Choosing the Best Option for your Environment
Soundproof panels are essential for controlling excess noise in your gym. If you are unsure of how to choose the right one, follow these useful tips and ideas.
If your gym gets very noisy, the floors, walls, or ceiling could be to blame. These surfaces are probably plaster, wood, glass, or tile. One of the unfortunate qualities of these materials is that they don’t absorb sound well. Instead, it bounces off them. As a result, the sounds will sustain rather than disappear. They will then quickly join with other ones. For example, think of a school gym where basketballs are bouncing, whistles are blowing, teammates are shouting, and fans are yelling. With all these noises happening simultaneously, it can quickly become overwhelming with sounds. Luckily, putting soundproof panels in your gym can greatly reduce this issue.
The Importance of Soundproofing a Gym
There are a lot of ways that noise can affect the quality of your gym. A loud gym can make your guests feel uncomfortable, hurt their ears, induce headaches, and make them stressed. As a result, they may not want to come to your gym as often.
Noisy gyms can also frustrate coaches and teachers. In a loud space, their students will struggle to hear them. The same goes for your front desk workers and guests talking to their friends. In addition, some gym members like to listen to music as they exercise. If they can’t hear this music, it may affect their routine and frustrate them.
What Are My Regulations?
Your area may have certain regulations on soundproofing panels. These can affect what you can place in your facility. For example, you may only be able to use panels with a great degree of fireproofing. Before you search for panels, research these regulations. Talk with a local expert or look them up online. Note them and make sure that the panels you choose follow them. If you don’t, you could end up wasting time and money on insufficient panels. Your local government may also issue you a fine.
What Kind of Soundproofing Do I Need?
Different types of soundproofing panels fulfill certain purposes better than others do. For example, some are better at absorbing sound. Others are better at keeping sound out of rooms.
The former will help you reduce the amount of sound in an area. The latter will stop outside sounds, such as traffic and construction, from invading a space. Both differ in the kinds of materials used to make them.
With gym soundproofing, it’s more likely that you’ll need to reduce the amount of echo in your space. Therefore, prioritize using soundproofing panels that have this ability. Panels made of plaster, foam, rubber, and other materials are all good options for this.
In addition, it’s also important to consider what’s in your gym’s environment. Factors like temperature, moisture, and so on can affect how well the soundproof panels perform. Measure these and take notes. Then, use them to help you find suitable panels.
Where Should I Put My Panels?
It’s important to choose your panels’ locations carefully. Their effectiveness doesn’t depend on how little or many you use. It depends more on where you place them. In addition, you don’t want to place panels where they are inconvenient. For example, they shouldn’t block all your mirrors, windows, and/or lights.
To find the perfect location, find out the areas that make the most noise. For example, your gym guests may drop weights loudly. You can install some panels in the weights area to reduce the noise. Does your gym have speakers that play music and sound? Consider placing panels across from them. In addition, consider placing panels over some useful features or between them. Your guests may not need that many mirrors, windows, etc. Once you’ve decided on the right locations, start choosing panel types that fit them.
What Are the Ratings of These Panels?
There are certain things you should look for in the descriptions of soundproof panels. First, the best soundproof panels will have gotten certification from a regulatory agency. With this comes the assurance that the products meet a level of quality control.
Another thing to look for is a noise reduction coefficient (NRC). This is a number from 0 to 1 that tells you how well a product absorbs sound. The closer the number is to 1, the better it is at absorbing sound. For example, an NRC of 0.90 is very good at this ability. Specifically, it takes in 90% of the sound in a space. 10% of the sound gets reflected.
Make the Search Easy
As you can see, there are a lot of factors that you need to consider. While you’re listing and checking for these, you can easily get overwhelmed. When you do, you’re likely to make poor decisions. Therefore, it’s best to not force yourself to choose your soundproof panels quickly. Go through the process slowly and with precision. This way, you should be able to choose the best panels for your gym. We are also available with ERCO specialists who can help you understand what soundproofing panel solution is best for you and your space.
