Acoustic Foam: Flat or Profiled?

Posted by Thomas Shaw on December 16th, 2021

In relation to picking the acoustic foam most effective suited to your soundproofing needs, an important consideration is regardless of whether to use a flat, plain-faced foam or even a profiled one. As we are going to see below, you will find benefits and drawbacks to every. Get more information and facts about ??? ??????

What frequency?



One with the primary differences involving plain-faced and profiled foams is how they treat diverse frequencies. Low-frequency waves are longer and stronger, and as a result demand a thicker, far more robust foam. Plain-faced foam hasn\'t had any of the actual foam removed, and as such their absorbing qualities are a lot greater than their profiled counterparts. Accordingly flat, plain-faced foam is much better suited to soaking up low frequencies.



Consider of acoustic foam like a sponge and sound waves like water; a larger sponge will absorb more water!



Alternatively, sound waves incident at shallow angles and mid- to high-frequency waves have a tendency to \'glance off\' plain-faced foams, which means the sound isn\'t absorbed but only reflected. The right placement of your acoustic foam can mitigate this effect, although a profiled foam will help to catch and trap those pesky shallow-angle and high-frequency waves.



Beware of a typical myth that pervades when picking a profiled acoustic foam; there\'s no distinction in soundproofing performance amongst pyramid and wedge-shaped profiles!



What room?



We\'ve had a look at frequency of acoustic waves you wish to treat. The space you need to soundproof may also impact which sort of foam is finest suited to your requirements.



As mentioned above, the proper placement of acoustic foam can help to mitigate shallow-angle waves \'glancing off\' your foam and becoming reflected about the room. The natural acoustics of the room have to also be thought of. If the all-natural acoustics are fairly very good, you could want to plump to get a profiled acoustic foam, using it to tighten up the treatment of mid to high frequencies and fine tune the room\'s acoustic response, while you\'ll also require a solution to take care of those extended, strong bass notes.



On the other hand when the organic acoustics of your room are quite bad, a plain-faced foam will give you that further bit of muscle to effectively handle the treatment and absorption of incident acoustic waves for the preferred soundproofing impact. Assume once more of your sponge; a thicker sponge absorbs more water!



So which foam?



When it comes to cosmetics, some people prefer profiled foam as opposed to the blank, homogeneous plain-faced option. However, when it comes to performance, the very best solution is likely a mix of both plain-faced and profiled acoustic foams. With advice on installation from an knowledgeable soundproofing experienced, you\'ll be able to fine tune your solution using a mix of flat, plain-faced and profiled foams to cope with a variety of frequencies for several different applications.