These Building Materials Can Block Out Noise
Just by using the right materials and surface finishes, you can control the sound coming into (and out of) your home!
All materials have their own acoustical properties. Some have the ability to transmit, reflect, or absorb sound when sound waves strike them. While some surfaces or wall finishes are too flat and hard, and tend to just reflect sound—like an echo valley. With this in mind, it is important for a room (most especially bedrooms and TV/entertainment rooms) to be soundproofed in order to cancel outside noise, and to prevent other sources of noise from coming in. Using sound-absorbing materials in your home will control this. Below is the list of products that will surely do the trick!
Acoustic ceiling tile
This type of material can usually be seen used in ceilings of schools and office buildings, where people trying to concentrate would be distracted by the sound of others in adjacent rooms. Acoustic tiles make the surface softer, which deadens the echo and reverberation that a hard surface would otherwise produce. It can also be installed in different ways, such as hung from a suspended grid system on the ceiling, affixed directly to an existing ceiling, and can even be fastened to the surface of a wall. You can find acoustic tiles at major home depots.Â
Carpet or carpet floor tiles
Be it on the floor or walls, carpet or carpet tiles absorb sound waves effectively, and can deflect them with the added help of the padding under the carpet—the thicker the carpet pad, the more enhanced its sound absorption capabilities. Although this material is full-proof in sound absorption, it can also be problematic in terms of being prone to dust build-up and allergy aggravation.
Carpet Tile, price available upon request, Wilcon Depot
Cork sheets
Cork is a great choice for sound reduction—more than just "dampening" the sound, it successfully absorbs it. Recording studios use this material on their walls to produce clear soundtracks without background or outside noise. The reason why cork is great in absorbing sound is because of its porous structure. Rather than bounce or reflect the sound around, sound waves sink into the material and are broken up.
JT-1005 CORK SHEET 900MM x 600MM x 4MM, P1,240, Wilcon Depot
Thermacoustic Wall Insulation
SCG has developed a product that is specially designed to enhance acoustic insulation performance and thermal resistance. It is designed for wall systems in residential buildings, office spaces, shopping malls, and other commercial buildings. It is suitable for assembly within a brick or concrete wall, curtain wall, dry wall and partition—wall surfaces that are notorious for being "noisy." Its lightweight, uniform, and high stiffness will be stable in wall cavity which provide a quick and easy installation.
Thermacoustic Wall Insulation, price available upon request, SCGÂ
Zandera Acoustic Wall Panel
Zandera Acoustic Panel is another product by SCG; a non-combustible glass-wool super rigid board, laminated with white glass tissue, and with edges coated in a special polymeric substance. What’s also great about this acoustic panel is that there are various choices for its decorative cloth wrap that can suit to your liking.
Zandera Acoustic Panel, price available upon request, SCG
RL Tip: If you are low on budget or would rather DIY it, you can use foam or egg trays as sound-absorbing surfaces, and fasten them onto your walls. These two products may be cheap, but can really get the job done in absorbing sound waves because of their concave form and spongy and porous structure—they act like cork and carpet.
