Calling in the Contractors

What Can You Expect After Installing Acoustic Panels?

26 April 2021 by Frank Elliott

Noise transference and poor acoustics plague most buildings. Whether the problem is echoing sound, poor sound quality or something else, one of the better ways to address the situation is to install acoustic panels. These panels come in several forms and serve a few different purposes, however, so anyone hoping to reduce noise pollution or improve how sound carries in a studio needs to be careful about which panels they buy. For those new to using acoustic panels, knowing what they hope to accomplish is key to finding the correct type of acoustic panelling.

Dampening Sound, Reducing Echoes and Blocking Transference

Sound can be both terrific and present a number of problems. Echoes make it difficult to understand conversations and can ruin recordings or live performances. Sound travelling through walls can be bothersome to those on the receiving end of the sound. Echoing sounds — the type you hear in a home when there are no furnishings to absorb some of the soundwaves — can be disturbing.

Someone trying to improve acoustics for clearer sound and echo reduction in a performance hall or studio needs different types of acoustic panels than someone who just hopes to reduce the amount of general noise in their home. Some acoustic panels are designed to absorb ricocheting sound waves so that microphones won't pick up on them, and these are better for studios, theatres and more.

For instance, an office manager who just wants to dampen the sound of people walking, closing file cabinet drawers and more may need more generic panels that simply act as padding. This reduces the amount of hard surface space that can emphasise those sharper sounds.

Purpose Affects Amount Used

The purpose of your panels will also affect the amount or number you use. A symphony hall may have large, sound-absorbing panels covering all the walls, but an office hallway may have a few strategically placed designer panels with patterns that mimic artwork. A homeowner who wants to stop sitting room TV noise from drifting into bedrooms may add a couple of small panels to each wall in the room with the TV.

Your Work Might Not Be Over Yet

Sound can be sneaky. You may solve one issue only to find another has unveiled itself. For example, you might add sound panels to your office hallway to reduce noise from the hallway leaking into offices. But once that noise is no longer an issue, people in the offices may realise that sound is also transferring between offices, requiring the installation of more panels inside the offices themselves.

Take it step by step, and you'll eventually find all the strange sound issues that you have to handle. Be careful with panel placement, and you'll soon have a studio, office or home that is much more comfortable to be in. Contact a company that provides acoustic panels for more information.

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