Slat wall· 3 min read
TV Slat Wall: How Many Slats and How to Centre Them
A 1,800 mm wide slat wall behind a TV: how many 40 mm slats you need, why an odd or even count matters and how to centre the slats on the TV axis.
A slatted panel behind a TV only looks right if it sits on the TV's centre line. A slat a few millimetres off centre shows up right at the edge of the screen. Let's work out a feature section 1,800 mm wide and 2,500 mm high (about 5 ft 11 in × 8 ft 2 in) with 40 mm slats.
Slat on the axis, or gap on the axis?
With a symmetrical layout the rule is simple: an odd number of slats puts a slat in the middle, an even number puts a gap there. Both are fine — just decide up front, then line the TV axis up with either the centre of a slat or the centre of a gap.
| Option | Slats | Gap | Edge | On the TV axis (900 mm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exact 20 mm gap | 29 | 20 mm | 40 mm | slat no. 15 |
| Exactly 30 slats, half-gap edges | 30 | 20 mm | 10 mm | gap between no. 15 and 16 |
| Exact 30 mm gap | 25 | 30 mm | 40 mm | slat no. 13 |
Each slat is 2,480 mm — the 2,500 mm height minus 10 mm at the top and 10 mm at the bottom. With 2,500 and 2,750 mm stock lengths you buy 29 × 2,500 mm for the first option, 30 × 2,500 mm for the second and 25 × 2,500 mm for the third.
Exact gap or exact count?
The slat wall calculator does both. With an exact gap it fits as many slats as possible and splits what is left evenly between both edges — which is why a 20 mm gap gives a 40 mm edge. With an exact count it works out the gap itself. With 30 slats and half-gap edges it comes out exactly: 30 × 40 mm of slats, 29 × 20 mm of gaps and 2 × 10 mm of edges add up to 1,800 mm.
Half-gap edges suit a section that continues into another identical module or a TV cabinet — the gap where two sections meet then matches the gaps between the slats.
How to centre on the TV
- 1First find the TV axis — the centre of the bracket, not of the wall. Then measure the slat section symmetrically from that line, 900 mm to each side.
- 2In the 29-slat option the first slat starts 40 mm from the edge of the section and each next one 60 mm further. Slat no. 15 starts at 880 mm and its centre is exactly at 900 mm.
- 3In the 30-slat option the first slat starts 10 mm from the edge. Slat no. 15 ends at 890 mm and no. 16 starts at 910 mm — the TV axis is in the middle of the gap between them.
- 4Mark out from the axis or from one edge using the printed plan, not from the room corner. Corners and adjoining walls may not be square.
Tips
- Size the section to the TV, not the other way round: if it is wider than the TV, leave the same overhang on each side.
- In “exact count” mode the calculator works the gap out to a fraction of a millimetre. Make a spacer block and use it at every slat.
- Stock slats are not always exactly the stated length. Cutting 2,480 mm from 2,500 mm leaves only 20 mm to spare, so measure a few pieces before you buy.
- Cut openings for cables and sockets behind the TV before gluing, and watch out for hidden wiring when drilling.
Do not hang the TV on the slats. One slat panel maker's installation guide, for example, says the bracket fixings must go through the whole panel and anchor deep enough in the wall behind it, so the wall carries the weight, not the panel. Choose the anchors according to the TV bracket instructions and the type of wall.