Common Questions

Open-backed panelling is normally strips of MDF or wood glued to a flat smooth wall surface. When the entire finished wall is painted the same colour this can give a convincing impression of traditional wall panelling. A value option for wall panelling and ideal for modern smooth walls. Back-boarded panels are made from solid MDF or wood and completely cover the underlying wall surface. The panels will be supplied fully made up in whatever design is required. They will have a recessed design and sometimes have decorative moulding. Normally the wall panelling is broken down into modular sections so the panels can be shipped safely. The modular sections will fit together with tight joins. When fitted to the wall the panels completely cover it. Roughly twice the price of open backed panelling

We recommend always using metric (milimetres) to measure your walls. If measuring for width we recommend measuring a floor or skirting height from corner to corner. Then repeat the measurement at about 1m high above the floor. If doing full wall panelling also measure at ceiling height. Each wall should have two or three horizontal measurements in mm. For height, repeat the process. Always measure from architrave to architrave or corner, and skirting to ceiling or coving. We will only need the measurements for the actual surface to be panelled. If using a laser measure please ensure you use the right setting, please read instructions first. For tape measurements, you can measure in metres or cm or mm but be careful to read the tape properly.

We advise you use a grab adhesive. We have tested most brands and find the UK retailer Screwfix own brand, called Nononsense Solvent Free Grab Adhesive is both cheap and effective. No need to purchase more expensive brands as they are no better.

You have a number of options. If the wall is in extremely poor condition and not flat then consider battening the wall out to raise the panelling from the surface. If the wall is flat but maybe not smooth then it is fine to fix the panels straight to the underlying surface. We recommend a foam based adhesive called Instastik for fixing our flat backed back-boarded panels. You can also fix the panels using 18g brad nails or 24g finishing nails but ensure you are not fixing into pipework or electrical wiring. Also, when using nails you must fill in the holes using a fine surface filler.

We generally advise either a good quality emulsion or water based eggshell paint. We find that B&Q own brand Valspar Premium is quite good. This can be colour matched to more expensive brands such as Farrow & Ball for traditional colours. We recommend a matt finish for panelling. Try to avoid gloss finishes as this can highlight any imperfections in joints.

Yes, we can make panelling for pretty much any space. The key is obtaining accurate measurements and we can walk you through this process.

Yes, we can normally insert your order into the production queue and send on a special delivery (Monday to Saturday excluding Bank Holidays). If you need this service please contact us before ordering.

We handmake everything to order so normally items are not held in stock. As we get orders for different products every day and to keep prices down we tend to batch manufacturing of similar orders together. We would normally run different types of production runs each week. To allow for this we would normally expect a minimum of one week between making an order and dispatching it. For larger orders or bespoke items this is extended by one or two weeks. Our ethos is to handmake where we can. There are plenty of retailers willing to sell mass produced products and that is not what we are about.

Typically for simple items or small orders we aim to send them within a week (7 days). For larger order these can take up to two weeks. For bespoke heritage orders these can take up to three weeks. We send via a tracked, signed for next working day service (even with free shipping). Bear in mind that our timescales are based on working days, we do not normally work weekends and neither do the couriers. We sometimes work on a Saturday but we cannot ship on a weekend at the moment.

Yes, we have a guide we can supply to you on how to measure for stairs. You will need an angle finder tool but these can be cheaply bought.

Please contact us using the contact form and put your order number on it. We do monitor emails and messages in a normal working day or on the weekend so can normally act on this request straight away. If you contact us after 6pm we can normally deal with the issue after 9.30am the following working day.