Wall Panel 83B Grey: slat spacing, corners and coverage

Grey is the finish to look at when the cladding has to sit against render, slate or aluminium rather than compete with it. What decides how the Wall Panel 83B in grey reads on a wall, though, is not the colour. It is the slat spacing, and that is published.

The rhythm you are buying

The listing gives a slat width of 3.5cm and a space between slats of 1.5cm. That is a 5cm repeat: a run of shadow lines every 5cm across a board 21cm wide and 2.5cm thick. Two practical consequences.

• The shadow lines are what you see from a distance. How deep they read depends on the depth of the groove, and the listing publishes the slat width and the gap but not the profile, so ask the shop if you are deciding between this and a flatter board. Fitted upright on a shaded wall the texture is subtle; in low sun across the face it reads as stripes.
• The listing does not state how many slats are on a board, and the 21cm width does not divide cleanly into 5cm, so do not assume a count. If you need the board to line up with something else on the elevation, ask for the slat count before you order.

Coverage per pack, in both lengths

Six boards come in a pack either way, and the choice of length changes the coverage:

Both figures work out to the full board width times the length times six, with nothing deducted for the joint between boards, so treat them as the best case and round up rather than down.

Turning a corner

Cut board ends on an external angle are the thing that makes a good job look unfinished. The 73/83 Corner Trim is listed at 4 x 4 x 290cm, three pieces to a pack, and closes that angle. The straight 73/83 Trim in 290cm handles the top, bottom and open ends, ten pieces to a pack. Both are named on the 83B listing and both are sold separately, so count your corners and your open edges before the order goes in: a pack of three corner lengths covers three 290cm angles and no more.

Two greys in the trim list

Worth knowing before you add the trim to the basket: the trim's finish options include both a B Grey and a B Grey 02, and both describe themselves as fitting panels 73B, 83B and 87B. The listings do not explain the difference. Ask the shop which of the two matches the boards you are buying, because a trim half a shade out is more noticeable than no trim at all.

What the figures do not tell you

The description calls the panels UV resistant and says brackets are recommended for fitting; the outdoor panel brackets come 50 to a pack. There is no stated spacing, no weight, and no guidance on what to fix to. Delivery is free within 50 miles of our Glasgow store and £50 beyond.

If grey is not quite right, the 83E in black uses the same slat geometry. Otherwise, size up on the Wall Panel 83B grey outdoor panel page, or see what else is in the outdoor wall panel range.