We answer your questions about acoustic wall panels!

If you’ve been considering acoustic wall panels for your home but aren’t sure exactly what they do, how to install them, or whether they’re the right fit for your space, you’re definitely not alone. Acoustic panels have become a popular way to improve home environments – but you want to consider all the facts before making a decision.

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At North Valley Composites, we speak to customers every day who want to know more about our stylish acoustic wall panels. So, to help you out, we’ve compiled detailed answers to the questions we get asked most often. Whether you’re trying to reduce the noise that bleeds out from your living room or creating a cosy, quiet office where you can work from home without distraction, this will help you understand how acoustic wall panels can transform your space!

What are acoustic wall panels made of?

Our acoustic wall panels are made from high-quality MDF with a modern wood-effect veneer, giving them a clean, contemporary finish that works in all kinds of spaces. The felt backing is made using recycled materials, which helps with sound absorption and makes them a good option if you’re trying to make more eco-conscious choices – something we know matters to a lot of our customers. The panels are sturdy and built to last, so you won’t have to worry about them warping or chipping. And with a choice of natural-looking shades, they’re designed to fit right in with the rest of your decor.

How do acoustic wall panels actually work to reduce noise?

Acoustic wall panels reduce noise by absorbing sound waves that would otherwise reflect off hard surfaces like walls, ceilings, and floors. These reflections create echoes and reverberations, which make a room sound noisy or unclear. This reflected sound makes it harder to hear clearly and can also leak out through doors, windows, or thin walls, disturbing other rooms or neighbours.
Our acoustic wall panels use a dense, fibrous backing made from recycled felt. When sound waves hit this material, the fibres convert the sound energy into a small amount of heat through friction, effectively trapping and reducing the noise. This process lowers the amount of sound that bounces back into the room, improving clarity and reducing overall volume.

Our panels have a Class A sound absorption rating, which means they absorb more than 90% of sound energy in certain frequencies. This makes them highly effective in controlling noise levels, improving speech intelligibility, and preventing sound from travelling between rooms.

Where can you use acoustic panels in your home?

Acoustic wall panels are very flexible and can be used in almost any room where you want to reduce noise or improve sound. They’re popular in living rooms to quiet down TVs, conversations, and busy family noise, making the space more peaceful. Bedrooms benefit, too, as the panels help block outside sounds like traffic or neighbours, making it easier to relax and sleep, especially if you work the night shift.

If you work from home, panels in your office can cut background noise so you can focus and have clearer calls. They’re also great for home cinemas or media rooms because they make sound clearer and stop echoes, so movie nights are better without bothering the rest of the house. Basically, acoustic panels work well anywhere you want to improve sound!

Are acoustic wall panels easy to install?

They certainly are! Our acoustic panels are designed to be easy to install, whether you’re a DIY enthusiast or a professional. Whether you’re a DIY fan or a professional, the process is simple and has just three steps. First, measure the area you want to cover and cut the panels to size if needed. Next, fix the panels to your walls or ceilings using self-tapping screws. We include hidden fixings and clear instructions to help you get a neat, professional finish. Then, keep going until you’ve covered the space you want. Each board is mm by 600mm by 21mm and covers 1.44 square metres, so it’s easy to work out how many you need. Most people finish the installation in a few hours using basic tools!

What colours and finishes are available?

We know that how something looks is just as important as how well it works, especially when it’s going to be a visible part of your home. That’s why our acoustic wall panels come in a wide range of attractive wood-effect finishes, including popular shades like Black Ash, Washed Oak, Walnut, Smoked Oak, Silver Grey, Oak Wood, and newer options like Stone, Chestnut, Maple, and Grey & Gold and more! Whether you’re after a warm, natural wood tone or something more modern and bold, there’s a finish to suit almost any style. You can match them to your current decor or use them to create a striking contrast. In fact, many of our customers choose our panels purely because they love the way they look – the acoustic benefits are just a welcome extra!

Do acoustic wall panels improve sound quality too?

Yes – and it’s actually one of the biggest benefits of having them. While most people think of acoustic panels just for reducing noise, they also improve how sound behaves in a room. Hard surfaces like walls and ceilings can bounce sound around, making it echo and feel harsh or overwhelming.

Acoustic panels absorb that reflected sound, which helps to balance and soften everything. It means speech sounds clearer, music is easier to enjoy, and even day-to-day noises like the TV or video calls become more comfortable to listen to. It’s particularly noticeable in open-plan spaces, home offices, or at-home music studios or media rooms, but the improvement can be felt in any room where sound quality matters.

How long does delivery take?

Once you’ve placed your order, we’ll get it to you quickly – usually within 3–5 working days if you’re in the UK mainland. We’ll keep you updated throughout so you’ll always know when your panels are on the way. If you’ve got a project on the go or someone lined up to do the work, you’ll be able to keep to your schedule. Fast, reliable delivery is something our customers often mention, and we’ll always do everything we can to make the whole process as easy as possible for you!

How many Acoustic Panels do I need?

Constant unwanted noise can cause irritation for even the calmest of people. And when it comes to the office, noise distractions can seriously impact work performance and employees’ moods.

A recent study found that 69% of employees across the world experience a decrease in focus and work efficiency due to noise in the workplace.1 Noise impacts the body mentally and even physically, making it harder to recall information and increasing stress levels.1

Whether you’re facing noise pollution in the office or unwanted echoes in a large auditorium, a great solution is installing acoustic panels to absorb and control sound.

This leads to the next question: how many acoustic panels do I need?

Continue reading for an in-depth look at acoustically treating a space with acoustic panels.

The Basics of Acoustic Panels

The number of acoustic panels a space requires can’t be calculated with a single equation. That’s because there are many factors that impact the amount you’ll need to adequately absorb sound.

To understand why, let’s break down what acoustic panels are and how they work.

What Are Acoustic Panels?

Acoustic panels are panels made of soft, sound-absorbent materials that are installed on walls and ceilings to limit the amount of sound traveling around a space.

When looking into acoustic panels, you may have asked yourself the question: how much soundproofing do I need? But acoustic panels aren’t actually used to soundproof a space, although they may be used in conjunction with a soundproofing material.

Professional soundproofing prevents sound waves from entering or leaving a space. Acoustic panels, on the other hand, are used for noise control, including sound absorption and diffusion.

Different Types of Acoustic Panels

There are several different types of acoustic panels, the main ones being absorbers, diffusers, and bass traps. Each has a slightly different look and function:

• Absorbers – Sound absorption panels soak up the sound waves to prevent them from reflecting and creating echo
• Diffusers – Create more sound reflection angles to scatter soundwaves throughout a room, diminishing unwanted noise
• Bass traps – Typically placed in corners where bass sounds collect, they trap low-frequency noises for better sound quality in a room

When looking at panels to install, take note of its Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC) rating. The NRC rating is a decimal number between 0 and 1, and it indicates how sound-absorbent a type of panel is.

Each product offered by Acoustical Surfaces is equipped with an NRC rating to make sure you’re getting exactly what you need.

Materials Used in Acoustic Panels

The materials that acoustic wall panels and ceiling panels are made of will have a significant impact on their effectiveness. The most common materials used are:

• Foam
• Fabric-covered fiberglass
• Vinyl
• Fibers like cotton or wool

These materials are known for their thickness and porousness, allowing sound waves to be caught inside rather than bouncing off their surfaces.

Acoustical Surfaces offers acoustic panels made of speciality materials such as CFAB cellulose, made of 65–75% recycled content and environmentally friendly, and Rigid Porous ARPRO Acoustical (P.E.P.P.), a class A fire rated, non-fibrous option.

The company is the world’s best Acoustic Dividers(tr,es,hu) supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.

The Science Behind Acoustic Panels

You don’t need to be an expert in sound waves and soundproofing to understand the inner workings of acoustic panels—you have us for that. Let’s take a quick look at the way sound travels and how acoustic panels are designed to absorb it.

How Do Acoustic Panels Work?

Sound travels as a wave. When something disturbs the air—for example, your hands clapping together—the disturbed air vibrates rapidly as it travels away from your hands. These sound waves can then reflect off of other objects like walls or ceilings and travel back toward you, creating what we call an echo.2

While it can be entertaining to test the echo and reverberation in an empty warehouse or a canyon, echoes can be a distraction and a nuisance in your home or office.

Acoustic panels are designed to absorb the sound wave so they don’t continue to bounce around a room after they’re created. They are softer and thicker than walls and ceilings, which prevents sound waves from reflecting as easily.

The Importance of Panel Thickness and Density

The thickness and density of an acoustic panel is another determinant of its effectiveness.

Sound waves reflect most easily off hard surfaces, and can travel through thin barriers like walls and doors. Adding more thickness and density to the walls of your space via acoustic panels will ensure that less sound makes its way through.

A product’s density is measured by the pound. The heavier it is per volume, the denser it is.

Integrating Acoustic Panels into Architectural Design

Now that you have a better understanding of the functions and advantages of acoustic panels, let’s take a look at how to incorporate them into your space.

Acoustic Panel Placement Strategies

Every space is unique: the dimensions, the building materials, and its intended purpose will all influence how you place your acoustic panels.

Assess the room you want to acoustically treat: Are there lots of corners, high ceilings, or even curved walls?

Acoustic panels are versatile and can be installed on pretty much any surface, including walls, ceilings, and doors. They can be placed directly on surfaces or be suspended from the ceiling as baffles or clouds.

Acoustic panels or soundproofing panels are most commonly placed on first sound reflection points, which are the areas in a room that a sound wave first encounters, creating the strongest echoes. Covering these first reflection points with acoustic sound panels is key to controlling sound quality.

Aesthetic Considerations for Acoustic Panels

Because acoustic sound panels are installed on walls and ceilings, their ability to control airborne noise isn’t the only thing that matters. Their look must also be taken into account.

Do you want your acoustic panels or soundproofing panels to blend into the background, or do you want to incorporate them more prominently into your interior design plans?

No matter what your stylistic vision is, Acoustical Surfaces has acoustic panels designed with both function and style in mind. Our acoustic panels come in many different colors and finishes to perfectly match your space’s theme.

Specialized Panels for Unique Architectural Needs

Sometimes, a space is so unique that most standardized acoustic panels won’t fit nicely anywhere. If that’s the case, you may need to look into specialized panels.

Acoustical Surfaces specializes in custom-made acoustic panels that are made on a per-job basis so they fit your space perfectly.

Determining the Right Amount and Type of Panels

Now that you have a solid understanding of acoustic panels and their uses, let’s discuss how to determine the right amount for your space.

We’ve developed a general formula you can use to get a basic idea of how many panels you’ll need:

1. Cubic Volume of the room x 3% = square footage of product
2. Height x Width x Depth x 0.03 = Sq/Ft

This formula calculates the absolute minimum amount of paneling to install. As noted above, however, one formula doesn’t speak to the entire job. You may find that you need more based on other factors.

Key Factors to Consider

While the formula above can be helpful initially, there are other important factors that will affect the amount and type of panels you need. Some things to keep in mind include:

• Room size – Echoes are amplified in large spaces because the sound waves have more room to travel and bounce.
• Room purpose – What level of noise control are you looking to achieve? A banquet hall will require more paneling than a small recording studio or office. That said, adding too many acoustic panels to a room can actually have a negative effect, making the room sound “dead.”
• Existing acoustics – Believe it or not, your space may actually have natural acoustics you can work with. Carpeted floors can act as absorbers, while furniture can act as diffusers. The more existing acoustics in your space will decrease the amount of panels you need.

Before you start installing, make sure you have a strong understanding of what your space truly needs.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

As mentioned above, you can run the risk of installing too many acoustic panels. You may assume that more is better, but this can lead to undesired sound quality and a deadened atmosphere. Conversely, installing too few panels will lead to ineffective noise control.

By learning as much as you can about acoustic panels and following the advice in this article, you’ll be able to avoid making mistakes with your acoustic treatment project.

Acoustical Surfaces Has Acoustic Panels For Every Space

Whether you’re soundproofing an office, a recording studio, or a large auditorium, Acoustical Surfaces has the acoustic panels you need for an echo-free space.

We offer a large variety of products, from absorbers, to diffusers, to bass buster traps, ranging in material and sound-absorption levels to suit your specific needs. Aesthetics won’t be an issue either: our products come in multiple finishes that can blend with the style of any room.

If you have more questions about soundproofing and acoustical treatments contact Acoustical Surfaces today.

Sources:

1. Metrikus. Reducing Noise Pollution in the Office. https://www.metrikus.io/blog/noise-pollution-is-killing-your-productivity-what-can-you-do-about-it
2. Explain That Stuff. Sound. https://www.explainthatstuff.com/sound.html
3. FeedSpot. 45 Best Soundproofing Blogs and Websites. https://interior.feedspot.com/soundproofing_blogs/