses and outbuildings.
5. Flexible Applications on Curved or Uneven Surfaces
Where the surface itself is not flat, our flexible PVC flat bar can follow gentle curves and irregular surfaces that rigid strip cannot, useful for curved cladding sections, caravan interiors, and any application where a rigid strip would sit proud or crack under bending stress.
Rigid or Flexible: Which Do You Need?
Rigid flat bar is the right choice for the vast majority of jobs, edging, bridging, mounting and general finishing on flat surfaces. Flexible flat bar is only worth choosing where the application specifically requires following a curve or an uneven contour. For anything flat and straight, rigid gives a stiffer, more durable result.
Sizing and Fixing
Flat bar is supplied in 1 metre lengths in a range of widths, so measure the gap or surface you are covering before ordering. It can be cut with a fine-toothed saw, fixed with PVC adhesive or contact adhesive depending on the surface, or mechanically fixed with screws where extra durability is needed.
Where to Buy PVC Flat Bar Strip in the UK
Plastic Profile Supplies stocks UK-made rigid and flexible PVC flat bar strip in white and black. There is no minimum order, delivery is a flat £3.95 regardless of quantity, and orders placed before 1PM are dispatched the same day.