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LED backlighting · acoustics

Stretch walls: LED backlit wall and acoustic fabric wall

A stretch wall is fabric tensioned on a profile fixed along the wall, just as a stretch ceiling is fixed at the slab. The result is a flat, soft surface with no filling or painting, and behind it there is room for lighting, cables and sound-absorbing material.

GRAF installs two kinds of wall: backlit, where light passes through the fabric, and acoustic, where the fabric absorbs reverberation. In both cases the fabric can be taken down, replaced or cleaned without any renovation work.

LED backlit wall

The whole wall becomes a light source: light-transmitting fabric tensioned in front of LED strips or panels.

  • Light-transmitting fabrics (around 31% light transmission at our partner JM): even, soft light with no visible points.
  • The fabric can be printed: graphics, a photo or a logo, backlit from behind.
  • Works well in living rooms, receptions, showrooms and as the wall behind the bed in a bedroom.
See projects with lighting

LED strips, power supplies and controllers for backlit walls: LED lighting at 2k-trade.com.

Acoustic fabric wall

Acoustic fabric tensioned over a sound-absorbing layer quietens reverberation, while the wall stays smooth and matte.

  • Acoustic fabrics with absorption αw 0.40–0.45 (JM partner data); for bedrooms and cinema rooms, blackout versions that let no light through.
  • The fabric comes off the profile for washing or replacement and goes back on.
  • Offices, meeting rooms, restaurants, children's rooms and home cinemas: places where conversation should be clear and sound shouldn't boom.
See the showroom with an acoustic ceiling

Textile walls and acoustic fabrics from our partner: jm-ceiling.pl.

Stretch wall or a traditional finish? A comparison

A stretch wall doesn't replace the plaster, it covers it. Below is what changes for the resident, the owner of the premises and the designer.

CriterionPainted wall or claddingStretch wall
Work involvedfilling, priming, painting or gluing; dust and drying timeprofile and fabric tensioning, dust-free; usually one day
Surfaceevery unevenness in the plaster showsa flat surface that covers unevenness; small cracks in the wall stay behind it
Lightlamps on or beside the wallthe whole wall can glow through the fabric; light source hidden
Acousticsa hard surface reflects soundacoustic fabric over an absorbent backing soaks up reverberation
Changesa new colour means repaintingthe fabric comes off the profile and is replaced; access to the services behind it
Cleaningdepends on the paintfabrics for dry or wet cleaning according to the manufacturer

You choose a wall like this when the wall is meant to change something in the room: give light, quieten reverberation, cover uneven plaster. If the wall just needs to be smooth, paint is enough.

Can a stretch wall be installed over old plaster?

Yes. The profile is fixed to the wall, and the fabric covers unevenness and small cracks. The plaster doesn't need to be levelled; it just has to hold wall plugs.

How much space does a stretch wall take up?

The profile itself is about 1 cm. More only when there is LED backlighting or an acoustic layer behind the fabric; we agree the depth at the site survey, usually a few centimetres.

Can the fabric be changed later?

Yes. The fabric is clipped into the profile and held by tension. It comes off for replacement, washing or to reach the services behind it, and then goes back on.

How do you choose the fabric for a wall?

From samples, at the site survey. We bring fabric samples, and you look at the finish and colour in your own room, in your own light. We also match the fabric to the wall's job: light-transmitting for backlighting or acoustic for quietening reverberation.

Can the wall fabric be printed?

Yes: graphics, a photo or a logo printed on the wall fabric, including on backlit walls. We prepare the file to the wall's exact size so nothing gets cut off at the profile.

What does after-sales service for a stretch wall include?

We take the fabric down and put it back up for washing, replace it with new fabric, and add backlighting to an existing wall. The guarantee is the same as for ceilings: up to 10 years on the material, 3 years on installation.

Questions about stretch walls

How is a stretch wall different from acoustic panels?

A stretch wall is one fabric across the whole surface, with no visible joins or frames; the acoustic layer is hidden behind it. Panels are separate elements on the wall, each with a visible edge. A stretch wall gives a uniform surface, and the fabric can be replaced later.

Can a stretch wall be installed in a bathroom?

Yes, outside the area of direct contact with water and with working ventilation. For the shower and above the bath, PVC film on the ceiling is the better choice; on the wall, we install fabric in the dry part of the room.

How long does it take to install a stretch wall?

One wall in a flat usually takes us one day. Backlit and acoustic walls in commercial premises are planned into the schedule, because there is electrical work and a sound-absorbing layer to add.

Does a stretch wall block noise from the neighbours?

No. Acoustic fabric reduces reverberation inside the room, that is sound reflected off the walls. Insulation from noise coming through the wall only comes from mass and insulating layers in the partition itself.

Where do the wall fabrics come from?

From European production: CLIPSO and JM fabrics. Every fabric has a confirmed origin, fire classification and specifications.

Would you like a wall like this?

Send us photos or a floor plan. We'll assess the height, lighting and services, then arrange a site survey.

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