How to create a wall accent with slats on concrete wall?

Pauleen

Hi everyone,

I would like to create something like in the picture in my living room and hallway. I don't want to cover the whole walls, only having a vertical portion of roughly 50/60cm in each room.

I am not equipped at all and live in an apartment so I may have to get someone from airtasker to do the works for me. However, I'd like to know what the best way to do so so I have an idea of what should be done.

I have 2 options:

1. Buying an acoustic wall panel - What is the best way way to fix it to concrete wall as I understant there my be moisture issue in gluying them directly to the wall (I'm in Sydney and so far I have no humidity issues)
2. Buying slats and attaching each of them. I can't drill that many holes in the walls. So would I need to fix the slats on a timber board then fix the timber board to the wall? Amd would I need furring strips in between? If that's the case, it would start to be very bulk.
3. Nothing option I haven't thought of :D

I attached a picture of what I'd like to do and a picture of the room I'd like to do it in.

JacobZ

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Pauleen. It is wonderful to have you with us.

Are you confident it is concrete? In most residential situations, if there is a concrete wall, they will batten out the wall and add a lining such as plasterboard over it. It would be rare to see an interior wall in a residential setting be painted concrete.

Given that your wall is painted, if there was moisture present, you'd expect to be seeing bubbling and flaking paint. Based on your description as well as what I can see in your image it sounds like this is not really an issue.

As per the installation instructions for the Specrite Acoustic Panels, they do recommend using screws where possible, however on a flat, stable wall, it is possible to install the acoustic panels with just construction adhesive such as https://www.bunnings.com.au/selleys-320g-liquid-nails-construction-adhesive_p1233751 following the recommended glue pattern.

As long as there are no moisture issues, which seems unlikely given the lack of issues with the paint, you would be fine to use the adhesive only method of installation.

If you were concerned that there could be moisture, it would be worth testing to see if there is any present. A moisture meter such as this https://www.bunnings.com.au/crommelin-moisture-meter_p0911078 could certainly help to either confirm or deny the presence of moisture.

If there does turn out to be moisture, I would hold off doing anything and have someone specialising in rising damp remediation attend to assist, because there if things are functioning as they should, there's no reason you should have moisture in that wall.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob