04 Oct 2026
Wall Panel 83E Black: measuring up before you order
This guide is about
Wall Panel 83E - Black - Outdoor - 180cm/290cm - (1 pack / 6pcs)
Black cladding shows a mistake more than any other finish, because a cut edge or a short row has nowhere to hide. Half an hour with a tape and a pencil before ordering the Wall Panel 83E in black is worth more than any amount of care later.
Start with a sketch, not a pack count
Draw the elevation roughly to scale on paper. Mark on it:
- The width and height, taken at both ends and in the middle. Garden walls lean and settle, and the shortest reading is the one to cut to.
- Every opening and obstruction: gate, door, window, tap, light, socket, meter box, downpipe.
- Every edge that will be visible when the boards stop, which is where trim goes.
- Every external corner the cladding turns.
That sheet of paper is the order. Without it you are buying boards and guessing at everything else.
The two lengths and the arithmetic
Six boards to a pack, 21cm wide, 2.5cm thick, in either length:
| Option | Board | Covered per pack | Covered per board |
|---|---|---|---|
| 290 | 21 x 290 x 2.5cm | 3.65m² | 0.61m² |
| 180 | 21 x 180 x 2.5cm | 2.27m² | 0.38m² |
Divide your wall area by the pack figure and round up. The per board figures are there for the fiddly parts, where you want to know whether two spare boards will clad the return beside a gate or whether you need another pack.
Where to allow extra
- Around openings. Offcuts from above a window are usually too short to use anywhere else. Allow for them rather than hoping.
- At the ends of rows. If the last board in a row is less than about a third of a width, shift the starting point so the two end boards share the loss. It looks deliberate.
- Spares. Keep one board back. Repairing a knock on black cladding is easy if you have the piece and awkward if the finish has moved on.
Black trim, corner and brackets
The 83E listing names the 73/83 Trim in 290cm, whose black option is named for panels 73E, 83E and 87E, and the 73/83 Corner Trim, listed at 4 x 4 x 290cm and three to a pack, which also comes in black. Brackets are recommended for fitting and come 50 to a pack. Count trim lengths from the edges on your sketch and corner lengths from the angles, then convert each to packs.
Still to confirm
The description says the panels are UV resistant and intended to hold their colour under prolonged sun, which is the claim that matters most on a black elevation. It gives no figure for surface temperature, expansion, weight or fire performance, and the coverage figures take no deduction at the joint between boards. Ask the shop about any of those that your job depends on. Delivery is free within 50 miles of our Glasgow store and £50 beyond.
If black is too dark for a small courtyard, the 83B in grey and the 83A in Oak 02 are the same board. Otherwise, take your sketch to the Wall Panel 83E black outdoor panel page, or browse the outdoor wall panel range.