Ever experienced a room that seemed unusually noisy or one where even conversations at a normal volume seemed hard to understand clearly? Most often, these sorts of problems are caused by the interior design of the room that you are standing in.
Smooth walls will reflect sound waves, amplifying and muddying them until it becomes difficult to hear and communicate. If you have ever been in a recital hall or other venue where it seemed like noise just sort of vanished and the acoustics were lovely, it’s probably because the facility relied on acoustic panels to achieve this effect.
You can benefit from acoustic art panels in your own home or business as well. Here’s what you need to know.
How Do Acoustic Panels Work?
Acoustic panels work by preventing sound from bouncing off of flat surfaces. They are made of absorbent material and covered in a fabric exterior, so sound waves will disappear into the panel rather than reflecting back into the room. This keeps conversations intelligible and cuts down on echoing and volume issues.
However, acoustic panels must be strategically installed in order to work to their fullest potential. Make sure to install them facing the areas where the most noise originates; if the entire room is equally an issue, panels should be installed parallel to each other and at the height of the noise. To reduce spoken noise, panels at eye level work best.
What Are Acoustic Art Panels?
Acoustic art panels are customizable installations that are made of sound-absorbent materials. They are most commonly found on walls, where they act like paintings or other decorations, but they can also be installed in unique ways, such as on ceilings depending on where the noise is most troublesome.
Acoustic art panels are customizable, which means that you can print them with your company logo, a painting that matches your aesthetic and more. Their size, shape and depth are also adjustable, so you will need to consider your specific acoustic issue before you decide on the exact metrics for your panels to work effectively.
Can You Make Your Own Acoustic Panels?
Recently, the internet has been exploding with cases of people attempting to make their own acoustic panels rather than purchasing a high-quality, professional product. After all, acoustic art is nothing more than spongy material and a fabric cover, right?
As it turns out, professional acoustic panels are much more than this. You may see minor sound adjustments from crafting your own acoustic art, but the materials in authentic acoustic panels are specifically designed to absorb sound and will do a much better job. Additionally, it is common to make the sound problem worse when attempting to install homemade or low-quality acoustic panels, primarily because of the covering.
A tight fabric cover can actually bounce more sound rather than absorbing it, worsening the problem. Stick to professionally-made acoustic art panels, not only for their higher quality in printing but also the industry-specific materials that will do their job better and reduce replacement costs in the long run.
Soundproofing vs. Sound Absorbing
When people think about improving how a room sounds, the first thing that usually comes to their mind is to soundproof. However, this might not be what your space needs. Soundproofing specifically refers to the process of installing materials that block out sound coming in from outside—either from another room, the exterior of the building, an attic or something else.
If the sound issue is originating within the room itself, soundproofing will do little to help and may even make the space feel constrained and claustrophobic.
Instead, rooms like this will require the installation of sound-absorbing materials. These can work independently or alongside soundproofing solutions to dramatically reduce how sound bounces around in a space.
Any sound that is not bouncing off of surfaces is not returning to listeners’ ears, cutting down on both echo and volume. Consider where the problem is coming from when you think about whether you need soundproofing, sound absorbing acoustic panels or both.
Get Your Acoustic Art from a High-Quality Vendor
You do not need to resign yourself to existing in a loud, echoing space at home or at work. Acoustic art panels can not only improve the sound quality in a space but also add a customizable aesthetic flair that strengthens brand identity or draws a home’s visuals together in a pleasing way.
The experts at Tree Towns can help you measure the proper size and density of acoustic panels to suit your needs then print your designs on high-quality materials that will last for years. Reach out to learn more or to get started with an order.