Access Panels for Drylining: Which Panel for Every Area (A Dry Liner's Guide)

On most drylining jobs the access panels get decided at the last minute, usually when the plumber or electrician asks where the hatch is going. This guide is for dry liners and drylining contractors who want to get it right at first fix. It goes area by area: MF and plasterboard ceilings, stud walls and boxing-in, service risers, fire-rated walls and ceilings, and bathrooms. For each one it covers which FlipFix access panel to use, what size to choose, how to frame the opening and how to finish it. All the specs below come from our FlipFix product pages and FlipFix's own datasheets.

The FlipFix range at a glance

We stock five FlipFix access panels. All of them are dual purpose for walls and ceilings, finished in RAL 9010 white, and fitted with the FlipFix clamp device into a pre-cut hole. FlipFix says there is no need to brace or support the opening, and no screws or glue are needed.

Panel	Fire rating	Sizes	Board thickness	From (ex VAT)
Metal faced, picture frame	Non fire rated	150 x 150mm to 1200 x 600mm (12 sizes)	8mm to 32mm	£14.15
Metal faced, picture frame	1 hour, integrity (E)	150 x 150mm to 1200 x 600mm (12 sizes)	8mm to 32mm	£19.82
Metal faced, picture frame	2 hour, integrity (E)	150 x 150mm to 600 x 600mm (10 sizes)	8mm to 32mm	£20.62
Plasterboard faced, beaded frame	Non fire rated	150 x 150mm to 600 x 600mm (10 sizes)	12.5mm to 32mm	£28.02
Plasterboard faced, beaded frame	1 hour, integrity (E)	150 x 150mm to 600 x 600mm (10 sizes)	12.5mm to 32mm	£41.78

Metal faced, picture frame: a white steel door in a 20mm picture frame, with a spring-loaded flush lock opened with a T key. It goes in after decorating. Plasterboard faced, beaded frame: the door is filled with 12.5mm plasterboard and sits in a 25mm beaded frame. You scrim tape and plaster it in with the wall or ceiling, then decorate, and it comes with a budget lock and key. For a full side-by-side comparison, see beaded frame vs picture frame access panels.

Ceilings: MF ceilings, plasterboard ceilings and loft hatches

MF suspended plasterboard ceilings

On MF ceilings the panels usually give access to valves, dampers, fan coil units, MVHR ductwork and lighting drivers in the void. 600 x 600mm is the common size because it lets someone get their head and shoulders into the void. For plant access, the metal faced panel also comes in 900 x 600mm and 1200 x 600mm.

• Set out the panel against the grid. Position the opening between furring channels and keep it clear of primary channels and hangers. Where the opening has to interrupt the grid, trim around it using the ceiling system manufacturer's details. Don't just cut the channel and hope.
• Check the depth. The frame needs 50mm to 52mm behind the board for metal faced panels and 56mm to 60mm for plasterboard faced panels, so make sure services and channels are not in the way.
• Allow room for the door. Ceiling doors open downwards, so leave room for the door to swing.

If the MF ceiling forms part of a fire-resisting construction, see the fire-rated section below. For more on the grid itself, read MF ceilings explained.

Plasterboard ceilings on joists

Set the panel out between joists, measuring the clear gap rather than assuming it from the joist centres. If a bigger opening means cutting a joist, that is a structural question for the builder or engineer, not something to decide on the day. Domestic ceilings are where the plasterboard faced beaded panel works best, because once it is skimmed and painted it is barely noticeable.

Loft hatches are a different product

An access panel into a cold loft is not a loft hatch. Loft hatches into unheated roof spaces need insulation and draught sealing, and the FlipFix panels we stock are not insulated or airtight rated. See loft hatch vs access panel.

Suspended grid ceilings

In an exposed grid ceiling, the lift-out tiles already give you access, so you rarely need a panel. Panels are for boarded ceilings.

Walls: stud partitions, boxing-in and service risers

Metal stud and timber stud partitions

• Fit between studs. Measure the clear gap between studs and choose a panel whose structural opening (panel size + 5mm) fits inside it. If the panel you need is wider than the gap, trim the opening following the partition system manufacturer's details.
• Add noggins and trimmers where they help. FlipFix says the clamps grip the back of the board without bracing. Even so, a noggin above and below the opening keeps board edges and screw lines tidy, especially on a large panel or one that will be opened a lot.
• Double-boarded walls. Metal faced panels clamp boards from 8mm to 32mm, and plasterboard faced panels clamp 12.5mm to 32mm. That covers 2 x 12.5mm and 2 x 15mm linings.

For framing materials, see our metal stud partition materials guide.

Boxing-in

Boxing around soil stacks, risers and heating pipes usually hides a stopcock, drain-off, valve or joint. Pick a panel big enough to get your hand and a tool in. As a guide, 200 x 200mm suits a single stopcock, 300 x 300mm suits a valve or trap, and 400 x 400mm or more suits manifolds and meters. Bear in mind the clear opening is smaller than the panel size, so check the size section below.

Service risers and corridor walls

In flats, offices, schools and hotels, the panels in risers and corridors get opened by maintenance staff, so the robust metal faced panel with T key lock is the usual choice. These walls are often fire-resisting, so check the specification before you order a non fire rated panel.

Fire-rated walls and ceilings

When you cut a hole in a fire-resisting wall or ceiling, the panel you put back has to keep that construction's performance. Approved Document B (fire safety) sets out where fire-resisting construction is needed, such as compartment walls and floors, protected escape routes, shafts and the walls between flats. The project specification or the Building Control approval will tell you what each wall and ceiling has to achieve. As a rule, the panel's rating should match the rating of the wall or ceiling it goes into: a 1 hour panel in a 60 minute construction and a 2 hour panel in a 120 minute construction.

FlipFix's fire-rated panels are rated for integrity (E) to BS EN 1364-2:2018 and BS EN 1634-1:2014+A1:2018. They are not smoke, acoustic or airtightness rated. To keep the rating, fit them as tested:

• Fit from the room side, with the door opening towards the fire risk side. In a ceiling, the door opens down.
• Keep the gap between the frame and the opening to a maximum of 2.5mm.
• The fire tested size is 600 x 600mm, and FlipFix permits no increase on that. The 1 hour metal faced datasheet covers sizes up to 600 x 600mm. FlipFix publishes a separate 1 hour spec sheet for the 900 x 600mm and 1200 x 600mm metal faced panels, so check it before specifying those for fire-rated use.
• For the 2 hour metal faced panel, FlipFix's fitting instructions say to apply intumescent acrylic mastic to the back of the frame before fitting.
• The 1 hour plasterboard faced panel was tested in 2 x 12.5mm Type F plasterboard or 2 x 10mm Glasroc F Multiboard, in partitions, shaft walls and non-loadbearing suspended ceilings with E60 or EI60 fire test evidence. Check the datasheet against your build-up.

Keep the datasheet with your O&M or handover pack. For the detail, read fire rated access panels explained and fire-resistant drylining explained.

Bathrooms and wet areas

The FlipFix panels we stock are powder coated steel, but they are not tile-in panels and are not sold as waterproof. In bathrooms:

• Put the panel on a non-tiled face where you can, for example the back of the wall from a cupboard or bedroom for a concealed shower valve, or the end of the bath boxing.
• Keep the panel out of direct spray, and use moisture-resistant board around wet areas as normal.
• If the panel has to go in a tiled face, FlipFix lists a tile door beaded frame panel as a bespoke product. Call us for a price.

More on this in access panels for bathrooms, boxed-in pipes and ceilings.

Common service points and what to fit

• Stopcocks and isolation valves: 200 x 200mm to 300 x 300mm.
• Heating and underfloor heating manifolds: 400 x 400mm to 600 x 600mm, so you can read the flow meters and get a spanner on the fittings.
• Concealed cisterns: check whether the WC frame has its own access plate first. If it doesn't, 400 x 400mm or larger at the flush valve.
• Electrical junction boxes and lighting drivers: junction boxes buried behind board must stay accessible unless they are a maintenance-free type, so a 300 x 300mm panel is the usual choice.
• Fire and smoke dampers: the damper manufacturer and the specification set the access requirements. Check those for the access size and whether the panel itself needs to be fire rated.

Picking the right size

Work back from what the engineer needs to reach, not from the panel size. FlipFix gives two figures:

• Structural opening (the hole you cut): panel size + 5mm each way.
• Clear opening with the door open 90°: for metal faced panels it is the panel size less 50mm each way, and for plasterboard faced panels it is less 50mm by 75mm.

So a 300 x 300mm metal faced panel gives roughly 250 x 250mm of clear access, and a 600 x 600mm gives about 550 x 550mm. For the full chart, see the UK access panel size guide.

Beaded, picture frame, plasterboard faced or metal faced: finishing

• Plasterboard faced, beaded frame: fit it, apply scrim tape over the bead as FlipFix's instructions say, then skim or tape and joint it in with the rest of the board and decorate. Choose it where looks matter, such as living areas, hallways and feature ceilings.
• Metal faced, picture frame: fit it after decorating. The 20mm frame covers the cut edge of the board, so there is no jointing around it. Choose it where the panel will be opened often, or where the trades fit it at second fix.

Installation tips for dry liners

1. Mark out at first fix. Photograph or sketch the position of every valve, joint and junction box before you board, so you know where the panels go.
2. Use the template. Stock sizes come with a pop-out template built into the box. Check for cables and pipes behind the board before you cut.
3. Cut the opening 5mm over the panel size. On fire-rated panels, keep to the 2.5mm maximum gap. A sharp padsaw or oscillating tool gives a cleaner edge than bashing out the hole.
4. Fit the panel. Put the frame in the opening with the door left on. With your drill on a low torque setting, screw in the FlipFix devices until they grip the back of the board.
5. Finish. For beaded panels, scrim tape and plaster in. For 2 hour metal faced panels, apply intumescent acrylic mastic to the back of the frame first.

Our step-by-step guide covers this in more detail: how to install an access panel in plasterboard.

Quick selection table

Area	Typical size	Panel to use	600 x 600mm price (ex VAT)
Domestic ceiling, seen from below	600 x 600mm	Plasterboard faced, beaded, non fire rated	£50.84
Commercial MF ceiling, plant access	600 x 600mm to 1200 x 600mm	Metal faced, picture frame, non fire rated	£42.92
Fire-resisting ceiling or wall, 60 minutes	Up to 600 x 600mm	Metal faced 1 hour, or plasterboard faced 1 hour	£53.49 / £69.98
Fire-resisting wall or ceiling, 120 minutes	Up to 600 x 600mm	Metal faced 2 hour	£61.48
Stopcock or valve in boxing	200 x 200mm to 300 x 300mm	Metal faced, non fire rated	£17.02 to £23.38
Manifold or meter	400 x 400mm to 600 x 600mm	Metal faced, non fire rated	£31.23 to £42.92
Bathroom (non-tiled face)	300 x 300mm to 400 x 400mm	Metal faced, or beaded in a painted wall	From £23.38

Where a row gives a range rather than a 600 x 600mm price, the prices are for the sizes in the "Typical size" column. Prices are ex VAT and correct at the time of writing. See each product page for every size.

Ordering tips

• Order the panels with your board. Count the panels off the services drawings or a first-fix walk-round, so the job isn't held up waiting for one panel.
• No minimum order on access panels. You can order a single panel.
• Delivery: £15 + VAT delivery on access panel orders under £300 ex VAT, free from £300 ex VAT. We deliver to England only. Access panels are delivered separately from insulation and building materials. See our delivery information.
• Bespoke sizes, locks or colours are made to order. Call 03330 908479 for a price.
• All prices are shown ex VAT at trade prices.

Outside England? Call 03330 908479 or contact us.

Frequently asked questions

What access panel should I use in an MF ceiling?

A 600 x 600mm FlipFix metal faced panel is the usual choice for commercial MF ceilings, or a plasterboard faced beaded panel where you want it plastered in. Set it out between the channels, and use a 1 hour or 2 hour panel if the ceiling is fire-resisting.

Do I need to brace the opening for a FlipFix panel?

FlipFix says no, because the clamps grip the back of the board. Many dry liners still add noggins around larger panels to keep the board edges tidy.

Will a FlipFix panel fit a double-boarded wall?

Yes. Metal faced panels suit boards from 8mm to 32mm, and plasterboard faced panels suit 12.5mm to 32mm.

Does a fire-rated access panel make the wall smoke or acoustic rated?

No. FlipFix fire-rated panels are integrity (E) rated, and not smoke, acoustic or airtightness rated.

Can I fit a fire-rated panel bigger than 600 x 600mm?

The fire tested size is 600 x 600mm. For the 900 x 600mm and 1200 x 600mm 1 hour metal faced panels, check FlipFix's separate spec sheet, or call us before you specify them.

Can I tile over an access panel?

Not the panels we stock. FlipFix lists a tile door beaded frame as a bespoke product, so call us for a price.

Order FlipFix access panels

Browse the full FlipFix access panel range or all our access panels. Every panel can be ordered singly, at trade prices shown ex VAT. Order online or call us on 03330 908479 for project quantities.

Sources: FlipFix datasheets and fitting instructions for FF/000/MD/PF/FL, FF/060/MD/PF/FL, FF/120/MD/PF/FL, FF/000/PD/BF/BL and FF/060/PD/BF/BL (FlipFix downloads); HM Government Approved Documents (gov.uk). Prices ex VAT and correct at the time of writing.