Commercial building contractors incorporate different materials and equipment that will enhance the sustainability of an establishment. One of these is the wall access panels. Wall access panels are versatile building products that vary depending on their material, designs, sizes, and purpose. If you prefer products that guarantee you a LEED certification, fire-rated doors are also ideal for wall installations is the top recommendation.
Typically, it gives access to difficult-to-reach areas behind ceilings, floors, and walls when checkups maintenance of repairs are needed. For many years, building construction has been using access panels. You can easily find them in homes and buildings around, yet their purpose might still be unclear for others.
Purpose of Wall Access Panels
Wall access panels can be used for many important reasons, including the safety and security of a commercial building. It can also help keep your mechanical systems such as electrical systems, HVAC systems, and plumbings within reach. Wall access panels can also serve as extra storage for things you want to keep enclosed.
But, some wall access panels can be such an eyesore, or they can ruin the aesthetic feel of a room. Have a look at the different ways you can hide wall access panels without causing difficulty to access them at any time:
1. Estimate Necessity
When hiding your wall access panels, first, you need to figure out how much you are going to access them. Though your access panels may not jive to your building’s interior design, they likely have an essential function. Make sure that you determine how much you’ll need to access your wall access panel so that you won’t incorporate complicated designs when you regularly access it.
2. Hide Behind Wall Decorations
This technique is one of the easiest hacks to hide your wall access panels. Ensure you choose decorations that will not complicate wall panel entry. Remember to place a wall panel camouflage based on how often you need to access the panels. If you need to access it once per month or more, choose decorations that will easily fit on the panel.
You can try using a wall mirror, an artsy photograph, or even a themed collage or painting that will match a specific room’s aesthetic. Another suggestion is to provide a customized cork board over the panel to improvise any motivational task for your staff in an office setting.
3. Matching the Wall Access Panel’s Finish to its Surface
If you don’t mind that your access doors are a little bit visible, you can still complement it to your room’s setting by choosing from different coatings or finishes. You can also apply a powder coat or aluminum coat if there’s a wall that you like to match with the wall access panels’ overall look. You can also paint the wall access panel as long as it does not interfere with its function.
In some cases, you will have to paint an indication or warning for panels used for dangerous systems that can harm people who are not well aware of its function. Choose a paint that blends seamlessly to the background or hides it in an art form like a mural.
4. Incorporate an Air Return
You can try adding a frameless, louvered air return to your access panel door. This technique gives it a dual purpose, and it will easily fit in with the background. Installing air ventilation poses a lot of benefits. What’s nice about this is that you can also tailor it to various sizes. They rest directly on the drywall and don’t protrude too far.
You can also incorporate your access panel as part of the room’s interior design. Different available access panels can blend in with the room’s design without being an eyesore. You can try searching access panel manufacturing companies and choose something that you feel will best suit your establishment.
5. Camouflage Access Panels with Furniture
If you don’t need to access your wall access panel regularly, you can also consider hiding it behind a piece of furniture. It can either be cabinets, a tall potted plant, a tall clock, or a free-standing bookshelf and other options available that can successfully hide it without destroying the room’s interior design.
There are still other ways how you can creatively hide your access panels, make sure it doesn’t cause any complications to the person accessing them, and at the same time, it will seamlessly blend with the surroundings. You can ask interior designers or contractors what will make it look the best and most functional.
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