hi,
a new yoga studio opened nearby my house. the owner would like me to remove the problem of too much reverberation in the room. i had a look and listen in this space and it is quite an issue. it even seemed too much having a quiet conversation shoulder to shoulder.
the room is 26 x 28 with a 12 foot ceiling. gyprock walls and ceiling. 2 large windows on one wall. floor is "click" wood floor. no chairs / couches / throws or even plants. very empty. very tank like.
after doing some reading it seemed a popular method was making rockwool broadband acoustic panels and so i would like to make these now if they are the best option for low cost / most effective. it would be my first time making them though the plan is to make some for my own music studio later if they are indeed the best option.
i have included a diagram of an idea.
calling places that have this material locally - i was told of 3 inch thick available and also 1.5 inch thick "semi rigid". both are approx 2 feet wide / 4 feet long and i thought to wrap them in material (frameless) and hang them somehow.
i dont know if say..2 or 3 on each wall would do it or if i need to be thinking more like every few feet. the panels come in packages of 12 so i went with that number first.
another thing to mention is that she does not want any panels below "reach" level on any wall to keep things clear for yoga so that pushes everything up towards the ceiling.
based on the situation, what do i need to consider?
I would start with around 20% (or more) coverage of walls and ceiling. Use the 3" if the owner can afford it.
One note I would make sure the fabric is flame rated. Something like Guilford of Maine is a standard to use. High-Performance Textiles - Guilford of Maine
i will suggest the 3 inch and use if the owner can afford it.
so i should be putting panels on the ceiling as well as upper walls?
and will wrapping those panels destined for the ceiling tightly prevent sagging?
For rooms with a priority for clarity of unamplified voice, having ceiling panels that are hung vertically can work great. So a 2'x4' panel would be hung with the 4' dimension horizontal. Even 2" will get it done for this app.
square footage of full walls and ceiling - 2024 sq ft
space required for 20% panel coverage of that space- 404 sq ft
available space that can be covered - 1160 sq ft
(first 8 ft off limits. Only 4 ft or 1/3 of the height is usable)
panels required to cover 404 sq ft (2' x 4' sized panels = 8sq ft) - approx 50
...seems to be far more panels than i had anticipated. its safe to say her budget will not allow this. can i use less and still tame the reverberations enough so all are happy? even half that?
you could start with a smaller number scattered around the walls and ceiling and see how it works, then if its still a problem, add more.
Pretty common for people to do this. Did a art place not all that long ago where people go and paint. The room was HORRIBLE sounding. To the point that you could not hear the instructor. They started with more like 10% coverage but after hearing the improvements it was amazing how the cost of adding more was not all the big of a deal.
so the plan at this point is roxul safe and sound 3 inch.
what about potential for sagging issues with the ceiling panels?
and the best method of making sure they stay up there?
so the plan at this point is roxul safe and sound 3 inch.
what about potential for sagging issues with the ceiling panels?
and the best method of making sure they stay up there?
thanks
The Best method would probably be using a drop ceiling type of frame for 2'x4' panels, but that would probably be pricey.
The concept is sound however, I would say to be economical build a wooden frame 3" from the ceiling and insert the roxul above the frame. Then you can cover the entire ceiling with guilford of maine (or cheaper flame ******ant fabric). <--- damn you censor!!!
I like furring strips because their cheap, but with that much weight 2x4s would probably be better. I would assume that the aesthetic is pretty important in a yoga studio.
In the OP's scenario, what would be the acoustic difference of using 1.5" over 3" in order to gain more coverage area at the same price point? (Obviously hanging materials would increase do to higher.)
Essentially, would the benefit of more absorption area offset the decrease in LF absorption of using a thinner panel?
can you measure the frequencies in the room while it's occupied? if it's primarily mid-upper range voices, then the 1.5" may be sufficient. if there is a lot of LF then you're likely to need to deeper material. scattering the absorption generally improves the overall room absorption more than limiting its placement to a few spots but that is conditional on the room use and the issues within the room...
you could start with a smaller number scattered around the walls and ceiling and see how it works, then if its still a problem, add more.
+1; there will be additional absorption taking place due to edge diffraction when the panels are spaced apart (vs multiple panels joined together forming a single, large absorber).
also on opposite parallel surfaces, stagger the absorber panels to address any flutter issues.
-leave section on first boundary blank/reflective, and apply absrober at same location on opposite parallel wall
-next section on first boundary apply absorber, and leave blank/reflective at same location on opposite parallel wall
apologies for the mspaint quickie: (2d top-down birds eye view):
great to read that folks - thanks. i will space them out appropriately. as well thanks localhost127 for diagram.
we are going to hang them tuesday. still finishing up the building of them.
went with 3 inch.
i am hoping 12 is enough for their needs. judging from the size of the room and what i heard when i visited - it wont completely tame it - but again fingers crossed it will be noticeable and enough.
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