Wall Panel 74B Dark Grey: check the colour before you order

Here is an honest thing about Wall Panel 74B in dark grey: the product name and the description do not agree about the colour. The name says dark grey. The description paragraph, which is the same text used across all four of the 74 panels, talks about an authentic oak effect. One of them is the boilerplate, and it is the description.

Why it reads that way

Supplier ranges are written once per profile and then repeated for each colour, and the colour sentence gets left behind. The name and the code, AWS-OWP74B, are the parts that identify what arrives on the pallet. The product page carries several photographs, and those plus a word with the shop are a better guide to the shade than any sentence on the page.

So before ordering, do two things: look at the photographs on the product listing, and ask the shop to confirm the finish on code OWP74B. If the exact tone matters because it is going next to an existing fence or a painted wall, ask what sample or photograph they can send.

What both parts of the listing do agree on

Those figures are consistent: six panels of 20cm by 290cm come to 3.48m², and a pack therefore covers 1.2m of wall width run full height. The description also states that the construction resists moisture, rot and insect damage and that a UV coating resists fading. No test standard is quoted for either, so read them as the supplier's description.

Where dark grey works outdoors

Assuming the name is right, a dark grey run is the easiest of the four to place. It sits against grey slab, render and galvanised steel without competing, and unlike a timber-toned panel it does not have to be matched to anything else wooden in the garden. How dark the grey actually is, though, is the one thing the listing never describes, which is why the photographs matter here more than usual.

If you want a warmer face on the same profile, Wall Panel 74A in oak and Wall Panel 74D in dark brown share every dimension, and Wall Panel 74E in black goes a step darker. On a deeper 2.5cm profile, Wall Panel 73B in grey is the comparison to make. Both profiles are listed on the Outdoor Wall Panels page.

Edges, fixings and quantities

Nothing to finish the edges comes in the pack. The listing names Wall Panel 84 Trim - 240cm as the compatible trim and recommends Bracket For Outdoor Panels for installation, both in Outdoor Trims & Fittings. Note that the trim is 240cm against a 290cm panel, so ask how they finish a full-height edge.

For quantities, measure each wall face separately, divide the width by 1.2m and round up to whole packs. A part panel at the end of a run still costs a whole panel.

Ask the shop for the current lead time when you order. Delivery is free within 50 miles of our Glasgow store and £50 beyond. With the colour confirmed, order Wall Panel 74B - Dark Grey - Outdoor - 290cm and the trims in one go.