There are several acoustic solutions you can employ to acoustically treat your facility, making it a challenge to determine the best one for your space. Before anything else, you must identify the sound problems you want the acoustic treatments to address. While all acoustic treatments regulate sound through absorption or diffusion of the sound, there is no a one size fits all solution. Here is an overview of the considerations to make when choosing an acoustic treatment for your space.
Soundproofing materials
Acoustic treatment materials are generally categorized into four; vibration isolation and dampening materials used to regulate solid-borne sounds, transmission loss materials, and absorption materials used to regulate airborne sounds. Acoustic treatments used to absorb sound, such as Acoustic Sound Panels, should be lightweight, porous, and fibrous.
They include foamed elastomers, glass fibers, and acoustical ceiling tiles. These materials can be used as linings for walls, enclosures, mufflers, or ceilings. On the other hand, transmission loss materials are suitable for use as full-blown barriers as they can maximumly control sound transmission.
Source of the sound
The source of the sound also determines your choice of acoustic treatment. Ask yourself, is the sound coming from within the building or outside of it? If the sound you want to contain comes from outside the facility, the acoustic solution must prevent it from traveling through walls, floors, ceilings, and other solid barriers. If the sound problem is within, the acoustic treatment must contain the sound inside the facility and provide better sound quality.
The level of sound and noise control
Would you like to contain, reduce or eliminate the noise? Is the soundproofing temporary or permanent? Ensure you can answer these critical questions when selecting an acoustic treatment for your space. For instance, while vibration is a problem, some facilities may require a longer reverberation time than others. Some bars and clubs may want to encourage a noisy atmosphere for people to have fun, while restaurants may want to eliminate the noise so that diners can enjoy peaceful conversations.
The environment
Some acoustic treatments are well suited to particular environments than others. So it is vital to consider the environmental factors surrounding your facility. For instance, a private office may require a different acoustic treatment than a facility in a dust-heavy construction site that requires more soundproofing levels. The most critical environmental factors to assess when choosing an acoustic treatment include:
- Vibration levels.
- Moisture levels in the building.
- Amount of dirt, oil, or grease.
- Temperature levels.
- Chances of erosion due to water flow.
Acoustic’s expert
It is important to rely on acoustic treatment professionals when choosing an acoustic treatment for your facility. Otherwise, you may face a hard time or go through trial and error when acoustically treating your space which is expensive. A professional who understands the complexities of acoustics can determine the sound problems in your facility to help you choose a tailored acoustic treatment solution. That can help you skip over the time, expense, and frustrations of selecting the wrong acoustic solution for your space.
