How to Install Wooden Acoustic Panels
Updated
To install wooden acoustic panels, drive black drywall screws through the felt backing in the gaps between the slats, into studs, wall anchors or furring strips: Primacoustic recommends at least 20 screws per panel for its ECOScapes Slat Wall, tightened "only enough to hold the panel in place" (owner's manual (opens in a new tab)). Crank them down too hard and you'll strip the holes.
If you want more absorption, furring is worth the extra step. Screwed flat to the wall, the same panel tested at NRC 0.55 (opens in a new tab). Put it on 1 in. furring with 1 in. PET fill in the cavity and it hit NRC 0.90 (opens in a new tab). Screw the 1x2 strips into the studs at 23.5 in. centers, press the fill in between them, then screw the panels to the strips.
Watch out: Construction adhesive works too, but Primacoustic calls it permanent, so don't use it in a rental. If you do glue, keep the adhesive 2 in. back from the edges and add a few screws to hold the panel while it dries.
Other makers call for different screw counts, so go by your panel's manual. Cutting, outlet openings and fabric panels are covered in how to install acoustic wall panels, product picks in wood soundproof panels, and what panels can and can't do about noise in the soundproof panels guide. There are more short answers in the soundproof panels FAQ.