Acoustic ceiling design aims to improve a room’s acoustics by reducing noise and reverberation while also providing a aesthetic value. Acoustic ceiling design materials, like acoustic panels and baffles, will soften and diffuse sounds, to create a pleasant environment free of echoes and unwanted noise.
Additionally, ceiling tile backing can also provide sound proofing for a room, reducing noisiness from building mechanicals found in the ceiling, such as HVAC ducts.
The difference is important, and the combination, in addition to aesthetic sensibilities, can dramatically impact the sound and visual of your ceiling design.
AlphaSorb Designer Premium Acoustic Felt Ceiling Baffle Installation
The Difference Between Sound Control and Soundproofing
When it comes to acoustic ceiling design, there are two important acoustical concepts that are not interchangeable. Soundproofing refers to materials that physically block sound while sound control refers to materials that absorb or diffuse reverberation, “cleaning up” the sound. If the goal is to block sound coming from another room, or from noisy mechanicals in the ceiling, soundproofing solutions will help. If the goal is to control the sound in a room, such as reducing echo and reverberation, sound control solutions, like acoustic panels and baffles, are the solution.
While there are certainly ways to soundproof a space, it can be a challenge depending on the circumstances. More often than not, soundproofing requires looking at the walls, ceilings, windows, doors, and flooring. Sometimes you’re unable to properly soundproof without heavily modifying or replacing these key components. This could potentially be a serious project, and at the end of it, your room will be soundproofed, but you still need acoustic products to control the sound.
This is all to say that focusing on sound control via acoustic ceiling products like acoustic panels and baffles can achieve a great deal of control, not only of acoustic ambiance, but visual appeal as well. It may be such that the right acoustic ceiling design achieves your acoustic goals without a need to soundproof, all the while achieving a fantastic aesthetic.
Photo of an office ceiling using AlphaSorb Designer Premium Acoustic Felt Ceiling Tiles Dimensional Wave pattern in Snow White
Achieving Sound Control and Aesthetics via Acoustic Ceiling Design
The acoustic ceiling design must accommodate unique characteristics and goals of a space. Here are some examples:
- A restaurant would like a way to improve the customer’s and staff’s ability to hear conversation. Acoustic panels installed on the ceiling will dramatically lessen reverberation and echo, improving the acoustics while offering a trendy design that also heightens the visual appeal of the restaurant.
- An office wants to turn a large room into a teleconferencing room, where present employees will interact with one another in person and clients on a monitor being teleconferenced in. Acoustic baffles suspended from the ceiling control the acoustics of the large room by reducing reverberation, which not only helps those in the space to hear one another better, but also helps the microphones pick up their voices for those on video to hear better. And because workspace design is no longer the bare bones, boring spaces of old, creatively designed and colored baffles provide a unique atmosphere that heightens the mood and thus productivity.
Understanding the Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC)
The Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC) tells you how much sound a ceiling panel or baffle absorbs within a room. For example, an acoustic panel with an NRC of 0.70 will absorb 70 percent of sound reaching it. The ASTM C423, Standard Test Method for Sound Absorption and Sound Absorption Coefficients by the Reverberation Room Method, measures the NRC. The higher the NRC, the better the panel or baffle absorbs sound.
Acoustical Solutions for Acoustic Ceiling Design
Acoustical Solutions offers an extensive range of acoustic ceiling design solutions, including acoustic cloud panels, baffles, and other acoustical materials to manage sound in buildings. Our products can accommodate all your aesthetic and acoustic needs, whether you need to soundproof a restaurant, gymnasium, church, music room, or swimming pool.
Notably, we offer affordable, noise-controlling products for acoustic cloud ceiling designs and acoustic baffles ceiling designs.
AlphaSorb® FR701 Acoustic Ceiling Cloud
Suspended, made-to-order, AlphaSorb® FR701 Acoustic Ceiling Clouds provide strong sound-absorbing performance (NRC: 1-inch (0.80), 2-inch (1.10)), durability, a Class A fire rating, and attractive appearance. The acoustic cloud ceiling design absorbs echo and reverberation, improving the room’s acoustics and the occupant’s comfort level.
AlphaSorb® FR701 Acoustic Ceiling Clouds come in custom and standard sizes up to 4-foot x 10-foot in 1-inch or 2-inch thicknesses. They also come with the complete Guilford FR701 color line allowing you to create an effective sound control treatment appropriate for your environment. For custom sizes, call the Acoustical Solutions sales team at 1-877-342-0104.
AlphaSorb® Anchorage Ceiling Cloud
Suspending AlphaSorb® Anchorage Ceiling Clouds from the ceiling will absorb echo and reverberation and effective control sound (NRC: 1-inch (0.85) 2-inch (1.10)) to improve the sound quality of the space.
In addition, Class A fire-rated AlphaSorb® Anchorage Ceiling Clouds offer a crepe-style weave in custom and standard sizes up to 4-foot x 10-foot in 1-inch or 2-inch thicknesses and various colors to meet all the aesthetic needs of your unique environment.
AcoustiCloud Ceiling Clouds
Suspending AcoustiCloud Ceiling Clouds from the ceiling as a single unit or group produces innovative aesthetic and acoustical creations.
Acoustical Solutions use a ridged PVC frame and a 1-inch thick acoustical fiberglass core to construct the fabric-covered shapes (square, circle, triangle, rectangle, oval ), making them virtually indestructible. Consequently, durable AcoustiCloud Ceiling Clouds do not require special care during installation.
In addition, the fabrication of AcoustiCloud Ceiling Clouds includes a unique polymer stretching system that caps each cloud, producing a magnificently tailored appearance. You can choose from over 30 different Guilford of Maine fabric colors and up to 23 different shaped clouds. Custom options Include size and shape, digitally printed textiles, and 360° fabric finish.
AlphaSorb® Designer Premium Acoustic Felt Ceiling Baffles
The construction of AlphaSorb® 300 Series Acoustic Baffles includes two layers of 9-mm Plex-Board made from 100 percent polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and 55 percent recycled content. It also includes a center air space for maximum sound absorption and an acoustically superior recycled PET felt sound-absorbing surface. In addition, you can choose from various shapes and colors, giving you endless design possibilities.
AlphaSorb® 300 Series Acoustic Baffles offers many structural and aesthetic benefits:
- Lightweight and easy to install
- Excellent Acoustical Values (2 ¾-inch, NRC=1.10)
- Fire Rating: Class A per ASTM E-84
- Resists mold, mildew & bacteria
- Hypoallergenic, dust-free & formaldehyde-free
- Low VOC Emissions
- LEED – MRc4
- High tackability
- Impact resistant
- Hypoallergenic, dust-free & formaldehyde-free
- Modern layout with a linear layout
- Various widths and lengths, including a narrow version for simplistic function and design.
- 34 colors
The Acoustic Ceiling Designs with Acoustical Solutions
Acoustical Solutions offers an extensive range of acoustic cloud panels, baffles, and other acoustical materials to manage sound in buildings. Our products can accommodate all your aesthetic and acoustic needs, whether you need to soundproof a restaurant, gymnasium, church, music room, or swimming pool.
To learn more about how Acoustical Solutions can help you with your acoustic ceiling designs, use our contact form or call one of our Acoustical Sales Consultants at (800) 782-5742.
To learn more about how Acoustical Solutions can solve your noise control problems, use our contact form, call one of our Acoustical Sales Consultants at (800) 782-5742, or visit us on the web at acousticalsolutions.com.
