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How Industrial Noise Curtains Reduce Ambient Noise

In commercial and industrial environments, most interior structures are not built with room acoustics in mind – this is where

industrial noise curtains

can help! In a warehouse or in an office setting, there are different types of sound reducing options available – acoustic sound barrier curtains are one way to help control noise levels and echo.

Noise Reduction Simplified

Sound does not pass through surfaces and/or structures, but rather “activates” a building. The building itself actually transmits sound waves as energy, which moves through the building’s structure. Sound-absorptive batting that is built into the industrial noise curtains converts this energy to heat. The acoustically-rated membrane, which is also built into the curtain, will assist in dramatically reducing the sound from the source.

Consider the analogy of light passing through a window. A light curtain with low-density material will not block all of the light. There needs to be a material that is more solid in nature to effectively block the light. The same is true with sound. Although sound insulation will help with the absorption of a sound wave, it needs a higher-density acoustic sound barrier membrane within the industrial curtain in order to drastically reduce noise.

Warehouse acoustic curtains or industrial sound curtain walls typically use staggered mounting patterns and proper edge sealing to dramatically improve the effectiveness of the sound barrier curtain.

Sound Absorption & Reflective Surfaces in a Warehouse

The absorption of sound is especially challenging when dealing with work areas that have a number of reflective surfaces. Reflective surfaces can be made of metal, glass, granite, cement, cinder block, or other smooth, hard surface materials. In warehouses and other industrial settings, this would be anything from the cement walls, concrete floors, corrugated aluminum ceilings, and steel trusses.

Sound waves, especially the hard-to-block low frequency waves, bounce off these surfaces easily. This is why having the proper acoustic curtain system, in any type of setting with a great number of reflective surfaces, is important. Since warehouses are known for large scale, open areas, the chance for reverberated noise / sound to travel and reflect are much higher than in other settings. An effective industrial sound barrier, whether they are curtain walls or baffles, can cut down and/or can redirect many of these sound wave reflections.

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Absorbing Sound from Reflecting Surfaces in an Office

In a more “polished,” office setting, this would include glass windows, metal walls or structures, or floor tiles and/or hardwood floors. Most offices are more intimate, with management and other personnel working in separate workspaces in a larger office area. With people in a more confined space, a greater level of noise reduction is required. Industrial noise curtains soften the everyday office noise that may disrupt the workflow. An ideal solution is the following: install ceiling baffles and/or acoustic wall panels, which provide additional sound reduction along with industrial grade noise curtains. The sound waves will be effectively reduced using the baffles and panels, cutting down the echo. These products would be used in addition to the sound curtains, which will help to reduce noise in areas of the office that require a high degree of concentration, in meetings rooms and in other areas that require a more sound restrictive environment.

Noise Reduction & Large Work Areas

Most large work areas require noise reduction to a certain extent. This can be dependent on the decibel level of noise, the type of noise source, the distance from the source, whether it has a high or low frequency, and the number of reflective surfaces which are present. Sometimes, an office setting can have a “loft feel,” in which there are exposed structures and ductwork. In sports venues (such as a pool facility), water, tiles, open air, walls and ceilingscan all create an excessive amount of reverberant noise. In music venues, the absorption of sound and the proper acoustics are necessary to optimize the sound quality of the music played. Using acoustical curtains in the workplace makes the environment safer for employees and helps to control excess noise that can come from equipment, crowds that gather in large spaces and reverberated noise from all that activity. Find out how you can customize your space for noise reduction with retractable sound curtains, enclosures, ceiling baffles and/or wall panels.

There will always be a need for areas to improve sound attenuation using acoustic sound barriers or industrial noise dividers in the workplace. Contact AmCraft today about your project!