How to Install Recycled PET Acoustic Panels in One Afternoon

So the panels have arrived, the boxes are in the hallway, and you're staring at a bare wall wondering: can I actually pull this off in an afternoon?

Yes. PET felt panels are the most forgiving acoustic treatment you can buy — they are light, they cut with a knife, and they mount three different ways. Here's the process, start to finish.

What You'll Need

• Measuring tape
• Steel ruler — your straight edge for cutting
• Utility knife with fresh blades
• Spirit level
• Pencil
• Clean cloths and a degreaser or isopropyl alcohol
• Double-sided tape, structural adhesive, or magnetic mounts — pick one

That's the whole list. No saw, no nail gun, no contractor.

Step 1 — Plan the Layout

Measure the wall and sketch it. Then dry-lay the panels on the floor before anything touches the wall. Felt colour can shift slightly between production batches, so laying them out first lets you shuffle panels until the tone reads evenly across the wall.

Decide your pattern (fluted, flat, mixed), your seam direction, and your mount:

• Double-sided tape — smooth walls, removable, tenant-friendly
• Structural adhesive — permanent, strongest bond, best on uneven walls
• Magnets — metal walls, or anywhere you want to take panels down again

Step 2 — Prep the Surface

Clean the wall with a degreaser or isopropyl alcohol and let it dry completely. Remove outlet covers and switch plates. The panel is light, but the bond is only as good as the substrate — dust and grease are the main reason mounts fail.

Step 3 — Cut to Size

A sharp utility knife and a steel ruler is all it takes. Two things matter:

1. Tilt the blade in by 0.5–1 mm as you cut. The felt closes back over the cut and hides the edge — that slight bevel is the difference between a visible seam and an invisible one.
2. Cut fluted panels from the face, flat panels from the back. That keeps the visible face clean.

Test-fit every cut panel before you commit it to the wall.

Step 4 — Mount

Work from the bottom up, or from a centre reference line outwards, keeping reveals even.

• Tape: apply in a grid across the panel back, peel, press into position.
• Adhesive: run a bead, press on, and support the panel while it cures.
• Magnets: fix the plates to the wall, snap the panel on.

Step 5 — Finish

Reinstall outlet covers, fit trims to exposed edges, and brush any dust off the felt.

One upgrade worth knowing: if you want more absorption, fit 25 mm battens behind the panels first. That trapped air gap is what lifts a panel's absorption class significantly — mounting matters as much as thickness.

How Much Does It Actually Absorb?

PET felt performs across a wide band depending on thickness and mounting: NRC 0.60 up to 1.0. For most rooms, a 12 mm panel with a modest air gap is the sweet spot between cost, depth and performance.

Tag your install #CYCWallChallenge — we feature the best ones in our gallery.