What Are Matchboard Grooved Wall Panels?
Matchboard grooved panels are the labour saving way to achieve the look of traditional tongue and groove panelling, without the time, cost, and skill needed to fit individual boards.
Each sheet is precision cut with grooves running along its length, giving the appearance of multiple narrow boards from a single, easy to install panel.
This is Matchboard’s flagship product, and it’s easy to see why it’s so popular – it delivers a beautiful, professional finish quickly and consistently, whether you’re working on a small domestic project or a full commercial fit out.
Choosing Your Profile
We stock two grooved profiles, so you can pick the look that suits your project:
- Richmond – a classic bead and butt style groove, giving a traditional, timeless panelled look. Available at 101.6mm centres
- Vee-90 – a sharper V-shaped groove for a slightly more contemporary finish. Available at both 101.6mm and 150mm centres, so you can choose a tighter or wider panelled look depending on the scale of your room or project
Wider centres (150mm) tend to suit larger rooms and bigger feature walls, while tighter centres (101.6mm) give a more detailed, traditional panelled appearance – particularly popular in bathrooms and hallways.
Product Details
- Sheet size: 1220 x 2440mm
- Thickness: 9mm
- Edge profile: Split profile (SP)
- Finish: Primed white, ready for painting
- Material: Moisture resistant MDF
- Orientation: Portrait (long grain) – grooves run the length of the sheet
Why Split Profile Makes This Panel So Versatile
The split edge design isn’t just for joining sheets invisibly across a wall – it also means one sheet can do far more than you’d expect:
- Need a landscape look? A portrait sheet cut exactly in half gives you two 1220 x 1220mm panels. Thanks to the split edge, these butt together with an invisible join, replicating a landscape (short grain) finish without needing a separate landscape product
- Fitting dado height panelling? A single portrait sheet can be cut into three pieces of approximately 810 x 1220mm (allowing for the saw cut), giving you three dado height panels from one sheet with no wasted material
This makes the panel genuinely flexible – one product, multiple finished looks, and far less waste than buying separate portrait and landscape sheets.
Where Can These Panels Be Used?
Matchboard grooved panels are suited to a huge range of domestic and commercial applications, including:
- Bathroom and kitchen wall cladding
- Bedroom and hallway feature walls
- Bath panels
- Kitchen and bedroom furniture manufacture
- Bench seating
- Kitchen splashbacks
- Shop fitting and reception desks
- Bar fronts and screens
- Garden offices, studios, and summer houses
- Ceiling cladding
Because the boards are moisture resistant, they’re a particularly good choice for bathrooms and kitchens where standard MDF wouldn’t be suitable.
Painting and Finishing
Each sheet arrives primed white and ready to paint, saving you a coat of preparation work. A couple of tips for the best finish:
- Apply at least one further coat of your chosen finish paint once installed for a smart, durable result
- Lightly sand between coats if you’re applying more than one, for an extra smooth finish
- Always paint cut edges and the back of the panel if it will be exposed to any moisture, particularly in bathrooms
Installation Tips
- Fix panels directly to a flat, sound wall surface, or to battens if the wall isn’t true
- Use the split edge to your advantage – line sheets up carefully so the join sits flush and tight for that seamless finished look
- A Rebated Double Astragal, Rebated Dado Rail, or Georgian Dado Rail makes a neat finishing touch at the top of the boards or at dado height
- Pre-drill near cut edges to prevent splitting
- Plan your cuts before you start – working out your portrait, landscape, and dado sections in advance will help you get the most from each sheet with minimal waste
How Many Sheets Do I Need?
Measure the total area you need to cover in square metres, then divide by the sheet coverage (1220 x 2440mm gives roughly 2.97m² per sheet). Always add around 10% extra to allow for cuts, waste, and any mistakes – particularly useful if you’re cutting sheets down for landscape or dado applications.
Order Online With Timberstore
You’ll always get our best price when you order through the Timberstore website. We deliver across South East England using our own fleet, covering Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire, Greater London, Surrey, West Sussex, and Hampshire. If you’re outside our delivery area, you’re welcome to click and collect from our yard in Beaconsfield, HP9 2RX.
