Types of wall panels
Wall panels range from fabric-wrapped acoustic panels and felt tiles to wood veneer panels, slatted systems, laminate and solid surface sheets. Some are purely decorative. Others are chosen to reduce echo in open offices, lobbies, restaurants and training rooms.
Panels may be glued, clipped to a track or screwed to blocking. The method affects the finish, the wall preparation and whether the panels can be removed later. We confirm this with the manufacturer's instructions and the design before work starts.
Preparing the wall
Panels need a good base. Walls should be straight, dry and properly blocked. A drywall wall that is a few millimetres out of plane can telegraph through a thin panel, and heavy panels need studs or blocking in the right place. Because our crew frames and boards the wall, we can build it for the panel from the start.
Services are the other consideration. Outlets, switches, data jacks, speakers and cameras all need to line up with panel joints and cut-outs. Our electrical and low voltage teams work with the installers to mark these accurately, so cut-outs are neat and nothing is hidden behind a panel by mistake.
- Fabric, felt and acoustic panels
- Wood and laminate panels, including slat systems
- Panels in lobbies, boardrooms, training rooms and restaurants
- Cut-outs for power, data, audio-visual and controls
What to plan for
Many panel products are custom or made to order, so lead time is a real issue. Dye lots, grain matching and fabric patterns also benefit from approved samples. We encourage clients to confirm samples before production begins.
Fire performance varies. Some wall finishes have flame-spread requirements depending on where they are used, so check the product against the code requirements for the space. Our team can help review this with the design team.
Think about maintenance as well. Fabric panels need different cleaning than laminate, and high-traffic corridors may call for tougher materials.