Acoustic Paneling

​We’ve all been there – in an office place where the constant hum of computers, typing of keyboards and background chatter of the team. People walking past and now we add visual distractions to the list of audible intrusions. Good news is that this white noise is what we are familiar with and now subconsciously tune out.
However, what about those more intrusive distractions – The phone call from someone 5 seats down, ever sat in a train where you only hear one side of the conversation? Noise reverberation, complex dynamic offices where hustle and bustle are the norm.
 
Enter Acoustic paneling!
Used by the audio industry for years – This material is intended to reduce noise by way of absorbing it rather than letting it bounce off. We all have experienced this at some point when we enter a cinema where if you’ve ever touched the walls, you’ll notice that they’re soft and have a spongy like spring to them. Reaching back to high school science – Sound comes in waves and depending on the frequency can be more focused or omni directional.
Sound waves will travel continuously until it meets a surface. (If you have noticed that tiled empty rooms tend to be more echoey rather than a carpeted, furnished living room, this is the reason why) An oversimplification obviously.
A material can generally absorb or reflect these waves depending on multiple factors. Softer materials like the carpet and lounge of a living room tend to absorb sound waves. The acoustic panels inherent properties absorb these waves rather than deflect it.
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The first question is does acoustic paneling improve or reduce sound?

Short answer – Yes it does on both instances. But why do some offices although sound proofed tend to be nosier and even more chaotic? Most likely that the sound proofing has been done to reduce external noise and provide insulation. This in turn can make internal noise louder, remember that if sound isn’t absorbed or dissipated it creates for a louder space, and all that soundproofing has come at a cost of not allowing internal noise to dissipate.
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Acoustic paneling through the material it’s made from will help absorb direct and indirect sound it comes in contact with. The softer material it’s made from improves acoustic nature of a room.
 
The most common and cost effective acoustic paneling material is foam, which can be then covered by cloth to add an aesthetic appeal. The foam is pressed into flat strips and can be cut into pretty much any shape. This is super useful for portable acoustic solutions. The beauty of foam acoustic paneling is that they are lightweight – The heavier and more dense the material better acoustic properties it possesses, the cost of this is less portability, it’s usually more expensive and will require greater investment to rig up.


Applications
Foam acoustic panels are the favoured choice as they are a more cost effective when purchased in larger quantities, there is less of a cost in mounting them on walls, this can be partial length or full length. Ceilings where once again you can run these panels using a multitude of configurations.
Generally, acoustic panels can be cut into any shape, any size and can have colour treatments applied so you can have almost any colour or pattern printed on the panels. This is useful as acoustic panels can be totally adapted to your office colour scheme and will help reduce most internal office noise
If you are interested in acoustic paneling or tiling, then have a look at our Shush Panels.

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Our shush panels
Lightweight semi-rigid panels with excellent sound absorbing properties, Shush panels are an ideal decorative acoustic material which can be applied to walls, ceilings, partitioning, desk screens, and sound booths. They have the ability to be cut to any shape to create interesting wall or ceiling features. Containing a minimum of 65 % post-consumer recycled material (PET bottles). Shush panels are completely safe, non-toxic, non-allergenic, non-irritant, has heat insulation properties, is moisture & mildew proof and are highly durable providing long term stability


Our Shush panels are moisture regulating
the materials help absorb moisture in the air to enhance the climate of the space, creating a more pleasant environment in the office. The panels PH value makes it inherently mold resistant and is not affected by rot.

Our Shush panels are insulating
The materials our shush panels are made from have natural insulating properties, helping to keep the space cooler in summer and warmer in winter.

Our Shush panels are sound absorbing
As the name suggests our shush panels are noise insulating  - helping to reduce the overall noise and direct noise of a space.

Our Shush Panels are fire resistant
The shush panel materials act as a fire retardant and will not continue to burn.

Our Shush Panels are environmentally friendly
All our Shush panels contain a minimum of 65% polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles. Helping reduce our carbon footprint.
For more information contact us today or click here to go to our product page
 
 
Interesting fact: Did you know as humans we need ambient sound. The longest record for someone staying in an anechoic chamber is 45 minutes ​​

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