Soundproofing with acoustic elements - your guide against noise
Whether at home or at work, we are surrounded by countless sources of noise or noise every day. Rest is particularly essential for our health and has a decisive influence on our well-being as well as our concentration and performance. We need rest for regeneration and to protect our hearing. Because hearing damage caused by too much noise is irreparable and subsequently leads to severe impairment.
In order to create necessary calm and isolate noise sources, targeted measures can be taken for soundproofing/ sound insulation with sound protection panels. But what does soundproofing actually mean and how does it work? We have summarised the most important facts about soundproofing for you.
Soundproofing - The acoustic separation of rooms
In room acoustics, a general distinction is made between soundproofing and acoustic treatment.
In contrast to sound-absorbing materials, which by their nature as well as a professional assembly dampen the sound and capture only certain frequency ranges, sound insulating materials absorb or block incoming sound as completely as possible. The sound level in a noisy room is primarily attenuated by sound-absorbing acoustic materials which reduce reverberation time. This improves the room acoustics. But what are the benefits and the special strengths of soundproofing materials?
Soundproofing describes the acoustic separation of two or more rooms from each other. This is the obstruction of the propagation of air and structure-borne sound. Well-designed soundproofing therefore includes all measures by which the sound propagation is interrupted or reduced.
The difference between air and structure-borne sound
Airborne sound describes the range of audible signals and therefore, above all, higher frequencies. It spreads through the air in the form of sound waves. Sound that moves through a solid body, on the other hand, is called structure-borne sound.
Structure-borne sound mainly encompasses low, bass-containing frequencies and is caused by vibrations or as soon as airborne sound hits a solid body and causes it to vibrate. We can perceive sound in the form of physical oscillations or vibrations. For example, when a heavy truck passes, you can feel vibrations in the ground. Even large machines can vibrate the ground and create vibrations without sound insulation. This can be avoided, for example, by a soundproofing mat.
Soundproofing board made of acoustic heavy foam
Acoustic heavy foam for suppression of vibrations and structure-borne sound from machines
Discover our heavyweight sound suppression for soundproofing and decoupling vibrating devices from the ground. Reduces material vibrations and noise at the source.
About the product
Depending on intensity, sound can penetrate structures more easily, before it is then emitted again as airborne sound (secondary sound), e.g. at the other end of a wall, and becomes audible. Structure-borne sound is particularly distracting especially within buildings. It travels through walls and ceilings and is thus transferred to adjacent rooms, where it becomes audible as a noise.
Soundproofing/ sound insulation with acoustic foam
In order to absorb structure-borne sound extensively and block airborne sound as far as possible, heavy insulation panels with particularly large mass and high volume are recommended. Additional weight has a positive effect on the resonance behaviour and effectiveness of an insulating panels and plays a crucial role in building renovations.
Sound absorbers made of acoustic foam have proven themselves in practice, as they have excellent properties for sound insulation as absorbers with a porous surface and prevent sound propagation. In general: The lower, i.e. bass-heavy, the frequency and the louder the sound source, the more massive the product needs to be for optimal sound insulation.
That is why we at aixFOAM offer insulation panels made of special acoustic foam with thicknesses of 50 mm to 100 mm. A profiled acoustic foam such as egg crate foam or pyramid foam or even rock wool usually does not help with noise insulation between rooms.
On the other hand, the aixFOAM acoustic foam HEAVY Duty, the aixFOAM acoustic heavy film SH0131 or a combination of both items has proven particularly successful. Together with the high-quality acoustic foams, the heavy acoustic film as a liner is the ideal connection for effective sound insulation.
Soundproofing in every area of ​​application
aixFOAM acoustic elements made of foam are suitable for soundproofing applications in a wide variety of areas in industrial acoustics and room acoustics. Soundproofing of windows, doors, ceilings and walls can provide more peace at home. Housings for machines and production systems (e.g. soundproof booths), on the other hand, are ideal for avoiding noise at the workplace. Acoustic elements made of foam are also excellent for sound insulation in shipbuilding and acoustic treatment. In sound studios, foam sound absorbers isolate the individual studios from one another and guarantee flawless audio recordings. Soundproofed practice cabins for musicians and the insulation of drums and music rooms ensure peace and a relaxed relationship with the neighbours. In many other areas, acoustic foams contribute to the targeted isolation of sound.
In order to support you in the best possible way when choosing your acoustic elements for optimal soundproofing and sound insulation, we have divided our aixFOAM shop into different application areas so that you can find the right products easily and in comfort.
Professional installation for maximum effectiveness of your soundproofing
In addition to the high-quality materials, professional installation is essential for good soundproofing, because even the best acoustic element cannot operate at its full potential without proper installation. Inadvertent sound bridges can result in the sound transmission being able to bypass the acoustic foam without hindrance thus making the soundproofing totally ineffective. For comprehensive soundproofing, you should also always have sufficient parquet or laminate underlay, e.g. impact sound insulation on the floor, pay attention to effective insulation. For a soft aisle, almost like on clouds, low-strength acoustic foam is also ideally suited as impact soundproofing.
To avoid problems with the installation of your desired soundproofing, we at aixFOAM not only support you in the selection of a suitable soundproofing material, but also with practical installation tips and plans. Our acoustic elements are designed in such a way that they can be easily assembled by laypersons using self-adhesive equipment. For example, our composite products can also be mounted on the rear of plasterboard or partition walls. As a result, although the absorber is not visible, it is still fully effective.
How far can you reduce the sound pressure level through successful soundproofing?
In general, it’s not possible to make a precise statement about how many decibels a sound pressure level can be reduced and volume can be damped. For this, all framework conditions such as frequencies, base volume, building structure, sound conductor, requirements for sound insulation, etc. must be known. Nevertheless, there are some guidelines to classify the volume of certain noise sources.
Plan soundproofing/ sound insulation correctly
We at aixFOAM have been dealing with soundproofing as a manufacturer of acoustic foam for 60 years. Our specialist consultants will be happy to pass on the experience that we have gained in our projects so that you can find the optimal product for your soundproofing project. It is important to mention that everyone reacts differently to noise, i.e. that the topic of soundproofing is always an individual problem - especially in the private sector.
We will be happy to help you with any questions about optimal sound insulation, be it air or structure-borne soundproofing. Visit our aixFOAM shop or contact our specialist consultants for free advice.
