Walnut Outdoor Slat Wall Panel

WPC stands for Wood Plastic Composite — a material made by blending recycled natural wood fibres with thermoplastic polymers (typically polyethylene), along with a small percentage of additives such as UV stabilisers, colour pigments, and bonding agents. The blend is then extruded under heat and pressure into a consistent, uniform profile.

The result is a product that looks and feels like timber but is engineered to handle outdoor conditions far better than natural wood — resistant to moisture, rot, insects, and UV degradation without any need for painting, oiling, or sealing.

Our WPC Wall Cladding has been independently tested by SGS (one of the world's leading inspection and testing organisations) in accordance with AS/NZS 1530.3:1999 — the Australian and New Zealand Standard for simultaneous determination of ignitability, flame propagation, heat release, and smoke release in building materials. The full test report (No. SDHL2308013569HI, dated August 2023) is available on request.

The results across all four regulatory indices were:

• Ignitability index: 0 / 20 — all six specimens tested did not ignite
• Spread of flame index: 0 / 10 — no flame propagation recorded
• Heat evolved index: 0 / 10 — no heat release recorded
• Smoke developed index: 7 / 10 — smoke was produced but the panels themselves did not ignite

These are strong results. The fact that the panels recorded a zero ignitability index — meaning none of the six tested specimens caught fire under the test conditions — is particularly significant for an exterior cladding material. The smoke index of 7 reflects smoke produced during the test as a non-ignition specimen; as the panels did not ignite, the smoke developed came from the material under radiant heat rather than from combustion.

WPC contains real wood fibres, but it is not solid timber — it's a composite material where those fibres are bound within a plastic matrix. Think of it as the best of both worlds: the warm, architectural aesthetic of timber battens with the durability of a modern engineered material.

The practical difference is significant. Natural timber requires oiling, staining, or repainting every two to five years to prevent deterioration, and will warp, crack, split, and fade without ongoing upkeep. WPC requires none of this — no seasonal maintenance, no termite treatment, and no recoating. For outdoor use in Australia's often harsh climate, WPC is a considerably more practical long-term choice for most applications.

Our outdoor slat panels are primarily designed for exterior use and suit a wide range of residential and commercial applications:

• Feature walls and building façades
• Alfresco and outdoor entertaining walls
• Garden feature walls and privacy screening
• Fence cladding
• Pergola, verandah, and carport walls
• Entry statements and portals
• Commercial and hospitality exteriors

They can also be used indoors as feature walls — they're especially popular in offices, retail spaces, and hospitality venues — though they are engineered and warranted specifically for outdoor performance.

No. The panels must always be installed onto a joist or batten substructure — they cannot be fixed flush directly to a wall surface. This serves two essential purposes: it creates a rigid, level fixing surface for the panels, and it establishes a ventilated air cavity behind the cladding that prevents moisture build-up, improves the thermal performance of the wall, and extends the life of both the panels and the underlying structure.

Joists should be spaced no more than 400 mm apart (centre to centre). Wall anchors fixing each joist to the wall should be spaced no more than 500 mm apart along each joist. For walls longer than 5 meters, additional intermediate battens are recommended to prevent deflection over time. All joists must be level — this directly determines how well the finished installation sits.

Yes, this is very common. Fix your joists/battens into the existing wall using appropriate masonry anchors, then install the panels onto the batten subframe in the usual way. The existing surface must be structurally sound, stable, dry, and free of loose render or debris before you start. If there are any moisture issues behind the existing wall, address these before cladding over them.

Three trim types are available:

• Cover Panel Trim (WPC): Used at top and bottom horizontal edges where panel ends are exposed. Made from WPC to match the panels in material, texture, and colour.
• Edge Banding (Aluminium): Used on exposed vertical side edges — where the installation ends against a wall, fence post, or open boundary. Aluminium provides rigidity and a sleek, clean finish.
• Fitted Corner Trim (WPC): Used wherever two panel runs meet at a corner. It clips neatly over the junction, so no mitre cuts are needed — simply run each panel to the corner and cover with the trim. This is the easiest and most professional-looking way to handle corners.

With correct installation and basic periodic cleaning, WPC composite panels are expected to last 20 to 30 years in outdoor applications. The composite material is inherently resistant to the main causes of exterior cladding failure — moisture ingress, rot, insect attack, and UV degradation — which dramatically extends serviceable life compared to natural timber that goes unmaintained or is undercoated.

Some minor initial colour change is completely normal with outdoor WPC — as with any exterior material, there can be a slight lightening during the first few months of UV exposure before the colour stabilises. This is a characteristic of the material and is far less pronounced than the rapid bleaching and greying that occurs with natural timber outdoors.

After this initial settling period, the colour remains very stable. UV stabilisers are incorporated during manufacture specifically to slow ongoing fading. Independent UV aging tests on quality WPC products show strong colour retention even after thousands of hours of exposure. No additional protective coating is needed to maintain UV resistance.

Yes. The wood fibres within WPC panels are fully encased in a plastic polymer matrix, creating a material that termites and other wood-boring insects cannot consume. This is a meaningful practical advantage over natural timber in Australia, where termite damage causes billions of dollars of property damage annually and is a genuine concern for homeowners across most of the country.

For routine cleaning, warm soapy water and a soft-bristled brush is all you need. Work in the direction of the panel's grain or slat profile. Rinse thoroughly with clean water to remove any soap residue, and allow to dry naturally.

For grease or oil stains, a mild dishwashing detergent with warm water applied using a soft cloth works well. For mould or mildew — which can develop on any outdoor surface in humid conditions — a solution of equal parts white vinegar and water applied with a soft brush is effective and environmentally friendly.