Wall Baffles Are Designed Specifically to Reduce Noise Pollution
Baffle panels have a central core board which is then covered in a layer of acoustic foam. This is the key to their effectiveness; the foam, coupled with the final outer layer of fabric, helps to absorb rather than reflect sound waves.
Do you notice that sound doesn’t echo in your home? That’s because of the soft furnishings (cushions, plush carpets, curtains etc.) which absorb a lot of the sound. Most offices, particularly modern, open-plan styles, have very little in the way of soft furnishings so noise echoes round the space very easily. Acoustic panels play the same role as soft furnishings, allowing you to minimise sound reverberation in your office in a minimalist and modern way.
They Don’t Just go on The Wall
Acoustic baffle panels can also be fixed to the ceiling (different fixing required). This is particularly helpful for larger, more open locations without sufficient wall space to install the required number of panels for adequate soundproofing (15-20% wall coverage).
Ceiling panels offer an intelligent alternative. If you’re only using ceiling tiles, you should begin by covering around 23-35% of the ceiling with acoustic panels. While using acoustic panels in large numbers on the walls or ceilings makes an enormous difference in minimising noise pollution, using them on their own without other design changes (such as soundproof doors/seals) will not offer complete soundproofing.
Acoustic Panels Are Incredibly Effective When Used Correctly
As we’ve discussed, acoustic baffles are designed to mute excess noise in a room by reducing the amount that sound can reflect and reverberate around a space. As well as the obvious distractions from phone calls, keyboard clatter and employee chatter, there are many hidden noises that form part of the general cacophony you find in many large, open plan offices. These include machinery noises from printers, copiers and coffee machines, as well as air conditioning or even external traffic.
Reverberation time is defined as ‘the length of time required for sound to decay 60 decibels from its initial level’ and studies have shown that acoustic wall panels can reduce this reverberation time by up to 70%. The effectiveness of baffle panels is measured using an NRC (Noise Reduction Coefficient) number. The NRC is an average rating of how much sound an acoustic product can absorb; for example, an NRC of 0 means that the product absorbs no sound, whereas an NRC of 1 means that the product absorbs all sound. The higher the NRC, the better the product is at soaking up the sound.
Tests using an empty room, measuring 3m x 4m x H2m, show that sound has a reverberation time of 1.0 second. Covering 60% of the room’s walls in 40mm-thick acoustic wall panels (with a NRC of 0.55) reduces the reverberation time to 0.5 seconds, for a 50% reduction. Installing 64mm-thick acoustic wall panels (with a NRC of 0.90) across 60% of the room’s walls will reduce the reverberation time to 0.3 seconds - this is a 70% reduction.
Wallboards are available in a variety of Shapes And Colours
Soundproofing panels don’t have to mean large, ugly swathes of unattractive panels covering your walls. In fact, with our range of mosaic tiles in geometric shapes, you can create stylish and aesthetic displays which are in tune with your office decor. In fact, our acoustic panels are so versatile, you can even use them in your home!
For a minimalist look, we recommend choosing either the same size tile (or different sized tiles in corresponding shapes) and a tone-on-tone colour scheme for a subtle and elegant design. Or, if you want a more bold look, you can mix and match colours and shapes to create a bold and eye-catching look. Our Tetratak™ collection, for example, have been designed in homage to the classic computer game Tetris™, so you can play around with interlocking tiles of different shapes.
You can even use your acoustic wall tiles to display artwork by getting bespoke fabric printed designs. For more information please contact our team on 01234 676767.