Sound absorption – reduces echo and reverberation in rooms in school environments
A balanced and pleasant sound environment for both work and everyday life
Rooms with hard surfaces and limited soft materials often experience echo and long reverberation. Sound bounces between walls, ceilings, and floors, causing conversations to blend together and the sound level to be perceived as higher than it actually is. This affects comfort, concentration, and communication. Sound absorption is the most effective measure for reducing echo in a room and creating a more controlled and pleasant sound environment, whether in work environments or private spaces.
What is sound absorption?
Sound absorption means that sound waves are captured by porous materials and converted into heat energy, which reduces reflections in the room. This is clearly different from sound insulation, which stops sound between different rooms, and vibration damping, which reduces vibrations and structure-borne noise that spreads through the building's structure. Sound absorption is therefore used to improve the acoustics in the space where the sound already exists.
Common problems with echo and reverberation
Echo and long reverberation often occur in open-plan offices, meeting rooms, dining rooms, sports halls, and other large spaces. Conversations become difficult to follow, background noise is amplified, and the sound environment is perceived as chaotic. In environments where many people are present at the same time, this can quickly lead to stress and impaired function in the room.
How sound-absorbing solutions work
Sound-absorbing products are placed on surfaces where sound reflections are strongest. When sound waves hit the absorbent material, they are slowed down, which shortens the reverberation time and creates a clearer and more pleasant sound image.
Sound absorption on walls
Wall absorbers reduce reflections at ear level and improve speech intelligibility in rooms where conversation is central.
Sound absorption on ceilings
Ceiling absorbers are often the most effective basic measure in larger rooms and premises with high ceilings.
Sound-absorbing curtains
Curtains dampen reflections from glass surfaces and serve as a flexible and aesthetic complement.
Sound-absorbing room dividers and table screens
Room dividers and table screens create both screening and effective sound absorption in open environments.
Why choose sound absorption?
Sound absorption provides an immediate improvement to the sound environment without any intervention in the building. The measure is flexible, scalable, and easy to adapt to the size and use of the room. The result is noticeable in the form of better speech intelligibility, lower perceived sound levels, and increased comfort. For more complex sound problems, sound absorption can be combined with sound insulation or vibration damping.
Well-considered advice for best results
For best effect, sound absorption should be distributed over several surfaces in the room. A common mistake is to use too few absorbers or to place them incorrectly. Smaller rooms can be improved with strategic measures, while larger spaces often require a combination of ceiling, wall, and freestanding solutions. Evenly distributed sound absorption provides a long-term, comfortable sound environment.
Sound absorption is therefore a fundamental measure for reducing echo in a room and creating better acoustics in both professional and private environments.