When it comes to acoustic wall panels, people always ask what the best fabrics to use are? In , Choosing the right fabric to use for your application is crucial to ensure the effectiveness of acoustic panels.
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Some fabrics will perform better acoustically than others for several reasons, but to be honest, the fabric alone will not have a significant effect on sound absorption.
You need to select a suitable type of fabric and make sure it will work correctly with the other parts that make up the acoustic panels, such as the absorbing core. The most sound-absorbing part of any acoustic panel is the absorption core that the fabric covers or stretches over, is generally made of a semi-rigid type of acoustic foam or fiberglass.
The stretch fabric acoustical panels are an attractive face covering thallowslow the sound to travel through to the core material.
Here are some key points to remember when selecting the right type of fabric for sound-absorbing acoustic paneling.
First, there are many textiles available on the market, the majority of which could be used as the front-facing covering of just about any acoustic panel.
Some of these have been tested in a controlled environment and have data that shows how they perform as an ‘acoustic fabric.’ It would be impossible to test every type of fabric known to man, so we will take a look at some major key factors used in determining a good acoustic panel fabric.
1. Transparency / Breath-ability
This is most likely the most crucial factor. If you get this one wrong, then the absorption performance of your panels can be dramatically reduced.
Many fabrics available are either ‘backed ‘or ‘unbacked. ‘ They are lined with backed fabrics on one side with either acrylic or paper, normally to help with a wall application, much like applying wall coverings which are generally fabric or paper. Any fabric you decide to use with an acoustic paneling system should be ‘un-backed’ for two quite obvious reasons.
The fabric you select should have an open weave and is breathable; you can blow air through a sample of the fabric to see if it is breathable or not. Just make sure you don’t select one that has too much of an open weave; remember, you don’t want to see through the fabric to the core material. It is possible to purchase an acoustically transparent fabric and visibly evident, not what you want.
2. Functionality
Your fabric may be able to tick the boxes acoustically but will not have all of the properties that are conducive for an acoustic panel.
Below we will look at some of the different fabric types and reasons why you should avoid them.
In the case of stretched fabric panels, you don’t want any ripping or sagging to occur. This often happens in natural fiber materials such as cotton, wool, and linen, which can elongate in high humidity.
Material such as viscose and spun nylon will provide little stretch memory and might not return to its original tensity when exposed to humidity changes.
Fabrics such as acrylic and polyester are very stable and remain tight after stretching with no sagging risk. Synthetic materials are often seen as the most suitable for a stretched fabric system. But, as brilliant as the modern polyester fabrics are, many people love natural fibers, and therefore something like a blended fabric with over 50% polyester could be the best option.
3. Aesthetics
These days, acoustic paneling has become more balanced between ‘aesthetics’ and ‘function.’ Designers and engineers are learning that solving many acoustic problems can be achieved in an aesthetically pleasing way. Now acoustic treatments are becoming the design focus of room interiors.
We strongly believe using fabrics on ceilings and walls is an architectural design feature that will continue to evolve each year with the ever-growing focus on the benefits of good acoustics, more so in the IT-driven workplace.
A good indication of what fabrics work well acoustically is by looking at which ones are used by the manufacturers. Many acoustic manufacturers have a range of preferred fabrics that have been tested with their own systems.
In the UK, acoustic wall panel manufacturers tend to produce more pre-fabricated, affordable, wrapped panels. These open-weave fabrics, commonly used as upholstery for office seating and screens, are at the lower price end of the market.
European acoustic manufacturers typically use more expensive, higher-quality fabrics.
In the US, Whisper Walls has been the world’s most innovative provider of acoustic wall panels for interior noise control For over 30 years. From the beginning, we’ve been focused on providing products that blend a subtle fabric finish, acoustical performance, and long-lasting value. This unique objective inspired the development of specialized stretching system track components and installation tools that are now industry standards.
Acoustic wall panel systems are site-installed; they are highly customizable acoustic wall panels and ceiling systems that seamlessly integrate with any architectural design you may have. The system utilizes a proprietary designed custom track system that is stapled to the existing substrate. An absorbent or trackable core such as fiberglass is cut and stapled inside the track to hold it in place.
An acoustically transparent fabric is then cut and tightly tucked into all of the tracks surrounding the perimeter, providing you a perfect fit every time with no gaps or sagging. Acoustic wall panels offer architects complete design flexibility without sacrificing the quality of sound control.
The foam used in our acoustic wall panels is a chemically based product. So no matter the panel’s class A, the foam has an average shelf life of about seven years from the time the panels are produced. At that time, the foam most likely will start to flake off and sprinkle dust particles into the air.
Using a non-porous leather, vinyl, or acrylic-faced fabric will reflect much of the energy produced by the sound, reducing the effectiveness of your drapery.
You should select a fabric that could absorb water or has a plush, velour surface. If the price is a concern, then you might want to choose a less expensive fabric.
Acoustic foam is a lightweight polyurethane foam made from either polyether or polyester and also melamine foam.
If the panels reflect any of the room’s sounds, then your panel is not performing the way it was designed.
For example, polyester and polypropylene work well on any vertical surface type, but a fabric made from nylon would not be right because it absorbs too much moisture.
A canvas is a great way to add images to your walls, but, unfortunately, having a canvas on its own will not do much to block sound. If you’re looking for a soundproofing option with more of a personalized touch, then you will want to send your images to whisper walls and have them print them on the panel fabric so you can use it.
Normally a soft, pliable, or porous material will serve as a good acoustic insulator to absorb the most sound. Materials that are dense, hard, and impenetrable (such as any metals) will reflect the most sound.
How well a room absorbs sound is quantified by the walls’ effective absorption area, also called the total absorption area.
The most common way to test can be done by attempting to blow through the fabric. If air quickly passes through the material, it will also allow sound to pass through it, making that fabric acceptable for use as an acoustic fabric.
Acoustic wall panels are composed of mineral wool or foam that has been compressed; sound-absorbing acoustic wall panels absorb the sound waves directed towards them to reduce noise, clarify speech, and reduce reverberation on the walls within an enclosed room.
A soundproofing panel is designed to block noise from entering or exiting a room.
An acoustically transparent fabric will allow sound to pass through it with a little barrier. This is an essential factor because you want the sound to pass through the fabric and be absorbed by the acoustic panels; for this, you will want to use an acoustic foam or fiberglass wool.
Acoustic panels are sound-absorbing panels designed to mitigate noise and reduce reverberation and any echo in the enclosed room. For both types, we look at the different principles of good acoustics: diffusion, absorption, and attenuation. These are all tied directly to the performance of the acoustic wall panels.
There are two types of insulation commonly used for acoustic wall panels: fiberglass and mineral wool. Fiberglass insulation panels are made out of tiny inorganic glass fibers held together by a thermosetting resin binder and preformed into a rigid board with 2ft x 4ft rectangles.
Most people will mount their acoustic wall panels flat on the walls throughout the entire room. To get the maximum effectiveness from a limited number of panels, try to avoid placing the panels on BOTH points of opposing walls; instead, stagger their positions.
A home theater without any acoustic wall panels, you will experience sound waves reflecting from all surfaces of the room. Typically, you will want to hear only the sound coming directly from your speakers and not the sound reflected from walls, ceilings, and floors.
Acoustic wall panels will come in thicknesses of either 2″ or 4″. While traditional wisdom states that thicker is better, 2″ panels are considered the industry standard by many. They will not be able to absorb frequencies as low as 4″ panels, but that’s OK.
So as you can see, there is a huge difference between normal glue or staple-down fabric and acoustic wall panels, yes, there is a cost difference but there is also a quality difference.
Acoustic panel placement is essential for achieving desired sound quality. Haphazardly placing the panels or covering every wall of your room with acoustic foam is unnecessary and will never give the desired results. This leads us to the critical question; where should you place acoustic panels? And, how to get the best results from your acoustic panels?
Contact us to discuss your requirements of Acoustic Dividers. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.
Acoustic treatment is crucial for any place where significant sound quality is desired. Different areas such as offices, restaurants, home theaters, living rooms, and even bedrooms can take advantage of a good acoustic treatment. However, due to a lack of clear directions, the acoustic placement is often done in an inefficient way, highly compromising the outcome of the treatment.
Sound is simply our perception of vibrations in the air. In closed spaces, sound becomes more complex. It hits walls, ceilings, floors, furniture, fixtures, and any other objects including people. Based on the length, width, and height of your room, the sound waves also create resonances of their own. As an example, consider how your voice sounds in a washroom versus in your bedroom.
Acoustic sound panels seem deceptively simple at first, however, there is more to acoustic panels than just absorbing the sound. While installing acoustic panels, the placement of the panels is a game changer. In this post, we will discuss where to place acoustic panels, how acoustic panels work, and how you can install different types of acoustic panels to get the most advantage out of them.
Acoustic panels are one of the most talked about trends because of two reasons. First, they are aesthetically pleasing. Even those who seemingly do not have resonance issues are going for wood acoustic panels as they provide functionality as well as aesthetics. The second reason is more practical; acoustic panels are an integral part of any place where sound absorption is required. Places such as music studios, cafes, voice recording studios, living rooms, home offices, etc. are just some examples where acoustic panels are usually installed.
To put it simply, you need acoustic panels when the sound waves in your space just don’t sound right. If you’re building a home theater, acoustic panels will enhance your movie watching experience. They will create a buffer thereby absorbing reverberations and making the sound quality clearer. In a workplace setting, whether you are doing any kind of audio recording (of music, or maybe for a podcast), or you’re simply trying to figure out if there’s an option to address a noisy office environment, acoustic panels are the answer to your problem.
Acoustic panels work by dampening and deadening soundwaves, eliminating back noise and echoes, and controlling reverberations. Reverberations are the soundwaves that bounce off walls or structures. Since the sound wave is basically vibrations in the air, it acts as a sort of cave where sound can travel in but cannot escape. Therefore, acoustic panels work by trapping sound waves within the materials (wood, foam, etc.), absorbing the echoes and reverberation, leaving you with a well-balanced natural-sounding space.
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Acoustic panels come in different materials, shapes, and sizes. The placement of acoustic panels plays the fundamental role in efficient working of the panels. In order to achieve the best results, the panels are installed on walls and ceilings of a space.The panels sometimes have exposed surfaces that look jagged or saw-toothed. The Triangular shape thus formed creates a funnel to sound waves, causing them to bounce back and forth until they’ve spent all their energy.
Some panels do not have exposed rugged surfaces, they rely on the absorbing properties of the material itself such as wood slat panels and acoustic foam panels. For aesthetic purposes, there is usually a fabric covering acoustic foam panels.
When you do not have acoustic panels installed, the sound waves keep hitting different objects in a given space. The waves bounce right off the walls, the ceiling, furniture, etc. This is how reverberation and echoes are created, cluttering a space with too much noise. In our post How Do Acoustic Panels Work we take a deep dive into the science behind acoustic panels and break down each material used for sound dampening and absorption nice!.
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to the question of where to place acoustic panels in a room. The ideal placement will vary depending on the size and shape of the room, as well as the specific acoustical needs of the space. However, you can make sure that your acoustic paneling is both functional and aesthetically pleasing by adhering to a few general standards and taking into account your alternatives.
There are some common factors that need to be considered when installing acoustic panels. Let’s have a look at reflection points, absorption coefficient, and how both these factors along with other aspects contribute to determining the optimal placement of acoustic panels.
Reflection points are areas where sound waves reflect off of hard surfaces, creating an echo or reverberation. These are one of the most important considerations when you are placing acoustic panels in the room. Common reflection points in a room include walls, ceilings, floors, and corners. By strategically placing acoustic panels at these reflection points, you can get the best results.
There are basically three reflection points that should be considered when covering acoustic placement.
For more efficient coverage, first do the corner bras traps (walls and ceilings as discussed above), then treat the early reflection points for a better SBIR (speaker boundary interference response). To treat SBIR, place panels around the speakers to reduce the SBIR effect. Prioritize walls that create reflections with long paths first; these will create late arriving reflections that reduce sound clarity (look at side wall, rear wall, ceiling, and a rug for the floor).
The Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC) tells us how effectively a material can absorb sound waves. It is one of the crucial factors that need to be taken into account when installing acoustic panels. Acoustic panels covered with fabric, for example, have a high coefficient, usually around 0.7 or 0.8 and are more effective at absorbing sound. 70-80% of the sound waves that hit them are absorbed, and only around 20-30% of sound waves are reflected back into the room. In contrast, bare and hard surfaces such as stone or marble walls have low NRC ratings, around 0.1 or 0.15 coefficients. Wood slat acoustic panels also have strong NRC ratings, usually around 0.55-0.85, depending on how they’re installed. In order to maximize the efficacy of your acoustic panels, make sure you use materials with high absorption coefficients, and also consider installing them over insulation or with air gaps behind, as these factors will increase the sound absorption qualities of the acoustic panels.
Measuring the symmetry of a space can be a paradox; panels need to be balanced in a space, but at the same time, there are often multiple patterns in a given room, including windows, doors, A/C vents, etc. For better placement and optimal results, you need to consider other penetrations and obstructions too, such as lights and exit signs (in the case of music studios or cafes), that need to be installed around. Where possible, observe the primary symmetrical pattern, and when patterns must be broken for an obstruction, minimize the spacing between the panels.
Ensure that no two parallel walls are left untreated. If this happens, then standing waves may develop in the crevices of that space. Install panels in such a way that they are dispersed evenly across the space. Panels become less effective if they’re all placed together in a single corner. This is intuitive since only a small amount of the sound waves will reach that corner in the first half-second or second after the noise source occurs.
The higher the panels are placed, the longer it will take the sound to reach them. While hanging acoustic panels well above eye level prevents any imperfections, or stains from the hanging process from being seen, it compromises the efficiency of the panels. This can adversely affect the acoustic treatment and create an unwanted echo. The best way to overcome this shortcoming is to buy 8 foot or 9 foot wood acoustic panels. These panels will cover the entire wall in a simple yet aesthetic way. Read more on how to reduce echo here.
Here is a simple step-by-step guide to help you install acoustic panels in any space:
Wall-mounted Acoustic panels are designed to reduce noise levels and eliminate echoes in a room. They absorb sound waves and prevent them from reflecting off of hard surfaces thereby creating a more pleasant and less noisy environment. Wall-mounted acoustical panels are used to reduce reverberation and background noise buildup that can interfere with speech intelligibility. These panels are installed in homes, home offices, cafes, and other such areas where the primary concern is to contain low to midrange wavelengths. In other areas with bigger acoustic needs, the wall-mounted panels are installed in combination with ceiling panels.
For wall-mounted acoustic panels, recommended thickness is one inch. At 500 Hertz the absorption value of a 1″ thick panel is in the order of 90% to 95%, which is right in the voice frequency range. Since the absorption values are usually based on a 2″ thick panel, the panel should not necessarily be considered a better panel since the additional thickness only provides an additional 5-10% absorption in the voice frequency range.
There are two effective methods of installing wall-mounted acoustic panels:
1. Impaling Clip Method
It is a simple and effective way of installing wall-mounted panels.
Step One:
Mark on the wall where the panel will go. Place impaling clips 4″ inside of where the panel will be mounted. Screw the impaling clip to the wall using an appropriate fastener.
Step Two:
Place a dollop, that’s the technical term, of industrial strength construction adhesive, like Loctite Power Grab, next to each clip.
Step Three:
Place each panel onto the wall, on top of the clips. Press the panel firmly at the location of each clip to ensure the clip penetrates the fiberglass completely.
2. Z-Clip Method
The z-clips method takes a little more time to measure, plan and install. The hardware is a two-part mechanical fastener. A panel with z-clips will have one of the mating z-clips factories installed on the back of the panel. The other mating z-clip is installed on the wall with appropriate fasteners. The panel is then hung onto the wall clips. Z-clips are highly recommended for tenants who might have to remove the panel with minimum damage caused to the wall.
Acoustic ceiling mounting is the placement of acoustic panels on the ceiling of a space to reduce floor-to-ceiling slap echo, height modes, SBIR, and reflections. There are three methods of mounting ceiling acoustic panels:
1. Cloud Mounting Brackets
The recommended method of an installment is to obtain a perfect 4″ air gap, using the Acoustics Cloud Mounting Brackets. These easy-to-use brackets mount in minutes to suspend your acoustic panels.
2. Wire-Hook Suspension
Use a wire (approximately 26”, depending on the height you want to cover) and cut it into 4 pieces. Attach one piece of wire onto each of the 4 eye hooks (or S-hooks) on the back of the panel. Then attach the other end of the wire to four equally-spaced hooks in the ceiling. Any hook rated for a hanging plant should work just fine with your panels too, however, it is recommended to get a professional opinion before choosing a hook or chain.
These are lightweight portable acoustic panels that can be used as a temporary partition in smaller spaces. These can be used to cover noise absorption around a smaller area, such as your study spot, or the area around your drums or amps. You can combine one or more free standing acoustic panels; however, it is recommended that for bigger rooms you should go for more practical options such as wall-mounted or ceiling-mounted acoustic panels.
Removable soundproof acoustic walls are an effective way to temporarily soundproof your room. Foam, and fiberglass are some of the materials that can be used to create a removable acoustic wall. These are portable and can be moved around easily. In the case of foam and fiberglass, you can simply pick out an aesthetic design and then strategically mount it on the wall or ceiling that needs sound absorption.
Acoustic sound-dampening panels can provide you with absolute privacy for your bedroom walls. Especially if you share a wall with another noisy roommate or a neighbor, you can get wall-mounted acoustic panels and block all the unwanted noise. Even though foam is a cheaper option, for your bedroom it is recommended to use an aesthetic option such as Wood slate panels or fiberglass.
For perfect sound absorption in your bedroom, combine the acoustic panels with some soft area rugs, carpets, and curtains.
In today’s crowded world, secluded places are rapidly dwindling. Whether you are a creative person who needs a space to work peacefully, or you live in a condo or in an apartment and wish to watch tv in peace, the soundproof acoustic panels are the solution to your problem. However, it is essential that you know where to place acoustic panels for the most efficient results. Are you still thinking about it? You might find your perfect acoustic panel at Andor Willow.
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