When used correctly, acoustic panels can be highly effective at solving a variety of acoustic or soundproofing issues that you may have, whether in the office, restaurant, bar, or any other place occupied by a large number of people.
However, incorrectly specified acoustic panels won’t do much to solve your noise complaints, which is why we strongly recommend that you source the services of an experienced acoustician to help diagnose the issue and suggest appropriate solutions.
Here at Sound Zero, our team of expert acousticians will help to identify the root cause of your noise complaint. Once identified, we will help the designer or architect come to a solution that’s steeped in high-quality design, using our unique, design-led acoustic panels.
In answer to the question, acoustic panels can be highly effective-when used correctly. Read on to find out more…
Different environments require different acoustic panels
Applying the same solution to different environments is not the most effective strategy when considering acoustic panels. The acoustician must closely assess each individual environment in order to provide the best solution.
Acoustic panels for large, open spaces
In recent years, there has been a rise in large industrial warehouse conversions, and you’ll see many of these spaces being utilised as offices, restaurants and shops, to name a few. Visually, these spaces look great. However, they can present a manner of noise issues that can become a problem for people using these spaces on a regular basis.
Large, open spaces often incorporate concrete flooring and glass partitions to help aid a minimalist feel. As you can imagine, sound will reflect off such hard surfaces-making for quite an uncomfortable experience.
For large, open spaces like this, designers will opt for the most discrete acoustic solution as possible, in-keeping with the minimalist feel. In this instance, we may suggest a ceiling baffle system or a suspended ceiling array.
Acoustic panels that are suspended from the ceiling are a great way to compliment the environment’s existing décor, whilst applying an acoustic solution to a space’s largest surface area: the ceiling.
Acoustic panels as wall partitions
Some acoustic panels can work incredibly well as wall partitions. For example, in open-plan offices, a small partition is a great way to separate teams or house/hide noisy machinery.
Wall partitions are free-standing, acoustically absorbing panels. They can be clad with a variety of unique acoustic material, such as cork or moss.
Acoustic panels for noise transmission reduction
Many buildings have adjoining rooms that are separated by thin stud partition walls. As you can imagine, these spaces are susceptible to sound travelling from one room to the next.
Not ideal when you’re having a confidential conversation with a member of staff…
In these cases, we would suggest applying acoustic panels to cover the entire wall, as the only way to block noise is through the application of mass.
Mass-loaded panels come in a variety of shapes and sizes and can create a visually impactful design on your wall.
What’s great about our mass-loaded acoustic panels is that they can be applied, taken off and reapplied with ease, making the installation process less disruptive and more efficient.
How much is too much?
If you cover an entire room with foam, you will effectively deaden all sound. However, this can create its own issues, too, which is why the number of acoustic panels (or level of acoustic absorption) has to be closely considered.
The key is to ensure comfort and privacy for the end-user, without deadening the sound completely. For this reason, an acoustician is a crucial part of the specification process.
Conclusion
As you can see, each environment will require a different approach in order to get the most effective result possible.
For more information on how we approach different scenarios, head over to our case studies area, where you’ll see how we’ve treated a variety of environments with our design-led acoustic solutions.
If you’d like to talk to one of our experts about your next project, give us a call or fill out the form below.
