Very few walls in a real house are a plain rectangle with nothing on them. There is usually a radiator, two or three sockets, a light switch, a run of skirting, and sometimes a window or a thermostat as well. None of this stops a wall being panelled. It just has to be decided before the setting-out is drawn, because every one of these things affects where the panel lines land.
This guide goes through each obstacle in turn and explains the realistic options for dealing with it, based on what we actually do on site rather than what looks tidy in a drawing.
Radiators: panel up to it, or move it
The most common approach is panelling up to the radiator and stopping the panel line just short of the pipework, leaving the radiator sitting proud of the finished wall as it always has. This is the cheapest and quickest option and it works fine visually as long as the panel layout is planned around the radiator's width and height rather than ignoring it and hoping it fits.
Moving the radiator a short distance sideways, so it sits cleanly between two panel sections rather than straddling a join, is a plumbing job that has to happen before the panelling starts. It is worth the small extra cost on a feature wall where the radiator would otherwise land awkwardly across the centre of the design.
A radiator cover or cabinet, built to match the panelling design, is the tidiest solution but the most expensive, because it needs proper ventilation top and bottom so the room still heats efficiently, and it has to be removable for servicing. We only recommend this where the radiator genuinely spoils an otherwise clean design, because covers do reduce heat output slightly if they are not vented correctly.
- Panel up to the radiator, leaving it proud — cheapest, quickest
- Move the radiator slightly to land between panel sections — plumbing job first
- Build a ventilated radiator cover matching the panelling — most expensive, needs venting
Replacing a radiator entirely
Some homeowners take the opportunity to swap an old radiator for a slimmer vertical or column-style model at the same time as panelling, which can make the whole wall design simpler because the new radiator takes up less width. This has to be arranged with a plumber well before our fitting date, because we need the wall finished and dry before the panelling goes up around the new position.
Sockets and switches
The straightforward option is fitting spacer boxes, sometimes called socket extenders, behind every existing socket and switch faceplate so it sits flush with the new panelling surface rather than being recessed into a hole. This is safe, standard practice and does not require an electrician to rewire anything, only to isolate the circuit while the extenders are fitted and the faceplates put back on.
Where a socket falls awkwardly in the middle of a panel — which happens more often than you would think — we either adjust the panel widths slightly so the socket lands within a panel rather than on a joint line, or, less commonly, have an electrician move the socket a short distance. Moving sockets adds cost and needs to be signed off electrically, so we only suggest it where the position genuinely cannot be worked around.
Light switches by doors usually sit close to the architrave, which is one of the trickier areas to set out cleanly. We measure this early because it often decides where the first panel next to the door has to start.
Thermostats and alarm sensors
Wall-mounted thermostats and burglar alarm PIR sensors need the same spacer treatment as sockets, packing them forward so they sit flush with the new surface. Alarm sensors in particular need to keep their original field of view across the room, so we check the packer depth does not tilt or recess the unit in a way that blocks its sensor.
If a thermostat sits somewhere that would badly disrupt the panel layout, it is sometimes worth having an electrician relocate it a short distance rather than let it dictate the whole design of the wall.
Skirting: keep, remove or panel over
For full-height panelling, we usually remove the existing skirting and let the panelling run down to the floor, sometimes with a new matching skirting detail built into the bottom of the panel design itself. This gives the cleanest possible finish because there is no step or shadow line where old skirting meets new panelling.
For dado-height panelling, the skirting generally stays exactly as it is, and the panelling sits above it starting from a baseboard or rail that either matches the existing skirting profile or deliberately contrasts with it. Trying to match an old, slightly worn skirting profile exactly is sometimes not worth the effort, and a clean new baseboard at the bottom of the panelling looks better than a mismatched match.
Keeping the existing skirting but panelling straight over the top of it is possible but rarely looks right, because it leaves the wall stepped out oddly at floor level. We would only do this on a tight budget where removing skirting risked damaging the floor finish.
Architrave and door returns
Where panelling meets a door frame, the architrave usually needs to be removed and refitted, either reused as-is or replaced with a slightly wider architrave to sit comfortably over the new panelling thickness. This is a small job but it is easy to underestimate — a door that used to close against a flat wall can bind against panelling that now projects an extra 20mm into the room, so door swing has to be checked before panelling goes ahead near any doorway.
Returns around a door opening — the short section of panelling that wraps into the reveal — need to be planned as part of the layout from the start, not added as an afterthought, because they set the width of the panel sections either side of the door.
Window reveals
A window breaks up a wall more than almost anything else, and there are two honest approaches. The first is panelling only the solid sections of wall either side of and below the window, treating the window as a fixed break in the design — this is simpler and cheaper. The second is carrying the panelling into the window reveal itself, lining the sides and sometimes the sill, which gives a much more finished, bespoke look but takes considerably longer because every reveal is scribed individually to the actual opening, which is rarely perfectly square.
Under-window panelling, where the wall below a window sill is panelled to match the rest of the room, is one of the nicest details in a dining room or a bay window and is worth the modest extra time it takes.
Setting out so cuts land sensibly
The underlying principle across all of this is the same: every obstacle on a wall — radiator, socket, skirting height, door, window — has to be marked up on a drawing before a single panel is cut. Setting out from that drawing means the panel widths can be adjusted slightly across the wall so joints, socket positions and obstacle edges all land in sensible places, rather than discovering halfway through fitting that a panel joint runs straight through the middle of a double socket.
This is genuinely the most important half hour of any panelling job. It is also the reason two panelling companies can quote very differently for what looks like the same wall — one has priced in proper setting out, and one has priced a flat rate per square metre without looking closely at what is actually on the wall.
What this means for your quote
If you are getting quotes for a room with a radiator, several sockets and a window, it is worth sending photos of the whole wall, not just a general description, so the setting out can be worked out properly before a price is given. A quote based on square metreage alone, without seeing what is actually on the wall, is the kind of quote that changes once the fitter turns up.
We would rather spend ten minutes looking at your photos and asking a couple of questions than give you a number that has to be revised on the day.
Talk it through before booking
Every wall like this is slightly different, and the quickest way to get a straight answer about your radiator, your sockets and your skirting is to talk to Bradley directly rather than guess from a general guide. Call 07833 227576 or 02380 201687, or email info@vipwalls.co.uk with a few photos of the wall.
We cover Southampton and the surrounding Hampshire area and are happy to visit and measure before anything is priced properly.
Common questions
- Can you panel a wall with a radiator on it?
- Yes. The panelling is usually run up to the radiator and left proud, the radiator is moved slightly to sit between panel sections, or a ventilated radiator cover is built to match the panelling.
- How do you panel around sockets?
- Spacer boxes fitted behind the existing faceplate bring the socket flush with the new panelling surface, without any rewiring. Panel widths are adjusted where possible so sockets land within a panel rather than on a joint.
- Do you need to remove skirting board for panelling?
- For full-height panelling, usually yes, so the panelling can run cleanly to the floor. For dado-height panelling, the existing skirting is normally left in place below it.
- Can panelling go around a window?
- Yes. It can either treat the window as a break in the design and panel the solid wall sections around it, or be carried into the window reveal itself, which takes longer but gives a more finished look.
- Will panelling stop a door from closing?
- It can, if the panelling thickness added to the wall is not accounted for. Door swing should be checked before fitting near any doorway, and architrave is often removed and refitted to suit.
- What happens to a thermostat or alarm sensor when a wall is panelled?
- It is packed forward on a spacer so it sits flush with the new surface, in the same way as a socket, while keeping its original sensing field clear.
- Does panelling around obstacles cost more?
- It usually adds some cost, because setting out takes longer on a wall with several obstacles than on a plain wall. Sending photos of the whole wall before quoting avoids surprises.
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