Reducing Noise in High-Traffic Areas with Acoustic Wall Art

Key Takeaways

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  Acoustic wall art absorbs sound waves with a high Noise Reduction Coefficient of up to 0.9 to prevent echoes caused by hard surfaces like concrete.
• Install panels on the wall directly opposite the noise source rather than behind it to effectively catch and stop projected sound waves.
• Mount art at eye level to target human speech and maintain roughly 12 inches of space between each panel for optimal performance.
• Reducing noise levels in high-traffic areas minimizes guest stress and prevents visitors from forming a negative mental impression of your business.
• Panels offer full customization options that allow businesses to display brand colors, logos, or photography while serving a functional purpose.

High-traffic areas are some of the most popular locations in your business; otherwise, they wouldn’t be high-traffic. Whether people pass through on their way to other destinations or congregate while waiting for a service, these areas should be comfortable for guests. Acoustic wall art is one way to achieve this, offering both an aesthetic upgrade to your high-traffic spaces and a functional option for reducing echoes and background noise.

To maximize the benefits of acoustic wall art, it is essential for your business to understand how the panels function, where and how to place them, and what they can contribute to a specific area. By pairing strategically placed panels with a business’s aesthetic identity, it is possible to create a space that upgrades visitors’ experiences and keeps your company top of mind long after they depart.

How Acoustic Wall Art Reduces Noise

All noise travels through the air as sound waves. When these waves hit a flat surface, they can bounce off and travel in a different direction (or even back in the direction from which they came). Because of this, many rooms struggle to maintain a comfortable noise level, as sound waves constantly rebound off surfaces and back into the space where people are congregating. Acoustic wall art addresses this issue by creating surfaces that prevent sound waves from reflecting. Any surface in a room can be measured by its NRC, or Noise Reduction Coefficient, on a scale of 0 to 1.

While concrete only typically reaches 0.05 (almost no ability to stop sound waves), acoustic wall art can achieve scores at the higher end of the range, often from .8 to .9. This means that the panel absorbs the majority of the sound, capturing it and preventing it from returning to your guests’ ears. The extent to which an acoustic art panel minimizes noise depends on several factors, including its thickness, the material from which it is made, its location, size, and others. Most wall art is anywhere from half an inch to two inches thick.

How to Get the Most Out of Your Wall Art

If you plan to install acoustic art in your space, doing so the right way will help you achieve the best possible performance from the products you choose. The main considerations are:

• Location: Place acoustic wall art panels opposite sources of noise. If people congregate in an entryway facing into the building, panels on the opposing wall can stop their conversations from echoing into the hallway. Do not place panels behind or facing in the same direction as the source of the noise, or they will do little to catch the sound waves projected into the room.
• Height: Most acoustic panels should be placed at about eye level. This captures most human speech, which is generally the largest source of unwanted noise pollution. However, in some instances, panels could be placed at other heights based on the source of a cumbersome noise.
• Spacing: While it may seem logical to leave no wall surface exposed to reduce sound reverberation, acoustic art panels work best when placed around 12 inches apart. If they must be closer, avoid having them touch directly; approximately three inches is the absolute minimum for the best results.

Why Invest in Acoustic Wall Art?

Acoustic wall art can substantially mitigate unwanted noise in your business. This matters because studies show that people who spend time in loud environments, especially those whose noise level makes them annoyed, are more likely to form a poor mental impression of that space. They are also at an increased risk of stress reactions and mood changes, none of which are good for a business. Investing in guest comfort can yield significant benefits. At the same time, acoustic wall art is highly customizable.

One of its greatest advantages is that it can be made to suit your business’s distinctive identity, from displaying your core values to faithfully recreating important logos, photos, designs, and more. The surface of the wall art is custom-created to make a bold statement on your brand’s identity. Because of this, you can confidently install acoustic art, knowing that it will serve a functional purpose while beautifying your space.

Get Custom Acoustic Wall Art for Your Business

Acoustic wall art is a subtle yet highly effective way to enhance your business environment, particularly in high-traffic areas where noise can become a problem. The professionals at Tree Towns can help you properly size your acoustic panels so you get the thickness, material, size, and design you need to achieve your goals. Contact Tree Towns to share your situation and get started on a custom solution.

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