On 14 September, season 11 of Nybyggerne premieres on TV2. This year, four couples will renovate detached houses from 1969 in Herning, and it is the first time in the programme's history that participants are working with existing homes rather than new builds. Among the solutions chosen for the houses is an acoustic ceiling from Arku in the living room of Frederikke and Ulrik in Grønt hus.
What is the acoustic ceiling in Grønt hus?
The acoustic ceiling in Grønt hus consists of ARKU's PET felt panels, also commonly called felt panels, made from 60% recycled plastic bottles and 40% thermoplastic binder. The panels are 12 mm thick, weigh 2 kg per m² and have fire classification B-s1,d0 according to EN 13501-1. They are cut with a utility knife and can be installed in several ways, from adhesive directly onto an existing ceiling to battens with a cavity behind for greater acoustic effect or a suspended construction in rooms that require it.
The low weight and simple installation make the panels suitable for renovation projects involving an existing house. A detached house from 1969 rarely has ceilings designed with acoustics in mind. Hard surfaces such as plasterboard or wood panelling reflect sound, resulting in rooms that can feel restless and tiring to spend time in. An acoustic ceiling absorbs some of that sound and creates a noticeably calmer atmosphere.
The panels are available in two formats and two colours, and you can see the full range and order directly here.
Why is Arku suitable for a renovation project?
In Nybyggerne, each couple has 350.000 kr. for the entire renovation. It is a tight budget, where every krone must be spent wisely and where solutions requiring extra tradesperson hours quickly become expensive.
The traditional route to an acoustic ceiling is wood wool cement boards, which have been the standard choice in Danish construction for decades. But it is a heavy process. Wood wool cement weighs 10 to 12 kg per m², requires 2 to 8 weeks of acclimatisation before installation, must be screwed up with brackets or installed in a rail system, and creates dust when cut with a saw. The total price including professional installation typically comes to 700 to 1.400 kr. per m².
Arku panels for DIY installation cost 390 kr. per m² incl. VAT plus adhesive. For a living room with 8 to 10 m² of coverage, the total cost is around 4.000 kr. No acclimatisation, no dust, no tradesperson. If you want to see specific calculation examples for your own room, we have created a price guide with calculations by room type.
Time is the other factor. Installation time for wood wool cement is approx. 50 min. per m², and that is before filling and painting. Arku panels are installed by one person in one afternoon at 28 min. per m². In a renovation project with many parallel tasks, this is a noticeable difference.
Then there is the practical aspect. A detached house from 1969 has existing ceilings that are typically plasterboard or wood panelling. Arku panels can be installed directly onto the existing ceiling without tearing anything down. This saves time, waste and costs.
Acoustics in renovation and new builds
Detached houses from the 60s and 70s were built with compact rooms, hard ceilings and smooth walls. This is the type of house being renovated in Nybyggerne, and it is a situation many Danish homeowners recognise. Houses from the 60s and 70s were built with compact rooms, hard ceilings and smooth walls. Many of these houses have since been opened up with walls removed and open-plan layouts, creating a sense of space but also significantly worsening acoustics. In a private home in Silkeborg, the family experienced precisely this problem in a newer standard house, where hard plasterboard ceilings and an open plan created reverberation that made everyday life restless.
In new builds, the acoustic ceiling is often something planned last. The traditional choice has been wood wool cement boards, which require the material to be delivered weeks in advance to acclimatise, time to be allocated for installation with saws and screws, and the ceiling to be ready to bear the weight. This puts pressure on the schedule, particularly in the final phase when many tradespeople need to be coordinated.
By choosing a lightweight solution from the outset, the ceiling can be installed in the final phase in a single afternoon without blocking other tasks. There is no acclimatisation, no special tools and no dust settling over newly painted walls and new flooring. This applies whether it is a renovation or a new build.
From programme to your own project
Nybyggerne inspires thousands of viewers every year to take on their own home project, and the felt panels in Grønt hus are a good example of a solution available to everyone. If the programme makes you think about acoustics in your home, there are a couple of good places to start.
If you want to understand what actually determines the choice of acoustic panels, our guide to choosing acoustic ceiling panels reviews the four most important parameters. It is written for both first-time renovators and people who have done it before.
If you want to feel the material before deciding, you can order a sample box and have a physical sample sent to your home. This provides a better basis than images on a screen, especially when it comes to surface, colour and thickness.
