To install slat wall panels, plan the layout, find the studs, cut each panel to the height of its spot on the wall, and fasten the panels plumb with the method the maker specifies: screws, construction adhesive or both. Then finish the last panel and the ends.
Before the first cut, settle two things most guides skip: whether your panel is made for indoor or outdoor use, and how each outlet box will end up flush with the new surface, which the electrical code requires on wood paneling.
This guide is for decorative slat panels like the ones in our collections, not retail slatwall with aluminum inserts. Those use their own hooks and inserts, so for them you would need the insert maker’s instructions.
Before you start: indoor panel or outdoor panel?
Pick the panel for where it will live, because indoor and outdoor lines are built differently. Our Indoor Collection of slat wall panels comes in two styles: Classic Style, in Noir, Cashmere, White Oak, Starlight and Royal Oak, and PS Style, with thicker slats, in Toffee, Kingswood and Desert.
The exterior slat wall panels in the Outdoor Collection are WPC (wood-plastic composite) panels made to resist sun and water, in Onyx, Coal, Sand Storm and Caramel. Do not move an indoor panel outside to save a trip: exterior walls, fastening and gaps follow the outdoor instructions.
Tools and materials checklist
Print this list and tick it off before you open the boxes:
- ☐ The panels, plus one extra for cuts around windows and outlets.
- ☐ The maker’s installation sheet for your exact line.
- ☐ Stud finder, tape measure, pencil or marker that shows on the panel back, and a 4-foot level or laser.
- ☐ Saw with a fine-tooth blade for straight cuts, and a jigsaw or oscillating tool for outlet openings.
- ☐ Drill or driver and the screws the sheet calls for, in a color that disappears in the grooves.
- ☐ Construction adhesive approved for the panel material, if the sheet allows it.
- ☐ Box extenders for every outlet and switch on that wall.
- ☐ Safety glasses, a dust mask and hearing protection for cutting.
Step 1: Read the panel sheet and plan the layout
Read the sheet first, because it decides how the rest of the job goes. Note the panel width and length, the fastening method, any approved adhesive, the cutting direction and how the panels join.
Then lay the panels out on the floor in front of the wall. Divide the wall width by the panel width to see how many full panels fit and how wide the last one will be.
If the last piece comes out as a thin sliver, start from a centered line instead of a corner, so both ends get equal cuts.
Step 2: Find the studs and mark a plumb line
Run a stud finder across the wall and mark every stud at the top and bottom. Screws that reach a stud hold far better than screws into drywall alone, which matters on a tall wall.
Draw a plumb line with a level or a laser where the first panel’s edge will sit. Corners are rarely perfectly straight, so the line, not the corner, is your reference for every panel that follows.
Step 3: Cut each panel to its own height
Measure the height at each panel’s position, not just once, because floors and ceilings often run out of level. Mark the cut on the back of the panel, support both sides so the piece does not drop and splinter, and cut with a fine-tooth blade.
Sand any rough edge lightly. If the baseboard stays, measure from its top; if it comes off, the panels can run down to the floor and the baseboard goes back on top, as the look you want dictates.
Step 4: Bring every outlet box flush with the new surface
Turn off the circuit at the breaker before you remove a cover plate. Measure the box position, transfer it to the back of the panel and cut the opening.
The new surface adds thickness, so the outlet box ends up recessed behind it. The electrical code does not allow that on wood or other combustible surfaces: under NEC 314.20, repeated in the residential code as IRC E3906.5, the box or a listed extender must be flush with the finished surface or stick out from it.
Fit a box extender, reinstall the device with longer screws if needed and test it with the power back on. If you are not comfortable with wiring, this is the step to hand to a licensed electrician.
Step 5: Fasten the first panel plumb, then work across
Set the first panel on your plumb line and fasten it the way the sheet says. Screws usually go through the backing or the grooves between slats, into studs where possible, so they disappear from normal viewing distance.
If the sheet approves an adhesive, it goes on before the panel touches the wall, and screws hold the panel while it cures. On drywall without a stud behind it, follow the sheet’s guidance on anchors or adhesive rather than relying on short screws.
Butt or join each next panel tightly to the last one, check plumb every panel or two, and keep the slat spacing even across the seams.
Step 6: Finish the last panel, the ends and the corners
Measure the last gap at the top and the bottom, since it may taper, and rip the final panel to fit. Exposed ends and outside corners look cleaner with the trim or end pieces the line offers, so ask about them when you order.
Put the cover plates back, clean off dust with a dry cloth and step back to check the seams under the room’s normal light.
If your wall is not standard drywall
- Brick, block or concrete: use the anchors or adhesive the maker approves for masonry, and drill with a masonry bit.
- Bathroom or other humid room: our indoor slat panels are listed as waterproof on their spec sheets, but confirm with the maker’s sheet how close to a shower or tub they can go.
- Exterior wall, porch or patio: use the outdoor WPC line and its exterior instructions for substrate, fastening and spacing.
- Very tall or very long walls: plan the seams and the order of work before cutting, and get a second person to hold panels while you fasten.
Not sure which panel or finish suits your wall? See the colors in our indoor slat wall collection or schedule a showroom visit and bring a photo and the wall measurements.
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