Black Friday: tackling echo in hard-floored Dutch homes

Hard surfaces such as tiled floors, window glass and bare walls reflect sound, which is why open-plan kitchens and living rooms can sound loud and echoey. Acoustic wall panels are one way to soften the effect, and WoodUpp is putting its range on sale ahead of Black Friday.

WoodUpp’s acoustic panels consist of MDF slats fixed to an acoustic felt backing. The felt absorbs sound reflections and reduces echo within a room, though it does not stop sound travelling between rooms. The panels come in natural wood veneer, wood-like finishes and coloured designs.

The company’s offer of 25% off all products, including slat panels and Create accessories, opens to the public on Monday, November 23. Black Friday itself falls on Friday, November 27.

Early access
Subscribers can shop 48 hours earlier, from 10am local Dutch time on Saturday, November 21. Registration is required: sign up on the WoodUpp Black Friday page to receive the discount code by email, using an address you can check before you order.

Where panels help
In open kitchens and dining areas, panels can reduce reflections from tile floors and glass. In a home office, they can sit behind the desk where you work or take calls. Living rooms and home cinemas are other common settings, and panels can cover a single feature wall or a larger section of a room.

Decide how much wall to cover before comparing finishes, especially if a television or cabinet breaks up the layout. Natural wood veneer varies in grain, so compare it with nearby furniture and flooring in the light where it will hang.

Measure first
Panels can go on walls or ceilings, though a ceiling installation needs a different mounting plan. Measure each wall separately if the room has alcoves or projecting cabinets, and mark sockets, switches and ceiling lights on a sketch before working out how many panels to order. If you plan to add shelves or hooks, mark where they will sit in relation to the panel edges.

Natural wood veneer panels have 13mm-thick slats, and standard lengths include 240cm and 300cm.

Mounting options
On walls, panels can be fixed with screws through the felt backing or with mounting glue. A wall-mounted panel needs about 15 black drywall screws, each 30 to 35mm long. If you use glue, inspect the wall finish and follow the adhesive instructions, and check the installation guidance for your wall surface either way.

Panels can also be mounted on timber battens fixed to the wall first. This leaves a gap behind the panels and brings their face further out, so check the extra depth against door frames, switches and other fittings, and measure clearance at doorways with the door fully open.

To cut panels to size, use a fine-toothed saw on the MDF slats and a sharp knife on the felt.

WoodUpp’s Create range includes shelves, coat hooks and magnetic organisers that fit between the slats.