Leitfaden zu architektonischen Wandpaneelen

This guide covers the panel types we manufacture, what acoustic panelling actually does, the three fixing systems and when each applies, the fire classification specifiers ask for, and the items that genuinely drive the rate per square metre.

Short answer

Flat veneered or lacquered panels for calm, broad surfaces. Slatted (lamella) panels for rhythm and perceived height. Acoustic slatted panels where reverberation is a problem — lobbies, offices, meeting rooms. Coffered panels for classical and transitional schemes. None of these belongs in a wet area or on an external face.

Panel types

Flat veneered or lacquered panel

MDF substrate with natural wood veneer or a lacquer finish. The shadow gap between panels is the design: a 4 mm reveal reads crisp and modern, a 10 mm reveal reads deliberate and articulated. Grain direction must be constant across the wall, and all panels must come from one batch — veneer from different batches will not tone-match.

Slatted (lamella) panel

Slats fixed at regular centres to a backing panel. Slat width and spacing change how tall the room reads: narrow slats at close centres lift the perceived ceiling height.

Acoustic slatted panel

Slats mounted over an absorptive backing, normally PET felt, and where required a mineral wool infill. The critical point: acoustic performance comes from the absorber and the cavity behind it, not from the slats. A slatted panel without a felt backing is decorative, not acoustic.

To increase absorption, leave a 30-50 mm air cavity between panel and wall; adding mineral wool in that cavity noticeably improves absorption at lower frequencies, which is where most room problems actually sit. Note the distinction: this controls reverberation inside the room. Stopping sound passing to the adjacent room is sound insulation — a different problem, solved with mass, not with slats.

Coffered / raised-panel

Frame and panel composition, used in classical residential schemes, hotel corridors and headboard walls. It performs best in lacquer, because the profiled elements read as one continuous colour.

CNC-machined 3D panel

Effective as a feature wall, but raking light shows dust in the relief. Not recommended in corridors and other low-maintenance areas.

Fixing systems

System	Where it suits	Advantage	Watch out for
Timber battens	Out-of-plumb walls, cavity required	Corrects level, creates the acoustic cavity	Loses 30-50 mm of room
Concealed clip / hanging rail	Hotels, offices, high panel counts	Demountable, serviceable	Demands tight dimensional tolerance
Direct adhesive	Plasterboard and true plastered walls	No loss of room, fast	Not demountable, unsafe on damp walls

Rule: a damp wall will not hold panelling. Against external walls and at floor junctions, hold the panel 8-10 mm above finished floor level and conceal that gap behind the skirting — it provides air movement and protects against incidental water.

Movement allowance: the most common failure

Timber and MDF change dimension with ambient humidity. Internal relative humidity can fall to 25% once heating starts and rise past 60% in summer. So:

• Leave at least 5 mm at ceiling and floor junctions, concealed by cornice and skirting.
• Build a shadow-gap movement joint into any continuous run over 3 m.
• Acclimatise panels on site for at least 48 hours in the conditioned space before fixing.

Skip these three and you will see open joints or bowing by the end of the first heating season.

Fire classification: hotels, hospitals and public projects

Rarely required in private housing, routinely required in hotel corridors, hospitals, schools and public buildings, where the reaction-to-fire class of the wall lining is specified. In Europe this is classified to EN 13501-1, with escape corridors commonly requiring classes such as B-s1,d0. Meeting it means using flame-retardant treated or classified board rather than standard MDF.

If the specification carries a fire class, it has to be declared at quotation stage. Changing board type after production has started moves both the programme and the price. Document types we work with are listed on our Certificates & Documents page, and the same logic applied to doors is covered in our guide to fire-rated wooden doors.

Panelling, doors and skirting are one package

Panelling only reads as designed when the door frames, architraves and skirtings are resolved in the same system:

1. Panel thickness and architrave depth are aligned — either the panel matches the architrave, or the door uses a concealed frame.
2. The skirting is designed as the panel's bottom termination, not as a separate element applied afterwards.
3. Doors, panelling and cabinet faces are produced from the same batch of veneer.

What drives the rate

• Finish: lacquer, natural veneer or melamine
• Substrate: MDF thickness, emission class, fire class
• Form: flat, coffered/machined, or slatted
• Acoustic build-up: felt only, felt plus mineral wool, cavity depth
• Fixing system and whether installation is included

Two quotations for "wall panelling" that differ on any of these are not comparable. Fix the specification first, then compare.

Maintenance

• Clean with a damp cloth. No solvents, acetone or ammonia-based cleaners.
• Treat veneered surfaces with a timber care product once a year.
• Vacuum acoustic felt with a soft brush attachment.
• Expect colour shift on walls in strong sunlight — more visible on dark species such as walnut. Plan for it rather than discovering it.

Panelling for your project

We manufacture wall panelling, doors, skirtings and cabinetry under a single specification and ship worldwide with full export documentation. See Services for scope and References for completed projects.

Send your elevations for a takeoff and quotation →

Frequently Asked Questions

Do acoustic wall panels really reduce noise?

They reduce reverberation within the room. The absorption comes from the felt or mineral wool behind the slats and the air cavity, not from the slats themselves. Preventing sound transmission to an adjacent room is sound insulation, which requires mass and is a separate build-up.

Can wall panelling be used in bathrooms?

Standard MDF-substrate panelling should not be used in wet areas or behind kitchen worktops. Those locations require moisture-resistant board, an appropriate finish and a ventilated cavity.

How long does panelling take to produce and install?

15-30 working days for production from drawing approval depending on the finish, and typically 1-2 days to install a single feature wall.

Is panelling demountable?

Yes if fixed on a concealed clip or hanging rail system. Panels fixed with direct adhesive cannot be removed without damage.

What fire class do hotel corridors usually require?

Wall linings in escape routes are commonly specified to EN 13501-1 classes such as B-s1,d0, which requires flame-retardant treated or classified board. The requirement must be declared at quotation stage because it determines the substrate.