Wall Panelling Guide Berkshire: Slat, Jacobean, and Tongue & Groove Costs

Tongue-and-groove vertical panelling is the most traditional form — boards of 90–120mm width with a machined joint, painted or stained, running from floor to dado rail or full height. Cost: £80–£140 per square metre installed. Acoustic timber slat panels (vertical oak slats on a felt backing) are the current trend specification — premium aesthetics with some acoustic benefit. Cost: £120–£200 per square metre. Raised-and-fielded Jacobean-style panelling — framed panels with a profiled raised centre — is the most labour-intensive and most architecturally impressive. Cost: £180–£300 per square metre.

The dado rail height — where the upper wall meets the lower panelling zone — has a significant effect on room proportions. At 900mm (standard dado height), panelling creates a horizontal datum at approximately one-third of wall height, which suits most ceiling heights. At 1100–1200mm in a room with 2.6m+ ceilings, the proportion is more generous and the panelling looks more architectural. Full-height panelling from floor to ceiling creates a completely panelled room and requires a very precise specification to avoid looking like a hotel corridor.