Function
First let’s consider the purpose of your room, as different types of space need very different amounts of reverberation. Read more about how reverberation works.
In a classroom, it might make it difficult to communicate clearly. In this case, lots of acoustic panels would have a positive impact on the people who use the space.
Size
The volume of your room (length x width x height) has a major influence on its acoustics. The further apart the surfaces are, the longer the reverberation time will be, as the sound has to travel further to bounce from one to the other.
Shape
Depending on the dimensions, two rooms with the same volume can have different wall surface areas. This is especially true of spaces that aren’t simple cubes, but have walls and ceilings at varying heights.
This means it’s important to consider the shape of your space as well as the size. For spaces with complex shapes, seek advice from an acoustician about how many panels you’ll need.
Materials
The materials within a room can make the difference between lots of reverberation and hardly any at all. It’s all about how well the surfaces absorb sound, which is why a carpet shop sounds very different to a school hall.
If you have lots of hard, reflective surfaces like bare walls and wood flooring, you’ll need more acoustic panels to prevent sound from bouncing off and reverberating. If you don’t want to fill your space with soft furnishings, acoustic panels are a simple, stylish and effective way to absorb unwanted sound.Calculating how many panels you need
As a general rule we would suggest between 20-40% of wall space is covered with Akusto One on adjacent walls, if you are looking for Solo ceiling panels place them above high volume areas.
For example a small office unfurnished (3.7m x 6.3m x 3.5m) had a reverberation time of 1.9 RT without any acoustic panels being installed. On installing 4x Solo™ Square 1200mm or 14 Akusto™ One 600mm products the space met average office standards of 0.7 RT.
Before:
After installing Akusto™ One 600mm:
After installing 4x Solo™ Square 1200mm:
If you’re looking for precise performance information, we recommend you contact a qualified acoustician. They can give you detailed advice based on an assessment of your space, and will tell you exactly how many panels you’ll need. The ANC or IOA are a good place to start.
Explore our shop to find the right panels for you. See our installation guides and videos for step-by-step instructions on how to install your panels, or get in touch if you have any questions.