One of the first things you need to budget and buy for a media wall is the timber for the frame — and it is where people most often over-order. So exactly how much timber does a media wall need?
The short answer: a standard 2.4m wide by 2.4m tall media wall frame needs around 20 lengths of C16 timber — roughly 46 linear metres. Below are real figures for common sizes, and how to work out your own without guessing.
*(These numbers come straight from the Wallwrightunits framing engine, which lays out a proper C16 stud frame at 400mm centres — the same figures you would get by designing your own wall in the tool.)*
Timber quantities by wall size
For a plain media-wall frame (studs at 400mm centres, top and bottom plates, standard depth), here is roughly what you need:
| Wall size (W × H) | C16 studs | Approx. linear metres | Approx. timber cost | |---|---|---|---| | 2.0m × 2.4m | ~17 | ~39 m | £110–£160 | | 2.4m × 2.4m | ~20 | ~46 m | £130–£190 | | 3.0m × 2.4m | ~26 | ~59 m | £160–£240 |
(Costs assume roughly £6–£10 per 2.4m C16 length; add more for recesses, a fireplace opening or extra noggins.)
What timber should you use?
Most media walls are framed in C16 structural timber (often 47×75mm or 47×100mm), the same graded softwood used for stud walls. It is strong, straight enough, cheap and widely stocked. CLS timber is a common alternative. Avoid rough, un-graded timber for the frame — you want it straight so your boards sit flat.
How the timber count is worked out
A media-wall frame is essentially a stud wall built proud of your existing wall:
- Vertical studs at 400–600mm centres across the width (400mm gives a more rigid, flatter result for boarding).
- Top and bottom plates running the full width.
- Noggins (short horizontal pieces) between studs for rigidity and to give you fixing points.
- Extra framing around any TV recess, fireplace opening or shelf niche.
Every recess and opening adds timber, which is why two walls of the same size can need different amounts. A plain 2.4m wall might need ~20 studs; add a TV recess and a fire opening and it climbs.
Why people over-buy (and how to avoid it)
The usual mistake is buying "a pack" or rounding up generously — then returning offcuts, or worse, not bothering and wasting them. Two ways to get it right:
1. Work out the actual stud count from your width and centres, then add plates, noggins and recess framing. Fiddly by hand, easy to under- or over-count. 2. Let the design do it. When you build your wall in the Wallwrightunits configurator, it generates the exact C16 frame and gives you a cutting list — every stud, plate and noggin with its length — plus the total linear metres and cost. You buy precisely what the plan says.
Don't forget the cutting list
Knowing you need "46 metres" is only half the story — you also need it broken into the right lengths so you can cut a set of 2.4m lengths efficiently with minimal offcut. An optimised cutting list nests the pieces so you buy the fewest full lengths and waste the least.
Ready to get your exact timber list?
Rather than estimate, design your media wall in 3D and Wallwrightunits will give you the real C16 stud count, the total linear metres, and a build-ready cutting list — so you turn up at the merchant knowing exactly what to buy.