Soundproofing vs Sound Insulation: do you know the differences?
Very often there is a tendency to confuse soundproofing with sound insulation, but in fact they are quite different interventions both in their objectives and implementation.
Sound insulation
Soundproofing is carried out for the purpose of limiting the spread of sound, more specifically to prevent outside noise from entering and vice versa. For this purpose there are two basic elements:
- the mass, both in terms of its thickness and the quality of its materials;
- the “workmanlike” installation of sound-insulating materials.
Soundproofing is directly proportional to the thickness of the mass: a mass with limited thickness results in limited insulation. The use of quality materials plays a key role in this.
In addition, to effectively insulate a room, the entire wall surface must be hermetically sealed, otherwise sound, just as liquids do, will seek the path of least resistance to escape.
Soundproofing
What does soundproofing deal with instead?
Acoustic correction intervention using sound-absorbing panels and fabrics is used to absorb sound reflections that are generated when sound collides with a surface and returns. If the incident wave and the reflected wave overlap, they give rise to reverberation, which is the annoying background noise that occurs especially in shared environments such as offices and restaurants. Sound absorption therefore corrects the acoustics of a given environment by acting on the reflection of sound generated within the environment.
There is no need to completely cover the present walls: through the use of modern software, it is possible to “quantify” the sound-absorbing surface area required for successful intervention.
Therefore, the difference is clear!
Sound insulation is a structural intervention that must be carried out during construction or renovation.
Acoustic correction by means of soundproofing, on the other hand, can be carried out at any time, through the use of solutions with more or less impact on the already furnished environment.
We have been dealing with soundproofing for years and we very often receive requests regarding our soundproofing panels in order to isolate offices, rooms or homes from outside noise.
Sound-absorbing panels are not sound-insulating.
It is very important to always turn to professionals in the field who can analyze the problem and carry out a useful intervention for the purpose of resolution, avoiding unnecessary expense and waste of time.