Considerable Factors to Focus on While Choosing Acoustic Panels
The science behind the propagation of sound into different mediums is quite a complicated topic. It becomes even more complex in a closed room setting due to the floor, ceiling and walls in the space. Well, entire physics as what happens to sound waves or how they travel requires a little bit of technical knowhow. In order to control the range of sound waves from either entering or leaving the room, acoustic panels are installed. These equipments are installed inside or outside the walls with an aim to trap the unnecessary sounds. These act as soundproofing material that reduces the general noise, thereby keeping the inner surroundings calm and quiet. No matter wherever it is installed or whatever is the size of the room or hall, it provides clarity of the sound and prevents the unnecessary noise from entering or exiting the room surface. Let’s talk about acoustic panels.
Things to Focus on While Installing the Acoustic Panels
Now that you have made up your mind to have these panels installed, here are a few things that you need to focus upon:
Size, Shape and Dimension of The Room: The dimension of the room has a significant impact upon the application of these panels. The causes of echo, reverberation and reflections directly depend upon the size of the room. In the installation of acoustic panels either in recording rooms or auditorium, it is important to consider the angles and distance between different parts of the room.
Appropriate Measurement: While selecting any panels, it is equally important to take suitable measurements. Measure twice and thrice before installing any soundproofing material. It is important to figure out the size and gap between the walls and the panels. Looks of the house is also a considerable factor in this regard.
Selection of The Acoustic Panels: Apart from considering the dimension of the room, it is equally important to check out the dimension of the panels as well. In the home studios, especially where the chance of damage is high, one can prefer small panels that are light in weight.
NRC Rating: NRC or Noise Reduction Coefficient is an important concern to be checked while selecting any soundproofing material. Its rating should be between 0 and 1, as it will help in measuring the effectiveness of the panel’s sound absorbing quality. The higher the rating, the greater is the quality of sound absorbing.
DIY Panels: Many people find it a bit costly to invest on readymade panels. Well, there are DIY hacks which you can perform at home and get the homemade panels. Different materials like wood or fabric can be used for securing the room from unnecessary sound propagation.
Basic Differences Between Sound Insulating and Sound Absorbing Acoustic Panels
We often confuse between the sound insulating and sound absorbing acoustic panels. The absorbing panels are quite light in weight and feel like cushion while touching. On the other hand, insulating panels are just installed to prevent the causes of reverberations or echo. Well, there are different types of acoustic panels composed of different functions:
- Art panels: These panels are often installed in schools, auditoriums, gyms, hotels, museums, libraries etc. to provide the required soundproofing. These can even be customised depending upon the requirements of the consumers.
- Fabric wrapped panels: It basically delivers different level of acoustic performance. These basically come in different fabric wrap and finishes that does not take much time in installation.
- Perforated wood panels: It has superior sound absorption feature and provides additional privacy than other types.
Well, you might have got enough idea as which material would be suitable for your sound proofing requirements. Make proper strategy to select the appropriate material and gian the maximum of benefits from your panels.