Decorative metal partitions, panels and grilles

What is the difference between a partition, a panel and a grille?

Partition, panel and grille usually describe the same object — a metal sheet with a pattern cut through it — and differ only in where and how it is fixed. A partition is a freestanding structure that divides a room: a reception area, an office, a restaurant floor. A panel is fixed to a wall or ceiling, is purely decorative and carries no load. A grille is the protective layer over an opening — a window, balcony or facade — where protection and design do the same job. All three are cut on the same CNC laser; the difference is gauge and hardware: 1-3mm where the piece is decorative only, 3-6mm where it has to be structurally rigid.

Which metal works best for a decorative panel?

The material follows the application. Mild steel is the most affordable and takes paint well, but rusts outdoors if left uncoated — right for interiors or a painted exterior grille; we cut it up to 10mm. Stainless steel resists corrosion and is the better answer in wet or exterior settings — a balcony, near a bathroom, on a facade; we cut it up to 6mm. Aluminium is light, does not rust, and makes a large panel far easier to hang; we cut it up to 5mm. Copper and brass give an accent panel a warm, premium look, but their high reflectivity limits them to sheet up to 3mm.

• Mild steel (carbon steel; colloquially 'iron' in Georgian) — max 10mm, needs coating outdoors
• Stainless steel (inox, nerzhaveika) — max 6mm, corrosion-resistant, for wet and exterior settings
• Aluminium — max 5mm, light, practical for large hanging panels
• Copper and brass — max 3mm, premium accent, thin gauge only
• In Georgian, ლითონი and მეტალი are two names for the same material — both are used interchangeably here

How does LED backlighting work on a metal panel?

Backlighting gives the pattern depth and reads most strongly at dusk or in an evening interior. The panel sits off the wall on standoff mounts — typically 30-50mm — so the LED strip's light spreads evenly through the cutouts and throws a crisp contour onto the wall. A tight, fine pattern distributes light more evenly than a large open one. A backlit panel needs 1-2mm: in thicker sheet the wall of each cutout deepens and narrows the light cone. If backlighting is part of the plan, tell us at the start — standoff distance and mount spacing are calculated during design, not during installation.

How are partitions and grilles mounted in place?

The hardware follows size and purpose. A wall decor or backlit panel sits directly against the wall on standoff bolts. A freestanding interior partition drops into a steel or timber frame between floor and ceiling, often as separate modules. A facade or balcony grille is set into a frame and secured in the opening by bolting or welding. We hand the panel over ready to mount — edges deburred, fixing holes pre-cut or their positions marked. The installation itself on site is carried out by your own fitter or contractor; we specify hole spacing and hardware type in advance so the fit is right the first time.

Why a laser-cut panel instead of a welded grille?

A traditional workshop works from stock profile — round or square bar, bent and welded by hand. The result is functional, but the design range is narrow: the pattern can only be as intricate as bending a bar allows. Craftarea starts from a file instead — your vector drawing, or a pattern drawn with our designer — and cuts the whole image from a single sheet on a CNC fiber laser at ±0.1mm. That puts geometric ornament, calligraphy, a company logo or a one-off illustration within reach, none of which can be repeated accurately by hand. Cutting the same pattern a second time is simply running the same file again, so the second piece is identical to the first.