How Do Acoustic Panels Work? Let’s Walk Through!

Many mistakenly believe that in orer to get some peace and quiet in a room, you have to soundproof it.

While you can soundproof a room, it’s important to understand that other options, such as cork acoustic panels, are not a form of soundproofing but rather a sound dampening method.

So, How Do Acoustic Panels Work?

Acoustic panels reduce noise within a room by absorbing a percentage of the reverberation within a room. Reverberation refers to the amount of noise that reflects off a surface and continues to bounce around the room, compromising the sound’s integrity and source, making it hard to hear or understand others within a room.

#1 Improve Sound Quality

Sound can be intoxicating. Our favorite artists- the classical Beethovens and Bachs, the Beatles on down to Kanye- mastered sound. But noise is a different story and when noise pollutes a room, it can wreak havoc and disrupt any chance of a solid workflow.

Noise makes everything more stressful than it has to be. Work, relaxation, recreation, noise ruins it all. That’s where acoustic panels fit the picture. But there are a couple of ways to reduce noise within your work or living space.

People most commonly associate noise reduction with soundproofing. However, the majority of methods used to reduce noise incorporates sound-dampening rather than soundproofing. In fact, soundproofing is nearly always used for extensive noise reduction in environments such as recording studios. These environments require extensive noise reduction solutions that isolate rooms so sound can’t escape or enter.

The majority of home noise reduction solutions incorporate a solution known as sound dampening. Acoustic panels use sound dampeneing to reduce noise within a given room. But how do acoustic panels reduce excess noise?

#2 Acoustic Panels Reduce Excess Noise

Acoustic panels reduce excess noise through sound absorption. When sound waves hit surfaces such as your ceiling, floor, or walls, they reflect throughout the room in a process called reverberation.

Reverberation can be useful in music when you want to create a mystical, far away sound. But in everyday life, it’s usually distracting. Acoustic panels use dense materials to absorb the sound so it doesn’t bounce off in different directions quite as much. The denser the material, the more noise it absorbs.

What Is Sound Damping?

Sound damping and sound absorption are similar. Damping removes excess vibrational energy from structures or systems by eliminating the dynamic stresses that come with vibrations. To understand the subtle difference between sound damping and sound absorption, one needs to examine the properties of vibrational energy.

• Vibration travels through materials at different intensities. When the vibrations’ speed is equivalent to or similar to the natural frequency, amplification occurs.
• Frequency amplification makes the sound more jarring or louder.
• Applying sound damping to materials that amplify vibrations alters the resonating frequency and reduces the impact of vibration on the system.

What Is Sound Absorption?

When sound waves strike surfaces, they pass through the material or reflect off the fabric. Materials with harder, less porous surfaces produce higher levels of reflection, while porous materials cause greater absorption.

Acoustic panels use sound absorption by applying porous materials to their construction. These panels can reduce the noise by absorbing sounds such as those created by:

• Heavy machinery
• Engines
• Power tools
• Generators

Materials such as blended fiber or foam keep sound waves from reflecting into the environment.

The Science of Soundproofing

True soundproofing uses a method known as decoupling to accomplish its aim. This theory operates with the idea that you can build a smaller room within a room that stops sounds from reverberating within that smaller room.

#1 Measuring Sound Insulation

You can compare the level of sound isolation you get from different materials by using the following measurements.

#2 Sound Transmission Class

The Sound Transmission Class (STC) is a common US measurement that measures how sound waves travel through ceilings or walls. You can improve the STC during construction. However, after construction, improving the STC is somewhat difficult and requires extensive updates.

#3 Sound Reduction Index

Countries outside the US typically use the sound reduction index to measure the improvement in decibels they can achieve within a room.

#4 Noise Reduction Coefficient

The STC and SRI measure how well sound travels through materials. The NRC measures how much noise a material can prevent from reflecting within a given space. It is calculated using a percentage scale and how much a material can reduce noise within a room.

Benefits to Acoustic Paneling

The benefits of acoustic paneling come from preventing sound waves from reflecting into the room. These panels use dense materials such as foam, perforated wood, or felt to absorb sound.

Additionally, acoustic panels are easier to install, and you customize their design. If you wish, you can use them as a corkboard, hanging things such as your work schedule or important ideas without damaging their structure.

The most important benefit to acoustic panels is the savings they provide. Soundproofing options often cost thousands of dollars and require invasive construction methods to implement into your home.

Acoustic panels are affordable, easy to install, and don’t compromise the existing design elements of your home.

Conclusion- How Do Acoustic Panels Work?

Acoustic panels work by absorbing sound within a room. These affordable panels are often preferable to more invasive soundproofing options because they don’t require extensive reconstruction or installation.

Acoustic panels reduce noise within rooms by absorbing errant sounds with their dense materials. While they don’t eliminate the potential for sound to enter or escape a room, they drastically reduce the noise reverberating within a room. This is perfect for those people who want to improve the sound environment within their office or home.