3D wall panels have become a popular choice in modern interior design, thanks to their unique aesthetic appeal and functional benefits. Whether used in residential, office, or commercial spaces, 3D wall panels can enhance the visual impact and acoustics of a room. In this guide, we will help you choose the right design for your space, making your environment both stylish and practical.

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What Are 3D Wall Panels?

3D wall panels are decorative materials that create a visually striking, three-dimensional effect on walls. Made from materials like PVC, wood, or foam, these panels not only improve the aesthetics of a space but also offer acoustic benefits. Acoustic 3D wall panels, in particular, are ideal for spaces where sound control is important, such as offices, conference rooms, and recording studios.

Types of 3D Wall Panels

When choosing 3D wall panels, the material and texture are key factors. Popular types include wooden slat acoustic panels, 3D foam wall panels, and 3D PVC wall panels. Each material offers a different visual and functional appeal. For example, wooden 3D wall panels provide a warm, natural look, while PVC 3D wall panels are a great choice for sleek, modern interiors.

Benefits of 3D Wall Panels

The benefits of 3D wall panels go beyond their eye-catching designs. Acoustic 3D wall panels can greatly improve sound insulation, making them ideal for spaces that require noise reduction. Eco-friendly 3D wall panels are also gaining popularity, offering a sustainable design solution without compromising on style or performance.

How to Choose the Right 3D Wall Panels for Your Space

Selecting the right 3D wall panels depends on the function of the space, your design preferences, and budget. For a home theater, home 3D wall panels or modern 3D wall panels would be excellent choices, as they not only improve sound quality but also enhance the visual experience. For commercial spaces like hotels and restaurants, commercial 3D wall panels offer a bold design statement while creating a welcoming atmosphere.

Installation Tips for 3D Wall Panels

Installing 3D wall panels is relatively easy, especially for DIY enthusiasts. Begin by ensuring the wall surface is clean and smooth, then apply adhesive or use mounting hardware to secure the panels in place. For first-time installers, following a 3D wall panel installation guide can help achieve the best results.

Conclusion

Post time: Nov-28-

Acoustic Panels 101: The Ultimate Buyer&#;s Guide

In the recording studio, acoustic panels are a cornerstone of any good acoustic treatment plan.

While they may not absorb the low end as well as your bass traps, they do perform the entirely separate task of killing standing waves between parallel walls.

And it&#;s this issue specifically, that is especially problematic in the small cubical rooms of most home recording studios.

So to help you tackle this challenge, in this ultimate guide I&#;m going to teach you everything you know on this all-important topic.

So here&#;s what we&#;re about to cover:

First up&#;

Commercial Acoustic Panels vs Homemade DIY Panels

What you may not know is, building homemade DIY acoustic panels is actually a lot more common than you&#;d imagine.

It does require some trips to Home Depot, and basic carpentry skills, but it can potentially save you a lot of money.

Commercially bought acoustic panels however, while pricier, have the main advantage of being performance tested.

So you actually know for sure that they&#;re doing what they&#;re supposed to.

Many newbie studio owners make the common mistake of using materials such as carpeting, cardboard cup holders, or egg crate foam, which absorb the higher frequencies while allowing the low ones to remain.

And all this does is make the room sound dull and bassy.

So here&#;s what I&#;d recommend. If this is your first time around with this stuff, just buy them online.

And I recommend this route, mainly because you need to first get familiar with the &#;sound of a studio&#;.

Gain a few years of experience first, so you know what a good room should sound like, and what a bad room sounds like. THEN, if you want to later, experiment on your own with homemade panels.

So up next&#;

The 3 Key Features of Acoustic Panel Design

When you shop for acoustic foam online, there are 3 key features that you&#;ll have to consider.

First there&#;s the THICKNESS.

2&#; is the industry standard. While 4&#; is premium and more expensive.

Thicker is always technically better, but for their purposes, 2&#; is good enough, and what I&#;d recommend. Later in this post I&#;ll show you a mounting trick to make them just as effective as the 4&#; foam.

Next there&#;s the SURFACE PATTERN.

Panels typically have some type of 3D pattern on their outer surface. Wedged and Pyramid are the two most common.

These patterns do affect performance slightly, but the differences are minimal. So feel free to choose by aesthetics.

Next there&#;s the SQUARE FOOTAGE of the package.

The standard bundles normally come in packages of 6, 12, or 24. In sizes of 1ft², 2ft², or 2ft×4ft.

But the real number to pay attention to is the total square footage of coverage. A good starting point for most home studios is around 48ft².

This usually means:

48 &#; 1ft² panels

12 &#; 2ft² panels

6 &#; 2×4 ft panels

Any of these will work fine, but I&#;d generally recommend smaller panels because they are lighter and easier to mount with temporary adhesives that won&#;t damage your wall.

Up next&#;

NRC Ratings vs SRC Ratings: What&#;s the Difference?

Product descriptions typically include a &#;Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC) rating&#; between 0 and 1.

The higher the number, the greater the absorption.

While this number may seem important, the truth is&#;it&#;s pretty much worthless for recording studios. And here&#;s why:

The test to determine this number only measures absorption at 4 frequencies:

Hz

Hz

500 Hz

250 Hz

Which means that no measurements are done below 250 Hz, where virtually all problematic frequencies in the studio exist.

That is why a different metric, known as Sound Absorption Coefficient (SRC), gives a much better representation of true performance.

Because this number measures absorption at a specific narrow band of frequencies. Unfortunately, it&#;s pretty uncommon these days to see SRC numbers actually posted.

Up next&#;

The 10 Best Acoustic Panel Packs on the Market Today

At this point, you&#;ve learned everything you need to know to choose a package that suits your room and budget.

And to save you a ton of painful research, I&#;ve already done all the heavy lifting for you&#;narrowing the options down to the 10 most popular and well-reviewed acoustic panel packs on the market today.

Each one is made by a top-name brand so there&#;s no question of what you&#;ll be getting.

For smaller rooms here&#;s what I recommend:

Auralex DST 112 &#; (B&H)

Auralex DST 114 &#; (Amazon)

DMSKY Self-Adhesive &#; (Amazon)

Fstop Wedge &#; (Amazon)

Auralex Wedge 1ft² &#; (Amazon/B&H)

Auralex Sonoflat 1ft² &#; (Amazon/B&H)

And for larger rooms, I&#;d recommend these instead:

Auralex D36 Designer Series &#; (B&H/Thomann)

Auralex 2ft² Pyramid &#; (Amazon/B&H)

Auralex 2×4 Pyramid &#; (Amazon/B&H)

Auralex Sonoflat 2ft² &#; (B&H)

Up next&#;

How to Build Homemade DIY Acoustic Panels

Maybe you already have some experience with commercial acoustic panels and you&#;d like to try something new.

Or maybe you&#;re just the handyman type and think it will be fun.

Or maybe you saw the prices in the previous section, and decided this is a better solution.

Regardless of your particular reason, you can easily build your own homemade panels with a little patience, and a few basic components.

So here are the tools you&#;ll need:

Hammer/nails

 &#; to construct the frame

Glue

&#; to secure the insulation within the frame

Staple gun/scissors

 &#; to secure and trim the outer fabric

Mounting brackets

 &#; to mount the finished panel to the wall

Next, here are the materials you&#;ll need:

Wood

 &#; to construct a standard-sized 2ft by 4ft frame.

Fabric

&#; to cover up the exposed insulation and give the finished panel a nice look.

Owens Corning 703

&#; which is a special type of fiberglass that costs about 1/5th the price of acoustic foam and is just as effective

While the wood and fabric can be easily bought at any local home improvement store, Owens Corning 703 is not available everywhere, so you may have to order it online instead.

Once you&#;ve got everything you need, here&#;s a great video I found that walks you through the entire building process step-by-step:

Moving on&#;

How to Mount Acoustic Panels in the Corners of the Room

Once your acoustic panels are built (or arrive in the mail), it&#;s time to mount them in your room.

Assuming you already have bass traps, and have mounted them according to the recommendations in this post&#;

The next step is to make sure the area directly behind your studio monitors is covered, especially if those monitors have a rear-facing bass port.

The third step is to cover the open dihedral corners (shown in the picture as blue lines) with acoustic panels.

With commercial foam, fold your panels around the corner as shown below, remembering to leave an air gap for added low-end absorption.

With homemade panels, position them diagonally across the corner like this:

Make sure you don&#;t use them all just yet though, because there&#;s still more area to cover on the walls.

Here&#;s how it&#;s done:

How to Position Acoustic Panels for Maximum Wall Coverage

Depending on the severity of a room&#;s acoustic problems&#;the ideal wall coverage could vary anywhere between 20-80%.

And the only way to know for sure, is to constantly re-test the acoustics after each new panel, using the clap test as described in this post.

It&#;s entirely possible that you may not even need every panel to reach the sound you&#;re after.  

Because at a certain point, adding more panels than you need will only make the room sound uncomfortably dead.

In most cases though, home studios have fewer than the ideal number of panels. So to get maximum results from a shortage of panels, here&#;s what you do:

When covering an area of one wall, leave its reflection point open on the opposite wall&#;because one panel is sufficient to kill standing waves in that spot.

And if those instructions are too confusing, check out the diagram above, and it&#;ll be crystal-clear.

Up next..

How to Mount the Panels Without Ruining Your Wall

In home recording studios, where acoustic foam installations are unlikely to be permanent, there&#;s always the big worry of damaging your walls.

You also want to avoid damaging the acoustic foam itself, in case you ever want to take them down and sell them.

So the challenge here is to find an adhesive strong enough to support the weight of the foam, yet weak enough to be cleanly removed at any time..

Unfortunately, since every wall/paint job is different, there is no single solution that works in all cases.  Which is why so many products exist to solve this one problem.

So up next&#;

3 Adhesive Strength Options for Mounting Your Acoustic Panels

Auralex more so than any other company, has developed a wide variety of adhesives to choose from for this one purpose.

Here are their 3 options:

Auralex TubeTak Pro &#; (Amazon/B&H/Thomann)

Auralex FoamTak &#; (Amazon/B&H)

Auralex EZ-stick &#; (Amazon/B&H)

TubeTak is the strongest, but can be difficult to remove.  EZ-stick is the weakest, but may not always hold well.

So FoamTak in my opinion, offers the best compromise between the two.

But the problem with FoamTak or any other spray-on adhesive, is that it leaves a big mess behind once everything is removed.

So here&#;s a trick I discovered in my own studio:

A DIY Hack I Discovered Through Years of Trial and Error

First, cover both the wall and the back of the foam with clear packaging tape.

Then spray the FoamTak or similar adhesive in between them.

With this method, you&#;ll be able to mount your panels while leaving ZERO adhesive residue on anything.

Want more information on 3D Acoustic Panels? Feel free to contact us.

HOWEVER&#;If you try this idea, proceed at your own risk. Because like I said, every wall and every adhesive is different.  

So test the tape on a small area of the wall first to make sure it can be removed later without damage.

And if all this stuff seems way too complicated, there&#;s one final option you can try which may be the best of all.

Rather than using an adhesive, you could instead try impaling clips, which screw into the wall, and are used to hang your acoustic foam by &#;impaling&#; them.

And that&#;s my final tip of the post.

Acoustic panels&#;what, when, where?

Acoustic panels, acoustic baffles, sound panels, and acoustic boards. The list of names continues. Call it whatever you prefer, just like many manufacturers do. For sake of clarity, we stick to acoustic panels in this guide. Despite the descriptive name, you will find various interpretations, both wide and narrow along with different use cases.

Therefore, in this guide, we will dive into the basics of acoustic panels. More specifically, we will answer the following questions:

What is an acoustic panel?

When to use acoustic panels?

Where to apply acoustic panels?

To get the most out of this guide, make sure to check one of our other guides, The Basics of Noise Reduction, where we zoom in on the essential terminology of acoustics.

How to Choose Acoustical Panels

If you are experiencing unwelcome levels of noise in your office space, gym, cafeteria, or church and want to lower the level of echo, a series of wall or ceiling mounted sound panels is your answer.   Place them in your room, they&#;ll absorb echoes, lower noise levels, and deliver back great quality sound.   Here are 9 tips for choosing your panels:

1.  Use Fire Rated Materials to Control Sound

Fiberglass panels are class A fire rated.  Foam panels made of melamine foam are also class A fire rated.  Polyurethane foam is not.  If you are in a public venue, target class A fire-rated sound panels.  See Fabric Panels.

2. The Durability of Typical Soundproofing Materials

Foam panels are effective for controlling echoes, but they have a shelf life to them.   Eventually, they will deteriorate over time, crumbling to dust and becoming less and less effective.  Their average shelf life is about 7 years.   Foam is great for music rooms, studio settings, drum booths, etc..but not public venues such as gymnasiums.

3. The Beauty of Acoustic Control Panels

Foam panels are sculpted to deliver a variety of patterns.  Fiberglass panels are wrapped in colored acoustically transparent fabric, and can also be custom color paint matched (Blush Panels) or have digital images printed onto the face of the panels to create large beautiful murals that control noise (Picture Panels).

4. The Thickness of Sound Absorbing Materials

Thicker panels absorb more low bass frequency noise compared to thinner panels.   If your noise source is musical instruments, such as drums, get at least 3&#; thick foam or 2&#; thick fiberglass panels.   See Pyramids.

5.  Placement of Sound Panels is NOT  as Critical

Despite what you may have been told, the location of your panels matters less than the amount of panels you are introducing into your space.   The key is to not under treat your room.   Check with your sound consultant to confirm targeted coverage amounts based on how your room is used along with the size, shape, and surface textures of your room. 

6.  Perimeter Walls Can Be an Obstacle to Acoustics

If your perimeter walls have glass, cabinetry, door stages, windows, and other obstructions, then look to do a ceiling treatment instead. Performance will be the same whether you put the panels on the wall or hang them from the ceiling. NetWell&#;s Ceiling Clouds are a popular acoustical ceiling treatment that &#;floats&#; as a cloud over the top of the room.

7.  Weather Resistant Soundproofing Panels

If your treatment is outdoors, do not use foam.  Get fiberglass panels that are wrapped in an exterior-grade VCP skin.  

8.  Moisture Will Decrease the Effectiveness of Noise Reduction Treatment

If you need moisture-resistant panels, again, don&#;t buy foam.   It can&#;t take moisture.  Get a fiberglass panel with a waterproof membrane.   

Acoustic panels&#;what, when, where?

Acoustic panels, acoustic baffles, sound panels, and acoustic boards. The list of names continues. Call it whatever you prefer, just like many manufacturers do. For sake of clarity, we stick to acoustic panels in this guide. Despite the descriptive name, you will find various interpretations, both wide and narrow along with different use cases.

Therefore, in this guide, we will dive into the basics of acoustic panels. More specifically, we will answer the following questions:

What is an acoustic panel?

When to use acoustic panels?

Where to apply acoustic panels?

To get the most out of this guide, make sure to check one of our other guides, The Basics of Noise Reduction, where we zoom in on the essential terminology of acoustics.

The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Right Acoustic Foam for Your Space

Importance Of Acoustic Treatment

In today's fast-paced world, the spaces we inhabit are filled with various sources of noise, from bustling streets to electronic devices. This increasing noise pollution not only disrupts our peace but also affects the quality of sound within enclosed environments. Whether you're a music enthusiast aiming to create a pristine recording space, a professional seeking a quiet office environment, or a homeowner aiming to improve the acoustics of your home theater, the importance of acoustic treatment cannot be overstated.

Acoustic treatment involves manipulating the way sound behaves within a room to create an optimal listening or working environment. It not only enhances the overall sound quality but also reduces unwanted echoes, reflections, and other acoustic anomalies that can negatively impact your experience.

Whether you're a musician, content creator, or simply someone who values tranquility, investing in acoustic treatment can significantly transform your world!

Role Of Acoustic Foam

Acoustic foam is a versatile and effective solution designed to absorb sound waves and reduce their reflection. Doing this diminishes the presence of unwanted echoes and reverberations. These panels are engineered with unique patterns and structures that effectively disperse sound energy, ultimately leading to a more balanced and controlled acoustic environment.

Our acoustic foam formulas have been tested for optimal absorption. You may think that the most dense foam is the best at sound absorption. However, we have tested many formulas and found a specific density and open cell structure that absorbs sound optimally. 

Acoustic foam is not a one-size-fits-all solution. It comes in various thicknesses and configurations to address specific acoustic challenges. Understanding these differences and selecting the right type of foam for your space is important for achieving the desired acoustic results.

Understanding Acoustic Foam

What is acoustic foam?

Acoustic foam, also known as sound-absorbing foam or soundproof foam, is a specialized material designed to control and improve the acoustics of a space by absorbing sound waves.

It is commonly used in various settings such as recording studios, home theaters, offices, and residential spaces to reduce echoes, reflections, and reverberations, resulting in a more balanced and controlled sound environment.

Acoustic foam is usually made from open-cell polyurethane foam, which possesses excellent sound-absorbing properties. Another popular style of acoustic foam is melamine acoustic foam. 

How does acoustic foam work?

When sound waves hit the surface of the foam, they pass through the open-cell structure of the foam material. This structure converts the sound energy into heat energy as the air particles within the foam vibrate and dissipate the sound energy.

This conversion process reduces the amount of sound energy that gets reflected back into the room, leading to a reduction in unwanted echoes and reverberations.

Types Of Acoustic Foam

Wedge foam

Pyramid foam

Egg crate foam

Bass traps

White foam

Wedge foam panels feature a distinctive wedge shape with slanted sides. These panels are effective at absorbing a wide range of frequencies, making them suitable for various applications. 

Pyramid foam panels have a pyramid-shaped design that provides slight less absorption than wedge foam simply because there is less mass in the panel. Pyramid foam is commonly used in recording studios and home theaters, or anywhere that needs mid to high frequency absorption. 

Egg crate foam is recognizable by its textured surface resembling an egg carton. This foam performs similarly to wedge or pyramid, but has a slightly different aesthetic. We use a convoluting machine rather than a CNC machine for this foam. 

Bass traps are specifically designed to target low-frequency sound issues. These foam pieces are thicker than standard foam and are strategically placed in corners where low-frequency energy tends to accumulate.

Assessing Your Acoustic Needs

Identifying The Purpose Of Your Space

Before embarking on your acoustic treatment journey, it's crucial to clearly define the purpose of the space you're working with. Different spaces have unique acoustic requirements based on their function.

Whether you're setting up a home recording studio, a cozy home theater, a productive office, or any other environment, understanding the primary activities that will take place within the space will guide your acoustic treatment decisions.

Common acoustic issues to address

Reflections

Reverberation

Standing waves

Low-frequency issues

Reflections

Reflections occur when sound waves bounce off hard surfaces like walls, floors, and ceilings, creating unwanted echoes and interfering with sound clarity. Assess your space for prominent reflective surfaces and areas where sound waves are likely to bounce.

Reverberation

Reverberation refers to the prolonged persistence of sound in a room due to multiple reflections. Excessive reverberation can muddy sound quality and make speech or music less intelligible. Identify spaces where reverberation is particularly problematic, such as large empty rooms or spaces with bare walls.

Standing Waves

Standing waves are the result of sound waves bouncing back and forth between parallel surfaces, creating areas of strong and weak sound intensity, known as "nodes" and "anti-nodes." These waves can cause uneven frequency response and affect the accuracy of audio playback.

If your room has parallel flat surfaces (most rooms do) then standing waves are something that are going to occur. These are less problematic for rooms like offices or restaurants, and are more problematic in studios and home theaters. 

Low-Frequency Issues

Low-frequency sound waves are challenging to control due to their longer wavelengths. These waves can cause "boomy" or "muddy" bass response in rooms. If your room has a lot of low frequency noise being produced like a concert hall, studio, or home theater, then you will need to address it with something like bass traps. 

By identifying the purpose of your space and recognizing these common acoustic issues, you'll be better equipped to choose the right acoustic foam and treatment solutions that effectively address the specific challenges present in your environment. This understanding will set the foundation for creating an acoustically optimized space that enhances your listening, recording, or work experience.

Factors to Consider When Choosing Acoustic Foam

Material Quality

The quality of the acoustic foam material greatly influences its performance and longevity. Opt for foam that is made from high-quality open-cell polyurethane or melamine foam. Inferior materials may deteriorate over time or fail to deliver the desired sound absorption results.

If you see a whole bunch of foam for cheap, it was probably made with cheap material. A lot of the popular cheap foams are made with cheap raw materials overseas, and are compressed overseas so the sellers can save on shipping.

When we compress our foam it is only done right before we put the shipping label on the foam. After completing tests for years we can safely say that our foam is okay to be compressed for two weeks.

A lot of the cheap foam sellers will tell you to use water to uncompress the foam. This is dangerous and can cause mold to form. All of our foam will naturally come back to shape within a day or two and will be ready to install with no issues. 

NRC (Noise Reduction Coefficient) Rating

The NRC rating is a measure of how much sound a material can absorb across a range of frequencies. Look for acoustic foam with a higher NRC rating, typically ranging from 0 to 1, which indicates its effectiveness in absorbing sound energy. A higher NRC rating indicates better sound absorption.

Learn more about NRC HERE. 

Check out our 3rd Party Lab Tested ratings below! Our panels were tested at Riverbank Acoustical Labs in Illinois. Make sure the acoustic foam you are buying has lab tested results. Some companies out there claim 1-inch thick foam has 0.8 NRC. That is just never going to be true. 

Thickness and Density

The thickness and density of the foam impact its ability to absorb different frequencies. Thicker foam is more effective at absorbing lower frequencies, while thinner foam is better for mid and high frequencies. The thickness is the most important factor when choosing acoustic foam. This is why we offer a wide range of thicknesses, to give you multiple options when solving a wide variety of acoustical issues.

The density of the foam is also important. Things that absorb sound are soft and fluffy. This means that you want an open cell foam that is not too dense or too soft. If it is too dense the foam will still reflect sound and act more as a diffuser than an absorber. If the foam is not dense enough the sound will travel easily through the foam.

Our foam formulas have been tested for optimal sound absorption! The density and cell structure are ideal for transferring sound energy to heat energy. 

Fire Ratings

The fire ratings for acoustic foam is another important factor to consider especially if you are doing a commercial project and need to work with your local fire department. This may sound scary, but don't worry! We have you covered!

Our foam has been tested for fire safety. The acoustic foam is under Class A according to ASTM E84 testing standards. The ASTM E84 surface burning test measures two variables. The Flame Spread Index and the Smoke Developed Index. Materials in Class A will not burn or smoke much while materials in Class C will burn and smoke heavily.

Acoustic foam ASTM E84 test results:
Flame Spread Index = 25
Smoke Developed Index = 250

This means that our studio foam will smoke and smolder but will not go into flames. Once the source of fire is removed the foam will self extinguish. The fire retardancy is part of our foams formula and not just sprayed on afterwards like many cheap foams. 

Check with your local building codes before installing acoustic foam to make sure you are following all your local laws and ordinances. 

Installation Options

Acoustic foam can be installed in various ways, including adhesive mounting, hanging panels, and free-standing arrangements. Choose a foam type that aligns with your preferred installation method and the structural limitations of your space. Keep in mind that proper installation is crucial for achieving optimal acoustic results.

For full install instructions go HERE. 

Aesthetics and Design

Acoustic foam is available in various shapes, sizes, and colors. While the primary goal is sound absorption, aesthetics also play a role, especially in spaces where visual appeal matters. Consider foam panels that complement the existing decor or create a visually appealing pattern while effectively addressing your acoustic needs.

Keep in mind that the aesthetics usually do not have a significant impact on performance. The most important thing to looks at for performance are the absorption ratings which relate to the thickness of the foam. 

Room-Specific Considerations

Home Studios

In home studios, where accurate sound reproduction is crucial, choosing the right acoustic foam can greatly impact your recording and mixing quality.

Opt for foam that offers a balanced absorption of mid and high frequencies to control reflections and reverberations. Bass traps are also essential for taming low-frequency issues. Consider using diffusers to create a well-distributed sound environment, enhancing the precision of your recordings and mixes.

Home Theaters

Home theaters require acoustic foam that improves the cinematic experience by reducing echoes and enhancing sound clarity. Panels with a high NRC rating and effective mid-to-high frequency absorption are key. Pay attention to rear-wall reflections to prevent sound distortion. Combining absorption panels with diffusion panels can create an immersive audio atmosphere reminiscent of commercial cinemas. Lastly, don't forget to add bass traps to tame the low end.

Commercial Spaces

Commercial spaces, such as restaurants, offices, and conference rooms, benefit from acoustic foam that balances sound quality and aesthetics. Choose foam panels that match the design of the space while addressing issues like speech intelligibility and noise reduction. Installing acoustic foam strategically on walls and ceilings can foster a comfortable environment for communication and interaction.

Offices

In office settings, acoustic foam helps mitigate the challenges of open-concept layouts, reducing noise distractions and maintaining privacy. Consider using foam with a thicker profiles to effectively absorb sound energy. The thicker panels require less coverage in the office area. Addressing both reflection and transmission of sound is essential in offices to create a productive and comfortable work atmosphere.

Music Practice Rooms

Music practice rooms require acoustic foam that caters to musicians' unique needs. You don't wan't it to sound all jumbled and muddy when you are practicing! Opt for foam with a good thickness. Bass traps are also imperative to stop standing waves which can distort the sound in the room. Diffusers can further enhance the acoustic quality of the room, allowing musicians to practice with accurate sound representation.

Maintenance and Cleaning

Remove light dust from acoustic foam regularly. Depending on your room conditions you can expect to remove dust 1-3 times per year. Use a vacuum and gently glide over the foam to remove any dust. Make sure to use an upholstery attachment to avoid damage to the foam. A damp rag can be used to wipe the panels and remove dust. Do not use a wet rag! Make sure the rag is damp not wet.

To remove stains use isopropyl alcohol. First, get a cloth and put some isopropyl alcohol on it and then rub your acoustic foam. Then, dampen another portion of the cloth with warm water and rub over the same area to remove the smell of alcohol. Finally, dry the foam with a hair dryer.

Do not clean the foam with household or commercial cleaners! Many of these cleaners contain ingredients that will damage the foam.

Is Acoustic Foam Soundproofing?

Acoustic foam is often called &#;soundproofing foam&#; or &#;soundproof panels&#;. This is very common even among musicians and in acoustics class chats. However, acoustic foam does not soundproof. Pictures of cool studios featuring foam wedges on the wall are everywhere and add to the easy misconception that acoustic foam will soundproof. 

To treat a sound problem we often use materials that block or absorb.

Soft, light, porous and fluffy materials will ABSORB sound.

Dense, heavy and airtight materials will BLOCK sound.

Our acoustic foam is designed to lower the reverberation time in a room and dampen sound, not to block sound from going through a wall or ceiling.

For sound coming through a wall a good solution to block the noise is to add another layer of drywall with green glue in between. The added mass of more sheetrock combined with the noise blocking properties of green glue will block the sound much better than acoustic foam panels. This is the simplest fix that wouldn't require structural modification to the wall frame.

Combining Foam With Other Treatments

Acoustic foam can be combined with other acoustic treatments to get the sound you want. Acoustic diffuser panels are a popular choice to combine with acoustic foam.

Acoustic diffusers treat first reflection echoes by scattering the sound waves. This will keep more liveliness inside of your room while taking away noticeable echoes. Some people use diffusers to make a small room sound bigger, or to keep liveliness in a larger room. 

Below you can see the diffusers used on the back wall of the studio, and the acoustic foam panels complimenting the wood diffusers. 

How Much Acoustic Foam Do You Need?

Figuring out how much acoustic foam you need involves considering several factors related to your specific space and acoustic goals. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you calculate the amount of acoustic foam you'll need:
 

Measure the Room: Measure the dimensions of the room where you plan to install the acoustic foam. Measure the length, width, and height of the space. This will give you the volume of the room in cubic feet or cubic meters.

Identify Treatment Areas: Determine which surfaces need acoustic treatment. The most common areas are walls and ceilings, but you might also consider treating corners and other surfaces that could reflect sound. The reflection points are the main focus for studios.

Coverage Percentage: Decide on the percentage of wall or ceiling coverage you want to achieve. This depends on the level of sound absorption you're aiming for. For a basic level of improvement, you might cover around 20-30% of the total surface area. For more significant improvements, you could cover up to 50% or more. Light Treatment - 8-10%

Offices, Churches, School, Gymnasiums, Co-working Spaces

Normal Treatment - 15-20%

Recording Studios, Jam Rooms, Home Theaters, Broadcast/Podcast Spaces

Heavy Treatment - 25-35%

Play Rooms / Gaming Rooms, Gyms / Workout Rooms, Classrooms, Conference Room

Calculate Surface Area: Calculate the total surface area of the walls and ceilings you plan to treat. To calculate the surface area of a rectangular or square wall, multiply the height by the width. For example, if a wall is 10 feet high and 15 feet wide, the surface area is 150 square feet.

Calculate Foam Panels: Determine the size of the acoustic foam panels you intend to use. Common sizes include 1'x1', 2'x2', and 2'x4'. Calculate the area of each panel by multiplying the length by the width.

Calculate Number of Panels: Divide the total surface area of the treatment areas by the area of a single foam panel. This will give you an estimate of the number of panels needed for that surface.

Repeat for Each Surface: Repeat the calculations for each surface you're treating, such as walls and ceilings.

Consider Corners and Diffusers: If you're using bass traps for corners or diffusers for scattering sound, calculate the appropriate quantities for those as well.

Installation Plan: Plan how you'll arrange the panels for the best acoustic results. Proper placement, spacing, and distribution can significantly impact the effectiveness of the treatment.

Double-Check and Order: Double-check your calculations and possibly round up the number of panels needed to account for variations in placement and installation.

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