Whether we are talking about traditional or contemporary architecture, one mainstay that is just as home in each design sphere is the wood slat. That’s because they provide a simple means of delivering visual elegance and improved acoustical performance to all kinds of spaces. Wood slat panels are created by adhering a series of wood strips to a backing material, leaving a small gap between each one. Depending on the backing material, partitions created with wood slat panels may either absorb sound waves, allow diffused natural light to pass through, or simply provide stunning structural elements.
Here, we’re going to examine some of the reasons why this design trend has endured the test of time so well and how incorporating wood slat panels into your modern architecture project can deliver benefits that are matched by very few alternative products.
Wood Slat Panels in Design
It may seem as though wood slats are seeing a boon in popularity over the past decade or so, and that may be true, but wood slats have existed in interior design for millennia. Dividing spaces with organic materials laid out simply and elegantly offers impressive functional and aesthetic benefits that have greatly contributed to their enduring popularity. Cultures from all across the globe have long used wood slat designs for screening, room partitioning, and to add decorative design elements to walls, ceilings and columns. One of the most recognizable uses of wood slats can be seen in the Shoji of traditional Japanese architecture.
Shoji are traditional sliding doors or partitions made from a wooden frame and backed by translucent paper material. They are iconic in the world of architecture due to their simplicity and elegance and for their ability to create a harmonious connection between indoor and outdoor spaces. Wood slats lend themselves just as well to contemporary design as they do traditional design. This has contributed to their continued popularity over the past couple of centuries, even when our available options in building materials have expanded so vastly. Wood slat panels provide tremendous benefits, and those benefits keep designers coming back again and again.
Combining Aesthetics and Functionality
One of the most sought after benefits of wood slat panels by modern designers is their ability to combine aesthetics and functionality in a way that few other materials can. Not only do their simple lines and natural materials lend to feelings of simplicity and biophilic harmony, but they can actually improve the quality of the sound in any space.
Wood Slat Aesthetics
The aesthetic benefits of incorporating natural design elements within constructed spaces, including both residential applications and commercial spaces, has been long known. Biophilic design principles incorporate natural materials like wood, stone, plants, water, and natural light to increase the connection between humans and the natural environment. Biophilic design has been shown to have numerous positive effects on our bodies and minds, including through productivity and creativity, as well as stress reduction and all the ill health effects that result from overexposure to stressors. This is such a powerful concept that focusing on biophilic design can even qualify builders for LEED certifications and tax credits.
Wood Slat Functionality
Functionally, wood slat panels provide the same kinds of benefits for our bodies and minds. This is because they can be used to reduce overall noise levels in indoor spaces and significantly improve the acoustics. Their effect on a room’s acoustics have to do both with the materials and construction of wood slat panels.
Acoustical Properties of Wood Slats
Wood slat panels provide acoustical properties that rival those of other types of acoustic panels, due largely in part to their construction. The specific materials and layout render these panels amazing at both sound absorption and sound diffusion. Their combination of alternating surface depths and orientations, as well as the inclusion of crevices create a perfect surface for redirecting and diffusing sound waves that may otherwise lead to acoustical issues like echo and reverb. Wood slat panels can provide incredible sound absorption too.
Choose wood slat wall panels with a PET felt acoustical backing, and you can significantly improve their ability to absorb sound waves and eliminate acoustical issues.
Echo and Reverb
Most of us are familiar with the concept of echo, and a few are likely familiar with reverb, but both are interconnected and can be mitigated by the inclusion of wood slat panels in our interior designs. Echo and reverb are both caused by sound wave reflections returning to their source. In the case of echo, sound waves travel until they reach a solid, reflective surface. The sound waves bounce off of the reflective surface and return toward the source. This produces the pronounced echo we are all familiar with.
Reverb is simply a buildup of echoes in the room. As echoes bounce back and forth in space, the additive effect of all those sound waves makes the noise level in the room louder and leads to issues with speech intelligibility and can cause stress levels to spike. By absorbing some of those waves and redirecting others, wood slat panels reduce the occurrence of echo, which in turn, reduces the occurrence of reverb. Keeping noise levels down with wood slat panels can protect the physical and mental health of everyone inside, highlighting the importance of architectural acoustics.
Design Functionality
In addition to their acoustical functionality, the use of wood slat panels in contemporary design comes with decorative functionality as well. Lighting versatility is one, as there are many ways wood slat panels can be used to deliver integrated lighting. For example, panels can be backlit to create moody lighting effects or they can be field cut to accommodate can lights. Dropping wood slat panels below the true ceiling will also effectively hide all mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) systems from view and from your ears. No more unsightly HVAC systems winding overhead and kicking on loudly, disrupting conversations with family, friends, and colleagues.
The options are seemingly endless with wood slat panels. Just take a quick tour through your search engine results for inspiration, and you will see just how versatile and impactful they can be with your interior designs.
Installation and Maintenance of Wood Slat Panels
Historically, installing individual wood slats likely would have taken a considerable amount of time, effort, and an artistic slant to get right. But installing wood slat panels today couldn’t be easier. The fact that they are laid out in pre-assembled panels means installation is often as simple as tacking them up to the structural elements behind them or laying them into a heavy duty T-grid. The maintenance of wood slat panels is quite simple and straightforward as well. Occasional dusting and wiping with a clean, soft cloth when needed will keep your wood slat panels looking great for years to come.
If your panels become soiled beyond what these simple cleaning methods can handle, consult with the manufacturer’s recommendations for any safe alternatives. The most important step in keeping your wood slat panels looking and performing perfectly is controlling the environment. The durability of wood slats is high, but too much exposure to humidity or sunlight can damage the panels. Make sure to use a humidifier or dehumidifier if the relative humidity in the room is below 25% or above 55%, and block direct sunlight with blackout or light filtering curtains to minimize damage.
Incorporating Wood Slat Panels Into Your Next Project
If you’re looking for some ideas on incorporating wood slat ceiling tiles or wall panels into your next project, reach out for a consultation. We supply a wide variety of wood species and finishes, from high end art pieces to more affordable wood slat panels that complement the latest design trends and look at home in traditional and modern architecture alike. We’ll work with you to identify the ones that work best for both your particular project and your budget.