Microperforated Acoustic Panels: Solid Look, Real Absorption

Microperforated acoustic panels have thousands of very small holes across a wood, metal or laminate face. At normal viewing distance, the surface looks solid. Behind it sits an air gap and usually an absorbent layer, and the tiny holes let sound into that space where it loses energy. You get real acoustic performance from a surface that doesn't look like an acoustic product at all.

How microperforation works

Each hole is around a millimetre or less across. That is small enough that air moving through it meets real resistance, and the air trapped behind acts like a spring, so the combination absorbs sound energy at frequencies set by the hole size, hole spacing and the depth of the air gap. Change any of those and you change which frequencies are absorbed. That tunability is the main difference from an ordinary perforated board, where holes are decorative and larger.

Where microperforated panels are the right choice

• Healthcare corridors and clinical areas: smooth, durable, cleanable faces without fabric. See healthcare.
• Corridors and circulation: where visible acoustic panels aren't part of the brief. See circulation areas.
• Prestige interiors: lobbies, boardrooms and museums where a visible panel would spoil the finish.

The advantages

• The finish reads as solid wood, metal or laminate, and you can perforate the finish you actually want.
• Tunable to a defined frequency target, which suits projects with a reverberation goal.
• Durable, wipeable faces, and no loose fibres in the visible surface.
• Near-invisible treatment where the brief says acoustics shouldn't be seen.

The limits and traps

• Absorption is more tuned and often narrower in bandwidth than a fibrous panel, unless an absorbent layer is added behind. It works best when it's designed for a specific problem, not dropped in as a generic panel.
• It needs an air gap and an absorbent layer behind the face. The mounting depends on the wall build-up, so it can't always be fixed flat.
• Repainting on site can clog the perforations. A coat of paint that looks fine can seal thousands of holes and destroy the performance. Finish the panels once, in the factory.
• The holes are visible on close inspection. Ask for a physical sample before you decide.
• It usually costs more than a standard panel of the same area.

Microperforated vs the other options

See acoustic wood panels for the visible-pattern option.

What to ask before you order

1. Hole diameter, spacing and open area, and the tested absorption with the exact backing and air gap.
2. The mounting build-up your wall needs.
3. Face material and its Euroclass fire rating.
4. Factory finishing, so nobody paints over it on site.
5. A physical sample, so you can see the holes at close range.

Common questions

How is it different from a normal perforated panel? The perforation is engineered. Hole size, spacing and the air gap are calculated to tune absorption to a frequency range.

Will the perforation be visible? Not at normal distance, but it shows up close.

Is it suitable for healthcare? Yes, it is a common choice for corridors and clinical spaces.

Design it against a target, not a catalogue page

Microperforated panels reward proper design. Talk to our design team or see microperforated panels.