Sound Blocking Vs Sound Absorption - The Difference Will Make Or Break Your Soundproofing Experience
Anyone who's experienced unwanted or uncontrolled sound in a home, apartment, business, school, or theater environment knows how annoying it can be.
But uncontrolled sound can do more than grate on your nerves; some noises can actually damage your hearing.
High-intensity and high-frequency sounds, are the most dangerous to your ears because of the number and force of the sound waves being transmitted.
Even a small increase or decrease in the decibel level has a significant impact on how you hear the sound; a difference as small as 3 decibels is significant because a small increase or decrease in decibel level makes a substantial difference in how listeners perceive the sound.
An increase of only 10 decibels actually makes a sound seem twice as loud to the ear--a 100-percent increase.
What can a person do to control sound? Deciding among the hundreds of sound-control products on the market isn't easy but if you examine the products, you'll see that they're basically divided into two distinct categories: sound absorption and blocking.
Sound absorption, as the term suggests, involves the use of material to absorb the sound waves and prevent them from causing distortion such as echoes or reverberation.
A big, empty room offers virtually no sound absorption, as there's nothing to stop the waves from reflecting off the bare walls.
But add carpet, upholstered furniture, and heavy drapes, and you'll notice some improvement.
The more fibrous a material is, the better it absorbs sound, so bolstering the decorative materials with some acoustical panels or another product specifically designed to absorb sound will improve the sound environment even more.
Sound blocking involves stopping sound waves from passing into areas where they aren't wanted.
For instance, you may be tired of hearing your neighbor's music or the sound of the traffic from the nearby highway.
To stop sounds like these from traveling through walls, ceilings, and floors, you need to add MASS, this generally means building thicker walls and suspended floors and ceilings with heavier materials.
Yes, soundproofing is a complicated process.
Various sound frequencies produce different energies and need to be dealt with in slightly different ways.
But uncontrolled sound can do more than grate on your nerves; some noises can actually damage your hearing.
High-intensity and high-frequency sounds, are the most dangerous to your ears because of the number and force of the sound waves being transmitted.
Even a small increase or decrease in the decibel level has a significant impact on how you hear the sound; a difference as small as 3 decibels is significant because a small increase or decrease in decibel level makes a substantial difference in how listeners perceive the sound.
An increase of only 10 decibels actually makes a sound seem twice as loud to the ear--a 100-percent increase.
What can a person do to control sound? Deciding among the hundreds of sound-control products on the market isn't easy but if you examine the products, you'll see that they're basically divided into two distinct categories: sound absorption and blocking.
Sound absorption, as the term suggests, involves the use of material to absorb the sound waves and prevent them from causing distortion such as echoes or reverberation.
A big, empty room offers virtually no sound absorption, as there's nothing to stop the waves from reflecting off the bare walls.
But add carpet, upholstered furniture, and heavy drapes, and you'll notice some improvement.
The more fibrous a material is, the better it absorbs sound, so bolstering the decorative materials with some acoustical panels or another product specifically designed to absorb sound will improve the sound environment even more.
Sound blocking involves stopping sound waves from passing into areas where they aren't wanted.
For instance, you may be tired of hearing your neighbor's music or the sound of the traffic from the nearby highway.
To stop sounds like these from traveling through walls, ceilings, and floors, you need to add MASS, this generally means building thicker walls and suspended floors and ceilings with heavier materials.
Yes, soundproofing is a complicated process.
Various sound frequencies produce different energies and need to be dealt with in slightly different ways.
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