Common types
- Fluted WPC panels: a mix of wood fibre and plastic in longitudinal fluted profiles. They tolerate humidity better than timber, are light, and are fixed with clips or adhesive on battens. Suitable for TV walls and corridors.
- Acoustic timber slats: timber or timber veneer slats fixed over acoustic felt. They give a warm look and reduce echo in offices, majlis rooms and meeting rooms.
- Veneered or painted MDF panels: allow any layout, routing or concealed lighting, and are made in a joinery workshop to precise sizes. They need protection from humidity.
- Artificial marble panels (PVC or SPC): glossy panels with a marble pattern, light, quick to install and cheaper than stone. They need a perfectly flat substrate because any waviness shows in the gloss.
- Natural stone, ceramic and large-format porcelain: for entrances and upscale walls. They are heavy, so they need mechanical fixing or a dedicated adhesive depending on weight and height, and planning of the vein direction in natural marble.
- 3D gypsum and GRG: continuous relief patterns painted after installation. Suitable for majlis rooms and reception areas, and their details are close to GRC works and ornament.
- Fabric or leather upholstered panels: behind beds and in home cinema rooms, and helpful acoustically.
- Metal panels and mirrors: for limited accents in shops and reception areas, needing concealed fixing and edge protection.
How to choose
| Criterion | Question |
|---|---|
| Location | Is the wall in a humid area, in direct sun, or in a high-traffic corridor? |
| Fire | Does the building or corridor require materials with a particular flame spread rating? |
| Sound | Is echo to be reduced? If so, prefer slats over felt or upholstered panels. |
| Existing condition | Is the wall flat and dry? Does it contain services that must be reached later? |
| Maintenance | Is it easy to clean, and can a single damaged panel be replaced? |
| Weight | Can the wall carry the load? Especially stone on gypsum board partitions. |
Fixing methods
- Direct adhesive: for light panels on a flat, clean, dry wall. Any defect in the wall shows through to the finished surface.
- On timber or metal battens: the safest method for most types. The battens correct an uneven wall and leave a void for services and for ventilation behind the panels.
- Concealed clips: for WPC and some manufactured panels, allowing a single panel to be removed for maintenance.
- French cleat hanging: for heavy panels and large joinery, and it makes adjustment and removal easy.
- Mechanical fixing of stone: with corrosion-resistant metal anchors according to panel weight and wall height, to approved details.
Details that are often forgotten
- Switches and outlets: they must fall at the middle of a panel or on a joint by design, not at a random point. This is decided before the services are installed, not after.
- Expansion joints: timber, WPC and PVC expand with heat, so they need gaps at the edges and at the ceiling.
- Edge terminations: trims at corners and where panels meet the ceiling and skirting, otherwise the cut edges show.
- Moisture: measure wall moisture before installation, especially after new plastering.
- Concealed lighting: where the driver is located and how it is reached for maintenance.
Execution steps on site
- Survey the actual wall: dimensions, flatness and the locations of existing services, because the built wall often differs from the drawing by a few centimetres.
- Approve the setting-out drawings and a sample: a panel sample in its colour and texture, and drawings showing the starting point and the width of the end pieces.
- Relocate the services: adjust the positions of switches, outlets and light points to suit the approved layout.
- Prepare the surface or battens: treat moisture, install the battens to the required flatness, and strengthen the wall for heavy panels.
- Installation: from the approved starting point, leaving expansion gaps and checking straightness every few panels.
- Edges and finishing: trims, fitting switches and outlets, concealed lighting, then cleaning and protection until handover.
Why does the wall need execution drawings?
A decorative wall needs setting-out drawings showing the width of each panel, the position of each joint, the starting point of the layout, and the locations of switches, outlets and lighting, with sections at the edges, fixing details and a materials schedule. These drawings are what the consultant or owner approves before fabrication, they prevent waste in cutting, and they settle disputes at handover. We prepare them as part of architectural shop drawings at 165 SAR per A1 sheet with a minimum of 1,500 SAR before VAT, or as part of full interior design. Before submitting, review the shop drawing submittal checklist.
Maintenance and lifespan
Manufactured panels such as WPC and artificial marble are cleaned with a damp cloth and a neutral cleaner, and solvents or abrasives are not used. Natural timber and veneer need protection from direct sun and a renewed finish coat when fading appears. Natural stone is treated with an anti-stain sealer after installation and re-treated periodically according to the supplier's recommendation. In all types, keep a number of spare panels from the same batch, because replacing a damaged panel years later with one from a different batch shows clearly in colour.
Common mistakes
- Buying panels before measuring the actual wall and fixing the layout, which leaves narrow cut pieces at the ends.
- Installing glossy panels on an uneven wall.
- Fixing heavy stone to gypsum board partitions without strengthening.
- Closing off services that need maintenance behind glued panels that cannot be removed.
- Choosing a material that cannot take humidity in a bathroom or kitchen.
For coordination with the ceiling and lighting, see Ceiling types in interior design.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best wall panels for humid areas?
WPC or PVC panels, or ceramic and porcelain, with ventilation behind the panels and sealed edges. Untreated timber and MDF are not suitable for humid areas.
Are panels glued directly to the wall?
Only light ones, and only on a flat, dry wall. Fixing on battens is safer for most types because it corrects unevenness and leaves a void for services and ventilation.
Can stone be fixed to a gypsum board wall?
It needs the frame strengthened and fixing suited to the weight, to approved details, otherwise a lighter material is preferable.
What do decorative wall execution drawings contain?
The panel layout, the starting point, joint locations, switches, outlets and lighting, sections at the edges, fixing details and a materials schedule.
