The Beauty of Affordable Noise Control
There’s a horrible misconception going around that effective, aesthetically pleasing acoustic solutions must be expensive. On the flip side of this flawed idea is the notion that affordable noise control must be ineffective and/or unattractive.
We’re here to set the record straight. In order to do so, it’s important to look at where this misconception comes from.
Is Noise Control Expensive?
The answer is, it doesn’t have to be. But before we get into that, lets look at why the misconception exists.
When looking around at some of the most well-crafted acoustical spaces, a few examples come to mind. The Opera City Concert Hall in Tokyo, Japan is one of the most iconic visual masterpieces in the world. The building is absolutely stunning inside and out, and was designed specifically to create the perfect acoustical environment. The project took over 5 years to design and features a heavy dose of acoustical wood perfectly structured to evenly distribute sound throughout the interior of the hall without any unwanted reverberation, distortion, or quality loss.
While this certainly is an outlier in terms of the extent that acoustics were considered in the design, projects like these often skew the perception of the affordability of acoustical control. In reality, while there are certainly a variety of examples of expensive noise control, there’s also another side to the story: Beautifully designed, budget friendly acoustical solutions.
Affordable Noise Control
Bringing together affordability, effectiveness, and visual beauty in acoustical solutions is easier than you might think. The good news is that sound control can be implemented anywhere.
We see so many people default to fabric wrapped wall panels when they face a noise problem, in part because they’re budget-friendly, they blend in, and we’ve seen them before. While these can be effective when used correctly and in conjunction with other equipment, there’s so much more potential when you take a closer look.
Acoustical Ceiling Solutions
The ceiling is a good place to start. Linear Sound Absorbers, for example, are a highly customizable, easily implemented, budget friendly option that can provide a much greater NRC (Noise Reduction Coefficient) than their wall-mounted friends. Ceilings and Floors tend to be highly reflective surfaces. They are nearly always made of hard materials that carry sound instead of reduce it. Linear absorbers are a great way to combat that.They’re made of a highly absorptive foam that drastically reduces the noise levels in a room. And since they cover the entire ceiling rather than just a single point on a wall, the entire space will have a uniform level of noise reduction.
In spaces that don’t allow for the hanging of linear absorbers, acoustically backed metal ceiling tiles are an excellent alternative. They fit into most lay-in ceiling tile T-Grids without requiring an expensive install, and offer significantly better acoustic performance than standard ceiling tiles. They offer a very clean look across three patterns and a variety of color options, blending into virtually any space.
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Specialty Sound Control Solutions
Outside of wall panels and ceiling solutions, there’s a whole world of possibilities out there to solve your space’s acoustic problems.
One great example that is nearly invisible but can be very effective is a sound masking system. Sound masking is essentially a specialty speaker that can be added nearly anywhere to provide unobtrusive white noise that drowns out distracting sounds. However, if you’re looking for a splash of design along with your noise control instead of equipment that simply blends in, Rondo Suspended Acoustical Baffles is a great option. These foam baffles can be an incredibly versatile design piece as they can be arranged in different shapes, colors, and heights to provide a unique look for your space while also providing really effective noise control.
Endless Possibilities
While the above listed solutions are great examples of budget-friendly noise control solutions, the possibilities are truly endless. From Acoustical Curtains, to door sweeps, to perforated wood, sound control has a variety of faces and can fit into any space.
If you’re ready to take control of your space’s acoustical footprint, contact the experts at Gaus Acoustics today for a free consultation.