Decorative Home Soundproofing – Residential Acoustic Panels

Reducing noise disturbances in your home or business is important, but you shouldn’t have to sacrifice style for quiet. Read on for decorative soundproofing products that are still visually appealing while efficiently getting rid of your sound problems.

As always, we advise that you research the source of your noise problem. Learn how to diagnose issues to Soundproof your Bedroom, or isolate Sound Leaks. If your noise issue is due to footfall upstairs, then soundproofing the window won’t help. Likewise, if it’s traffic noise or noisy neighbors, then acoustic panels won’t do the trick.

Decorative Soundproofing Materials

Most soundproofing materials can be made into something that is functional as well as decorative. For example, soundproof curtains look nice on the outside but they are lined with mass loaded vinyl, a common soundproofing material. Also, acoustic absorption panels on their own are bright yellow usually but those can be fabric wrapped to match a room.

Residential Acoustic Absorption Panels

Absorption panels trap and contain sound waves, reducing echo and reverberation to eliminate background noise. Absorption panels can be offered in a variety of fabric colors, and can even be finished with your own custom art. In some cases, the fabric can be custom matched to the wall color so the panels aren’t as noticeable. There are also options for different panel sizes depending on the size of the room our how the customer prefer it looks.

Acoustic wall panels can be used in residential and commercial projects alike. There are plenty of purchasing options for residential acoustic panels, and they’ll perform just as well as those used in commercial and hospitality settings because they’re made using the same materials. There are plenty of options to make the panels in your home both functional and decorative:

1. Color Customization: There’s an endless amount of fabric colors available, so you can match the current décor in your house
2. Residential Acoustic Art Panels: Art printing is another option we’ll explain below, but you can basically have any photo of your choice “printed” on the panel fabric
3. Layout Design: As long as you keep your panels spread out equally, you can customize the panel layout to make the panels decorative, and even use multiple fabric colors to create a pattern in the layout
4. Specialty Panel Edges: Acoustic Panels don’t have to be square, they’re also available with rounded or beveled edges, both of which look much nicer (aesthetically) than a squared edge

For large acoustic art panels, Commercial suppliers may have additional options. These are printed on acoustically-transparent fabric via a process known as “dye sublimation”. The art fabric is then wrapped on acoustic panels to ensure the panel keeps its absorptive properties.

Note: Acoustic Panels are effective at absorbing echo and reverberation, but will not improve the sound-blocking of a wall assembly. If you want to block sound, you’ll need to invest in material that has an STC rating, such as mass loaded vinyl.

Decorative Soundproof Curtains

Our AcousticCurtain™ is a soundproof curtain that blocks outside noise, deflecting sound waves so that they don’t enter your space. We offer fabrics in a variety of colors and patterns, or you can even send in your own canvas cotton fabric. You can also choose the strap color, hook color, height, and width of the curtain to perfectly match any room design.

Or, if you choose to purchase an AcoustiTrac™, you have the option of adding a decorative valence to cover the track of the curtain. Many customers choose this option because the track is easier to use and they look more like normal home curtains. Part of our goal with selling soundproof curtains has always been allowing customers to soundproof their homes without sacrificing style.

The AcoustiDoor™ – Aesthetic Sound Panel

If you have a problem with sound transferring between rooms, soundproofing the door can be an effective solution. The AcoustiDoor™ is a sound blocking panel that hangs over the door to reduce noise leaking between rooms and can be easily retracted at any time. Each one we make is handcrafted and customized to your specifications. You get to choose the fabric color, strap color, and exact door size.

Acoustical Wallpaper or Paint

There is ongoing debate on the effectiveness of acoustic wallpaper and paint. While these may have sufficient NRC to absorb echo (similar to the panels above), they often do not significantly improve soundproofing performance.

The OverWall Noise Blokker is installed over already existing walls to reduce noise. It is effective on walls with high-gauge steel studs, when adding mass will improve the STC of the wall. It is much less effective on walls with wood studs.

For best results, products such as Mass Loaded Vinyl or Wall Blokker can be used underneath another set of thin drywall to increase the wall’s STC rating. Using this method, no one would ever know that you had soundproofing materials installed around your home.

Decorative Soundproofing Methods

Decorative soundproofing can be just as effective as normal soundproofing methods. The only difference is that the soundproofing materials are covered with something such as nice or printed fabric that doesn’t disrupt the material’s function. A lot of people prefer products that are functional as well as stylish, which is what our company hopes to provide them with.

By using the right acoustic products to soundproof your home, or absorb unwanted echo, you may provide an decorative finish while also addressing your sound issues.