Manufactured in India, supplied in Chicago
Wooden slat acoustic panels in Chicago
We manufacture wooden slat acoustic panels at our own plant at Palwal in Haryana, India, and supply them into Chicago. Made at our own plant in India, shipped into an East or Gulf coast port and railed inland, with that leg quoted separately so the dates are real.
- Substrate
- MDF, FR MDF, HDF or HDHMR
- Patterns
- 13-3, 14-2, 28-4 and 59-5
- Panel sizes
- 2440 x 192 mm and 2440 x 128 mm
- Thickness
- 14, 16 and 18 mm
- Coverage
- 96 sq ft per unit
- Lead time
- Longer than felt
- Minimum order
- 500 sq ft, about 46 sq m
- EN 13501-1 Class B s1 d0 on FR substrate
- Made at our own plant, Palwal, Haryana, India
- One batch across the order, no blending between runs
We are the manufacturer. There is no local office and we do not claim approvals we do not hold. What you get is factory pricing, one consistent batch across the order, and a straight answer on what the material will and will not do.
01 / Start here
What you are buying, and what it fixes in Chicago
Timber slats on an acoustic backing. The slats are the finish and the rhythm, the backing does the absorbing. Used where the room has to look considered rather than treated.
Work reaching us from Chicago is mostly two-flats and three-flats, high-rise apartments, offices, venues, schools, clinics.
American homes are timber frame with gypsum board on both faces, so a party wall or a basement ceiling has almost no mass. Adding a second leaf with a limp membrane between does more than any amount of surface treatment.
- Slats on felt backing The standard. Absorption comes from the backing behind the gaps, so the slat gap ratio is an acoustic decision, not only a visual one.
- Slats on a cavity Backing plus an air gap behind moves absorption lower, which matters in music rooms.
- Feature wall only Slats where they are seen, plain felt elsewhere, to hold the budget where it shows.
- What it will not do A tight slat pattern looks denser but absorbs less, because the open area is what lets sound reach the backing. If the visual you want and the RT target you need pull apart, we will tell you which one the pattern is serving.
Full specification
Thickness, density, NRC by frequency, fire class, standard sizes and build-up detail for wooden slat panels are on the main product page. This page covers what that means for a project in Chicago.
02 / Data sheet
Published specification, identical wherever we ship it
We publish one data sheet for every market. If a supplier quotes you a different figure for the same product in a different city, one of the two numbers is wrong.
- MDFStandard. Dry interiors, general commercial
- FR MDFFire rated. Public buildings and anywhere the specification calls for a class
- HDHMRMoisture resistant. Humid climates and rooms that see damp
| Substrate | MDF, FR MDF, HDF or HDHMR |
|---|---|
| Patterns | 13-3, 14-2, 28-4 and 59-5 |
| Panel sizes | 2440 x 192 mm and 2440 x 128 mm |
| Thickness | 14, 16 and 18 mm |
| Coverage | 96 sq ft per unit |
| Fire class | EN 13501-1 Class B s1 d0 on FR substrate |
Where a consultant is already engaged on a Chicago project, we supply to their specification and send the test reports rather than describing them. More on working with acoustic consultants.
03 / In this market
What the buildings in Chicago do to the specification
- Elevated rail past the window
Trains at window height put noise in through the glazing, not through the wall. The facade is where the money should go first.
- Brick outside, timber inside
Two-flats and three-flats have solid masonry outside and timber floors between families. Footfall travels down and masonry does nothing about it.
- Sealed against hard winters
Buildings close up for months and mechanical systems run hard, so sound accumulates inside rather than escaping.
- No port, so plan the inland leg
Everything arrives at a coast and rails in. We quote the sea leg and the inland leg separately.
- Assembly and performance rooms
Churches, school gyms and multipurpose halls double as performance spaces, which means a room designed for neither speech nor music has to carry both.
Architects working in Chicago usually need the build-up before the product. We will draw the section and mark what does the work. See how we support architects.
04 / Climate and durability
Why the climate in Chicago changes the material, not the target
Chicago is mild summers and cold, wet winters, and that narrows the sensible material list before acoustics is even discussed.
Cold external walls and long heating seasons make condensation behind a lining the thing to design out. PET felt is unaffected by damp air.
The risk we design against here is condensation and cold bridging behind new linings.
Designers get colour, pattern and CNC options with the absorption figure attached to each. See how we work with interior designers.
05 / Supply
How material reaches a Chicago site
| Ships from | Palwal, Haryana, India |
|---|---|
| Arrives at | An East or Gulf coast port, then rail and road inland |
| Dispatch | 4 to 7 working days |
| Freight | Sea, then rail inland |
| Packing | Braced crates, slats supported along their length. Timber moves, so crates are kept flat and dry. |
| Lead time | Longer than felt. Confirmed against the pattern and substrate at quote stage. |
Standard items dispatch in 4 to 7 working days. The sea leg from India is long, so plan the full door to door window into the programme. We give real dates, not optimistic ones.
Sea freight into an East or Gulf coast port, then rail and road to Chicago. Air freight for samples and urgent quantities.
The same 500 sq ft minimum applies on export.
| Any specification | 500 sq ft, about 46 sq m |
|---|
One unit covers 96 sq ft, so the minimum is a little over five units. Substrate, slat pattern, width and thickness can be mixed inside the same order.
06 / Read this first
Four honest warnings before you buy
-
The wrong product for the problem
A tight slat pattern looks denser but absorbs less, because the open area is what lets sound reach the backing. If the visual you want and the RT target you need pull apart, we will tell you which one the pattern is serving.
-
Coverage bought instead of a target
Lining every surface is a purchase, not a result. We would rather calculate the area against a reverberation target and sell you less of it.
-
Local approvals that nobody actually holds
We hold no Chicago certification and we will not borrow one. The test data we publish is ours, and we will send the reports rather than describe them.
Chicago: questions we are actually asked
Where are the wooden slat acoustic panels you supply to Chicago actually made?
No, and we will not say otherwise. We manufacture at our own plant at Palwal in Haryana, India, and supply into Chicago as the manufacturer rather than through a dealer. Made at our own plant in India, shipped into an East or Gulf coast port and railed inland, with that leg quoted separately so the dates are real. You buy at factory prices with one consistent batch across the order.
What do you look at first on a Chicago enquiry?
Trains at window height put noise in through the glazing, not through the wall. The facade is where the money should go first. Two-flats and three-flats have solid masonry outside and timber floors between families. Footfall travels down and masonry does nothing about it. Those two things move the build-up far more than the panel figure does.
Does Chicago weather shorten the life of this material?
Chicago is mild summers and cold, wet winters. Cold external walls and long heating seasons make condensation behind a lining the thing to design out. PET felt is unaffected by damp air. The failure we design against here is condensation and cold bridging behind new linings.
How quickly can material reach a site in Chicago?
ships from: Palwal, Haryana, India, arrives at: An East or Gulf coast port, then rail and road inland, dispatch: 4 to 7 working days. Standard items dispatch in 4 to 7 working days. The sea leg from India is long, so plan the full door to door window into the programme. We give real dates, not optimistic ones.
What should you not buy wooden slat acoustic panels for?
A tight slat pattern looks denser but absorbs less, because the open area is what lets sound reach the backing. If the visual you want and the RT target you need pull apart, we will tell you which one the pattern is serving.
How is the order packed and what is the minimum?
The same 500 sq ft minimum applies on export. Any specification, 500 sq ft, about 46 sq m. One unit covers 96 sq ft, so the minimum is a little over five units. Substrate, slat pattern, width and thickness can be mixed inside the same order. Braced crates, slats supported along their length. Timber moves, so crates are kept flat and dry.
Next step
Send the drawings, get a straight answer
Send what you have. We will give you a layer by layer build-up, a bill of quantities and a date material lands, and we will flag anything in the brief that will not achieve what you want.