Yes, Acouwood® Surround works well in rental properties. The panels are lightweight, pre-finished and install without sanding, staining or sealing, so a wall can be transformed in a weekend rather than a full renovation. They're glued or nailed directly onto most wall surfaces, including gyprock and plasterboard, which is a permanent fix to the wall itself, so it's worth checking your lease or with your landlord first if that matters for your tenancy. Since the fix is permanent, it's worth ordering a sample first to check colour and grain against your space before committing. Acouwood® Surround is for indoor use only, so it's well suited to living rooms, bedrooms and home offices, and pairs easily with a rental's existing neutral finishes.

Both ranges share the same core construction, real timber veneer wrapped on all sides, five coats of matte lacquer and an acoustic felt backing, but they're built for different visual scale. Acouwood® Surround uses a standard 27mm slat width across a 520mm-wide panel, giving a refined, evenly proportioned timber look that suits most rooms. Acouwood® Max steps up to a wider slat profile with larger, more dramatic grain patterns, designed for feature walls and spaces that call for a bolder, architectural statement. Installation and acoustic performance are the same across both. If you're after a classic, versatile timber look, Surround is the safer everyday choice; if you want more visual weight per panel, Max delivers it. See the full Acouwood® Max range to compare, or order samples of both to see the grain scale in person. Sydney-based? Book a showroom visit to compare both ranges on the wall before deciding.

Acouwood® Surround's matte lacquer finish is splash-resistant, so it can handle occasional moisture, light steam or the odd splash without trouble. It isn't designed for areas with direct or sustained water contact, though, since the timber veneer and MDF core can warp if genuinely wet areas are involved, showers, splashbacks, or anywhere water pools or runs directly onto the panel. For those spaces, we'd point you toward SlatWall Pro or SlatWall Lite, both fully waterproof and purpose-built for bathrooms and other wet-prone areas. Acouwood® Surround is a great fit for ensuite feature walls or powder rooms that sit away from direct water exposure.

Yes. Acouwood® panels, including the Surround range, have been tested to AS ISO 9705-2003 and hold a Group 3 fire rating, which is relevant for commercial fit-outs where wall claddings need to meet a recognised fire performance standard. Group 3 is a rating for internal lining materials specifically, so it doesn't confirm suitability for external cladding, bushfire-prone zones, or any Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) requirement, those sit under a separate standard (AS 3959) and need their own certification. If your project has a specific fire rating requirement, we'd recommend checking the exact standard needed with your certifier before ordering, and we're happy to supply test documentation once you know what's required.

Yes, this range is suitable for ceilings as well as walls. For ceiling installs, we recommend fixing timber battens first, spaced no more than 600mm apart, then screwing or gluing the panels through the felt backing into the battens. This gives a secure, even fix and is the same approach we'd recommend if you're planning to mount anything heavy on top of the panels afterwards, like a large mirror or fixture, so the load sits on the batten rather than the panel itself. Measure and cut panels the same way as a wall install, and check our installation guide for the full ceiling-specific steps.

Each slat has an MDF core wrapped in real, prime-grade timber veneer on all three visible sides, finished with five coats of matte lacquer for durability and UV protection. Behind the timber sits a 9mm acoustic felt backing made from recycled materials, the same density of felt used in recording studios and performance venues, which is what gives the panels their sound-softening effect. Because the veneer is genuine timber rather than a printed finish, expect natural variation in grain, colour and the occasional small knot from panel to panel, that's part of what makes it timber rather than a repeatable, uniform print. If you're weighing up real timber veneer against a printed timber-look finish, our blog on the difference breaks down what to expect from each.

Installation is designed to be a DIY job. Measure your wall or ceiling first, the panel calculator on each product page shows how many panels you'll need. Panels cut to size with a circular or hand saw, then fix by gluing or nailing directly through the felt backing, no sanding, staining or sealing required. For walls, panels glue or nail straight onto the surface. For ceilings, or if you're planning to mount something heavy on top afterwards, like a large mirror or fixture, timber battens are the better approach, spaced no more than 600mm apart, so the weight sits on the batten rather than the panel itself. Full steps are in our installation guide, or for a faster overview, see our quick install guide.

Quite a lot, and it's independently tested rather than just descriptive marketing. The acoustic felt backing has been tested by SGS to EN ISO 354:2003 and returns a Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC) of 0.85, placing it in Sound Absorption Class B under EN ISO 11654:1997. In practical terms, that means it absorbs a high proportion of sound across the everyday speech and music frequency range, which is what softens reflections and cuts down echo in a room. As with any acoustic panel, it's worth remembering this is an acoustic treatment, it reduces sound bouncing around inside a room, rather than a soundproofing product that blocks noise travelling through walls, floors or ceilings between rooms.

Minor imperfections aren't a problem. Acouwood® Surround can be installed over walls with up to 10mm of unevenness per metre when paired with a fast-grab construction adhesive, which fills small gaps and helps level the surface as the panel is fixed directly to the wall. If your wall is more uneven than that, get in touch with our team before ordering, we can talk through your specific wall and the best way to prep it so the finished result sits flush.

Very little upkeep is needed. A soft duster or a vacuum with a brush attachment will clear dust from between the slats, and a lightly damp cloth handles anything more. The five-coat matte lacquer finish is what makes this easy, it resists staining, scuffing and fading, so the panels hold their colour well over time even in bright, sun-exposed rooms. Avoid soaking the panels or leaving them in prolonged contact with water, since the timber veneer and MDF core beneath the lacquer can still warp if genuinely saturated.