Do Wooden Acoustic Panels Reduce Outside Noise?

Acoustic panels are often installed in large buildings that have complex acoustic demands, such as lecture halls or concert venues. In these spaces, it&#;s essential to minimize the amount of disruptive outside noise that flows into the building. 

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Outside noise can cause major interruptions to important activities, such as: 

• Clashing with performances or presentations

• Diminishing the listening experience of an audience

• Distracting workers in an office setting

• Destroying peace and quiet in spaces that require low noise levels, such as museums or government buildings

While searching for a noise-reduction solution for your building, you may encounter a variety of window and wall treatments, including acoustic panels. 

Improving a building&#;s acoustics allows for better use of the space. Larger audiences can enjoy better sound quality, improving the functional and economic value of a venue. One way to contribute to reducing noise beyond the walls includes installing acoustic wooden panels on your walls and ceilings.  

Today, let&#;s learn:

• Do wood panels reduce outdoor noise?

• How wood panels improve sound quality in an interior space

• Where to find certified sustainable acoustic wall panels 

Do Wood Panels Reduce the Entry of Outdoor Noise?

The primary acoustic benefit of wood panels is an improvement in interior sound quality. Paneling balances sound frequencies to reflect warm, smooth, and evenly-distributed sound throughout a space. 

Wood panels aren&#;t a complete solution for repelling exterior noise, but they do accomplish this to an extent as an added benefit. However, this does not mean that they should be excluded from a larger noise reduction strategy. 

Wood paneling adds an additional layer of insulation. Outdoor noise is partially blocked and the decibel levels of intrusive sounds are reduced. 

More importantly, by controlling a space&#;s sound quality, the impact of outdoor noise is diminished. When interior sound quality is enhanced, outdoor sound recedes from the auditory landscape. 

There are some additional measures that you can take to reduce the impact of outdoor noise, such as: 

• Planting bushes and shrubs against the exterior wall of your space 

• Install soundproof/sound-reducing windows 

• Place signs on your emergency exits to prevent guests from opening exterior doors for non-emergency reasons 

• Check the exterior of your walls for any cracks, holes, or other openings and plan to replace or patch these areas 

  Are you interested in learning more about Akupanel Wood Acoustic Panels for sale? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!

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Now, let&#;s examine the acoustic improvements you&#;ll enjoy after adding wood panels to a space in which sound quality is of the utmost importance. 

How Wood Panels Improve Sound Quality in an Interior Space

Outside noise reduction is just one facet of the total acoustic upgrade provided by wood panels. The following primary benefits transform rooms of all sizes into high-performance acoustic spaces. 

Frequency Balance Control

Wood panels contain specially-designed holes that dissipate sound waves, reducing the intensity of harsh noises. The frequencies that reflect back into the room are smooth and balanced, providing better sound quality for audiences.  

Warmer and Brighter Tones 

As wood panels improve the balance between high and low frequencies, warm, bright tones travel clearly throughout the entire space. For example, during a musical performance, wood panels improve the ability of concert-goers to distinctly hear vocals, bass, percussion, and other instruments. 

Improved Sound Distribution

Without acoustic planning, sound may not travel effectively through a large indoor space. Wood panels help distribute sound evenly throughout expansive rooms. This improves the listening experience in venues where some audience members are seated far from a stage. 

Prevents Unwanted Sound Leaking 

An acoustic panel installation encloses sound within a room. Sound waves are effectively reflected inward. This not only improves sound quality but also prevents sound from escaping the space. 

This benefit is especially useful for buildings with several rooms that all need effective sound control, such as university lecture halls. 

Aesthetics

The acoustic benefits of wood paneling go hand-in-hand with an impressive, stylish aesthetic. 

Spaces are enhanced by the uniform, layered appearance of wood panels. The architectural aesthetic of wood panels is especially fitting in grand, important spaces such as museums, government buildings, and lecture halls.  

Get Certified Sustainable Acoustic Wall Panels to Help Reduce Outdoor Noise

Rulon International provides custom wood ceiling and wall paneling solutions that completely transform the appearance and sound quality of an interior space. 

Our products are made in the USA and carry multiple distinguished certifications for sustainability. Choose from unique paneling designs such as Curvatone, Aluratone, and continuous cube paneling. Every product is customizable to fit the unique contours and acoustic demands of your space. 

We prioritize the use of recycled content and sustainably-harvested woods. Via eco-friendly product sourcing, we provide the finest wood panel solutions to complement beautiful architectural designs. 

To learn more, view our product gallery. Contact our team today to discuss your next project.

TLS Guy said:

Most domestic rooms do NOT need treatment, contrary to what you have read. Room reflections are important to natural reproduction.

Most people looking to treat rooms in fact have lousy speakers. Speakers appear to cause room problems in the bass when the Q is too high. This is prevalent as manufacturers and DIYers try to tune their enclosures too low, and end up with deeper but inferior bass. This problem is just rampant.

The next problem is speakers with a poor dispersion pattern. A good speaker will have an off axis response that mirrors the on axis response, but with an HF roll off. Whilst dealing with room reflections can improve a poor performing speaker in this regard, a much better solution is to replace the speakers.

Click to expand...

I have to disagree with your comment that most rooms don't need treatment and I agree that reverberation is needed, but many rooms are too live, shaped badly WRT dimentional proportions and reflective vs absorptive vs diffusive surfaces. I also agree about bad dispersion patterns. That said, if hand claps in any room reveal echo, the reflections need to be dealt with.

My living room isn't huge, it's not a rectangle (it opens to the kitchen, a hallway and other rooms and the floor is carpeted. The system can't be centered on the front wall and a doorway is behind the right end of my sofa, with the kitchen to the right of my listening position. After I built the speakers with the crossovers you provided (thanks, again), I had a hard time positioning them without hearing comb filtering effects when I moved through the seating areas or walked through the room. The response in a non-reverberent space (outdoors, on a calm day, aimed toward nothing in particular and no hard surfaces) was measured and smooth throughout the bass through treble range, with the expected roll-off above the mid-upper 30Hz area (dual 6-1/2" Peerless woofers) and I'm not worried about the lowest octave as much because I don't generally listen to pipe organ or other music that demands the lowest extension and I don't want to disturb anyone.

I had made some panels to demonstrate their abilities for a home theater client a few years ago, so I decided to bring them up, to find out if they would help. I fired up Room EQ Wizard, positioned my mic and as usual, I saw a deep trough in the response in the 60Hz-100Hz range. I had tried changing the distance to the side walls, front wall, toe-in, distance from each other, distance to me, my position, height, tilted them back- nothing worked. As I brought the panels in, I started by placing one at the left and right walls, to catch the first reflections- the longer path length of the reflected sound adds enough delay that it's annoying, especially with percussive music, speech and vocal music. I also hear the reflections coming from the right and left speakers, from their opposite walls. I could treat them, but one is at a window and the other is the side of a kitchen cabinet. The first panels helped- I could watch the response change as I added each one. I then put a panel in the front corners and that made a major improvement. I added one to the left rear corner and saw more improvement and when I placed another above the first, it helped again. The last panel I had went into the right front corner and the whole time, I watched the improvements until the trough was gone. I moved the mic around the seating area and the trough never reappeared. I did spend more time positioning the speakers when I started carrying Parasound and installed the preamp and power amp, but the response has improved immensely since I placed the panels. I can now move around the room and in stereo (I don't have a surround system because of the layout- it doesn't lend itself to surround speakers), the dialog comes from dead center between the speakers, even if I'm past 90 degrees to the right speaker. The response sounds exceptionally even as the notes move through the musical scale, without causing fatigue. I rarely listen at high SPL (if I hit 95dB, it might have been one or twice, for less than a minute), but the stereo image holds up until I reach about 90dB, which is when I really hear the reflections on the opposite walls of the speakers.

WRT tuning too low, I specifically avoided that because I don't want the speakers to fall on their faces when the low end comes in but after seeing a TV show (Ultimate Restorations- you might like some of their projects), I found some videos with the pipe in Atlantic City that has 64' pipes and it reinforced the fact that if those frequencies are played through speakers without a dedicated mid-range driver or subwoofer, the mid-range frequencies will be terribly modulated when the lowest notes come in. These did surprisingly well, considering the frequencies involved. I'd really like to hear them through your system.

These are photos of the room where someone wants me to install a home theater- I did a rough measurement for RT60 and at some frequencies, it's >6 seconds, most are over >2 seconds. Terazzo floor, plaster on wood lath ceiling and plaster on brick walls with the brick attached to poured concrete. Not a typical room, but it needs to perform well.

I have to disagree with your comment that most rooms don't need treatment and I agree that reverberation is needed, but many rooms are too live, shaped badly WRT dimentional proportions and reflective vs absorptive vs diffusive surfaces. I also agree about bad dispersion patterns. That said, if hand claps in any room reveal echo, the reflections need to be dealt with.My living room isn't huge, it's not a rectangle (it opens to the kitchen, a hallway and other rooms and the floor is carpeted. The system can't be centered on the front wall and a doorway is behind the right end of my sofa, with the kitchen to the right of my listening position. After I built the speakers with the crossovers you provided (thanks, again), I had a hard time positioning them without hearing comb filtering effects when I moved through the seating areas or walked through the room. The response in a non-reverberent space (outdoors, on a calm day, aimed toward nothing in particular and no hard surfaces) was measured and smooth throughout the bass through treble range, with the expected roll-off above the mid-upper 30Hz area (dual 6-1/2" Peerless woofers) and I'm not worried about the lowest octave as much because I don't generally listen to pipe organ or other music that demands the lowest extension and I don't want to disturb anyone.I had made some panels to demonstrate their abilities for a home theater client a few years ago, so I decided to bring them up, to find out if they would help. I fired up Room EQ Wizard, positioned my mic and as usual, I saw a deep trough in the response in the 60Hz-100Hz range. I had tried changing the distance to the side walls, front wall, toe-in, distance from each other, distance to me, my position, height, tilted them back- nothing worked. As I brought the panels in, I started by placing one at the left and right walls, to catch the first reflections- the longer path length of the reflected sound adds enough delay that it's annoying, especially with percussive music, speech and vocal music. I also hear the reflections coming from the right and left speakers, from their opposite walls. I could treat them, but one is at a window and the other is the side of a kitchen cabinet. The first panels helped- I could watch the response change as I added each one. I then put a panel in the front corners and that made a major improvement. I added one to the left rear corner and saw more improvement and when I placed another above the first, it helped again. The last panel I had went into the right front corner and the whole time, I watched the improvements until the trough was gone. I moved the mic around the seating area and the trough never reappeared. I did spend more time positioning the speakers when I started carrying Parasound and installed the preamp and power amp, but the response has improved immensely since I placed the panels. I can now move around the room and in stereo (I don't have a surround system because of the layout- it doesn't lend itself to surround speakers), the dialog comes from dead center between the speakers, even if I'm past 90 degrees to the right speaker. The response sounds exceptionally even as the notes move through the musical scale, without causing fatigue. I rarely listen at high SPL (if I hit 95dB, it might have been one or twice, for less than a minute), but the stereo image holds up until I reach about 90dB, which is when I really hear the reflections on the opposite walls of the speakers.WRT tuning too low, I specifically avoided that because I don't want the speakers to fall on their faces when the low end comes in but after seeing a TV show (Ultimate Restorations- you might like some of their projects), I found some videos with the pipe in Atlantic City that has 64' pipes and it reinforced the fact that if those frequencies are played through speakers without a dedicated mid-range driver or subwoofer, the mid-range frequencies will be terribly modulated when the lowest notes come in. These did surprisingly well, considering the frequencies involved. I'd really like to hear them through your system.These are photos of the room where someone wants me to install a home theater- I did a rough measurement for RT60 and at some frequencies, it's >6 seconds, most are over >2 seconds. Terazzo floor, plaster on wood lath ceiling and plaster on brick walls with the brick attached to poured concrete. Not a typical room, but it needs to perform well.

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