Felt Wall Panels vs Wood Slat Acoustic Panels: Backing Cavity, Fire Class and What the NRC Claim Covers

Compare the installation before choosing the finish

Use the following manufacturer examples to compare felt wall panels with wood slat acoustic panels. Keep each product’s installation beside its stated result as you work through the options. For the wider material-selection context, start with our interiors guide.

The FilzFelt examples above refer to Akustika 10 Wall.

Use the rows as installation-specific examples when preparing your shortlist. For other panel constructions, continue to types of acoustic wall panels.

What does the NRC claim cover?

Autex’s Cube data sheet describes NRC as the arithmetic average of absorption coefficients measured by one-third octave bands centred on 250 Hz, 500 Hz, 1000 Hz and 2000 Hz, rounded to the nearest 0.05.

The reverberation-room test measures sound absorption by measuring decay rate. For highly absorptive test specimens, the measured coefficients may exceed unity. In practical use, the sound field is rarely diffuse.

Read the frequency data and mounting description alongside the headline rating. Keep the room brief with the product report when comparing proposals.

Felt Right’s panels absorb sound inside the room but do not block sound passing through walls.

For a bedroom noise-transfer brief, follow the separate guide to soundproof wall panels and acoustic absorption.

Felt panels: compare the material and the mounting

Identify the actual felt system before comparing its mounting options.

FilzFelt’s Akustika 10 Wall combines 100% Wool Design Felt with an Akustika 10 Substrate. MPS Mur uses 100% polyester fiber acoustic felt.

For the FilzFelt system in the comparison table, read the thickness and acoustic entries together.

The listed Z-Clips thickness is 3/4 in (1.8 cm). The listed Interlock Mounting System thickness is 1 1/4 in (3.2 cm). The Z-Clips option has SAA 0.57. The Interlock Mounting System option has SAA 0.75.

Record the manufacturer’s thickness description exactly; request a separate dimension for the proposed backing cavity. Use the fixing detail to coordinate the panel edge, adjacent finishes and ceiling junction.

MPS Mur lists “Standard: .85 NRC (subject to mounting conditions)”.

For that option, request the mounting description with the acoustic report before carrying the rating into the room specification.

Wood slats: follow the backing detail

Draw the backing arrangement alongside the visible slats.

WoodUpp Namibia’s Akupanel acoustic graph is based on panels mounted on a 45 mm. batten with mineral wool behind the panels.

When reviewing test mounting labels, retain the report’s terminology.

Test reports may identify mountings by type designation instead of describing the mounting in detail. A-Mount is directly against the test surface with no airspace behind the panel. The E-400 mounting summary describes an arrangement intended to resemble a suspended grid ceiling.

Ask for the wall section that corresponds to the proposed installation. Keep cavity dimensions, insulation and fixing details together when reviewing acoustic panel placement and mounting.

Fire class: check the named product and finish

Record the fire classification separately from the acoustic classification. For a product-specific example, examine The Wood Veneer Hub US’s dedicated fire-rated range.

Slatpanel® Fire-Rated panels are rated Class A against ASTM E84. For these panels, the stated Class A acoustic rating requires a Class A rated gypsum plasterboard substrate, 1.77” furr-outs and acoustic insulation material, with no air gap.

Keep the manufacturer’s fire and acoustic statements in separate fields in your comparison sheet.

For Slatpanel Fire-Rated panels, additional paints or finishes invalidate the fire rating. These Fire-Rated panels are designed and rated for interior use only. Fire rating certification and technical documentation are available upon request.

Read the surface-burning test by its stated scope.

The method provides comparative surface flame-spread and smoke-density measurements under specific fire exposure conditions. Flame spread and smoke developed index are reported without necessarily having a relationship between the measurements. The test does not measure heat transmission through the tested surface. A flame spread index alone does not classify a material as noncombustible.

For the FilzFelt wall system discussed above, request the product-specific flammability documentation.

Flammability test reports are available upon request.

Installation: clips, adhesive and the wall substrate

Choose the fixing route for the named product, then carry its preparation instructions into the installation brief. For the FilzFelt Z-Clip installation:

• Install with the provided mounting hardware; wall screws are not included.
• Use wall screws appropriate for the wall type.
• Panels should acclimate for at least forty-eight (48) hours.
• The work surface should be smooth, dry, and dust-free.
• A clearance of 1” (2.5 cm) from panel tops to the ceiling is required.

For adhesive-mounted options, read the selected manufacturer’s instructions alongside the wall-finish schedule.

Each Felt Right felt wall design comes with double-sided adhesive tabs. EASYfelt instructs users to degrease and clean the substrate before attaching its self-adhesive wall panels. For EASYfelt PET felt products larger than 1m², the self-adhesive backing is supportive and additional mounting adhesive is recommended for wall placement.

Before ordering: installation and rating checklist

Use this checklist for felt acoustic wall tiles, larger felt panels or a slatted wall proposal. Complete it for each shortlisted product.

• Product: record the manufacturer, exact range, panel construction and selected finish.
• Wall: identify the substrate and the proposed fixing or adhesive.
• Backing: attach a section showing the cavity, battens and any infill; label each dimension by what it measures.
• Acoustics: attach the absorption report and record the test mounting beside the stated result.
• Fire: attach the classification documentation for the selected product and finish.
• Installation: include preparation, clearances, hardware and the planned sequence.

Approve the finish together with that completed installation brief. Continue to feature wall materials to develop the wider interior palette.

Sources

• ASTM International — mounting practices for sound absorption tests.
• ASTM International — sound absorption by the reverberation room method.
• ASTM International — surface burning characteristics of building materials.
• FilzFelt — Akustika Wall product sheet and Z-Clip installation instructions.
• WoodUpp Namibia — Wooden Acoustic Panels.
• The Wood Veneer Hub US — Slatpanel Oak Fire-Rated Acoustic Slat Wall Panel.
• MPS Acoustics — Mur Felt Wall Panels.
• Felt Right — Felt Wall Panels collection and FAQ.
• EASYfelt — Felt Wall Panels.
• Autex Acoustics — Cube Data Sheet.
• NASA-hosted RAL paper — Examination of the Measurement of Absorption Using the Reverberant Room Method.