Quick answer: Many fluted panels sold in Singapore are decor. Solid fluted boards look great but bounce sound like any hard wall. Slat panels on a thick felt or fabric backing do soak up some sound, because sound passes between the slats into the backing. Fabric acoustic panels soak up more for the same wall area. Choose slats for looks, fabric panels for echo, or mix them.

Key takeaways

  • Solid fluted boards are decor, not acoustic.
  • Slats on a soft backing soak up some sound.
  • Fabric panels soak up the most per square metre.

Two kinds of "fluted panel"

1) Solid fluted boards of wood, MDF or plastic with grooves cut in. These are hard, so they bounce sound. 2) Slat panels with wood strips glued onto a felt or fabric backing, with gaps between the strips. Sound goes into the gaps, so these work a bit.

How to tell them apart

Look at the back and the gaps. If you can see soft felt between the slats, it can soak up sound. If it is one solid board, it cannot. Ask for an NRC (a score from 0 to 1 for how much sound a panel soaks up) number. See what an NRC rating means.

Not sure what your room needs? Send us a photo on WhatsApp or request a free quote. We'll tell you how many panels, where they go and the price. See our acoustic panels Singapore and recent projects.

Fluted vs fabric panels infographic
Which panel soaks up sound? diagram

How well do slat panels work?

Part of the face is hard wood, so less sound gets in than with a fabric panel. They work, but you need more of them for the same effect. Ask the seller for the NRC of the exact panel.

Why fabric panels do more

The whole face lets sound in, so all of it gets soaked up. Our 25 mm Flexi™ panels are NRC 0.80, and the 50 mm ones are NRC 1.00. Each panel is S$185 installed.

Mixing both

A slat feature wall behind the TV or reception gives the timber look. Fabric panels on the other walls or the ceiling do most of the sound work. Choose a fabric colour close to the timber so the two sit well together.

Matching wood finishes

Fabric panels come in many colours, so they can match timber. At Leng Kwang Baptist, the fabric was matched to the wood finishes. Fabric colour does not change how well a panel works. See choosing panel colours.

Questions to ask a fluted panel seller

Is it a solid board or slats on a felt backing? What is the NRC for this exact panel? Is it fire-tested? How is it fixed? If they cannot answer, treat it as decor.

A good mixed design

Use slat panels as a feature behind the TV, reception or altar. Put fabric panels in a matching colour on the side walls or ceiling to do most of the sound work. The room gets the timber look and real echo control.

What we see on real jobs

A new fluted feature wall will not fix echo if it is a solid board. A few fabric panels on the other walls do that job.

Get a straight answer for your room

Send us a photo or a short video of the room on WhatsApp (+65 8930 1905). We'll reply with whether panels are the right fix, how many you need, where they go and the price. If it's really a soundproofing problem, we'll tell you.

WhatsApp us a photo · Request a free quote · See prices

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