Wall Panel Adhesive: how many tubes a panelled wall needs

Panelling a wall is mostly measuring and preparation. The fixing is the part people leave until the morning of the job, and then run short on. Adhesive for Wall Panels (1 Pack / 24pcs) is sold as a box of 24 tubes, so the question is almost always how many boxes a wall takes rather than which tube to pick.

What the listing states

• 24 tubes per box.
• White silicone sealant, described as a wall panel adhesive for bonding panels to walls.
• Carton: 30 x 21 x 24cm, gross weight 11kg.
• CBM 0.015.
• Code AWS-AS006.

The listing also notes the sealant stays usable for a stated period once a tube is opened, so a part-used box is not wasted if the second wall waits. An 11kg carton is a one-hand carry up a stair, but not with a panel under the other arm.

Working out how many boxes

The listing gives no coverage per tube, and without that figure there is no honest sum to do. What you can do is count panels, then let the shop convert that into tubes.

Across this range a pack of four 60cm panels covers 2.4m of wall width at full height. So:

Ring or email with the panel count and the wall you are fixing to, and ask how many tubes per panel they would allow. That is a question the shop can answer properly and the listing cannot.

What the listing does not say

• Coverage per tube, or how many beads a panel takes.
• Which backgrounds it is approved for. Sound dry plaster, painted plaster, plasterboard, tile and timber battens are not the same job.
• Whether it suits the PVC and wall board lines as well as the felt-backed acoustic panels.
• Any grab, cure or overpainting detail.

If your wall is anything other than clean, dry and sound, ask before you order. A panel that lets go long after it was fitted takes the wall surface with it.

What it goes on the wall with

It is bought alongside whichever panel you have chosen. The felt-backed slat panels such as Wall Panel 01A - Natural Oak - Acoustic and the thinner PVC boards such as Wall Panel 05A - Oak - PVC are listed at very different thicknesses, 1.5cm against 0.7cm, and the seamless lines such as Wall Panel 21A - Oak - Seamless come in narrower pieces, which means more joints and more fixing points. Say which one you are fitting when you ask about quantities. The rest of the range is on the Slat & Acoustic Panels page.

Before the panels go up

Mark your socket and switch positions on the wall and on the back of the panel before any adhesive is opened. Decide where the first full panel lands, because the cut panel should finish in the least-seen corner, not beside the door. Check the wall for bows with a long straight edge: adhesive bridges a hollow of a millimetre or two, not a dip you can see daylight through.

Delivery is free within 50 miles of our Glasgow store and £50 beyond. When you are ready, order Adhesive for Wall Panels (1 Pack / 24pcs) with the panels so the whole job arrives together, and ask us about tube quantities at the same time.