These 16 sound products offer innovative ways to get the most out of a project's acoustical performance.
1. Decoustics Clean-Air Claro
CertainTeed Ceilings
This customizable acoustical panel features the aesthetic of drywall in an acoustically transparent stipple-textured design with NRC values of up to 0.9. The panels are pre-curved and engineered to attain a wide range of shapes and sizes while achieving a 94% light reflectance value. They can be matched to any paint chip to meet specific design requirements.
2. Móz Metal
Móz Designs
This perforated metal system can be used in interiors or exteriors to create surfaces, partition spaces, enhance privacy, or diffuse light, air, and sound. The economical system has a high strength-to-weight ratio and captures bold colors with a polished material quality. A variety of perforation styles, shapes, colors, and grains are available, as are fully customized over-sized panels and thicker-gauge material. Standard size: 4x10 feet.
3. Flexi-panel
Extech
This translucent ceiling panel system is functional, stylish, and makes a bold statement by elegantly diffusing room lighting. Available in a variety of finishes and translucencies, as well as fully customizable, the system provides a soft-touch aesthetic for interior spaces. Its “easy hinge” feature provides fast access to the ceiling area above the panels. Clips are available in several finishes and can be installed to produce vertical curves.
4. SoundScapes Blades
Armstrong Ceiling & Wall Solutions
A new direct-attach option simplifies the installation of these linear acoustical panels. The blades can be attached directly to decks, ceilings, and walls, including drywall and metal surfaces. The direct-attach option requires no main beams or cross tees, and is ideal for spaces with limited ceiling height or those with exposed structure spaces. Offered in 20 lengths, depths, and shapes.
5. Classic Ultra
Icynene
This new line of open-cell spray foam insulation features improved cohesion and eliminates the need for hand paddle mixing prior to application, speeding the application process. The formulation enhancements see cohesion properties improve by as much as 90% compared to traditional spray foam. The low-VOC foam holds a Greenguard Gold certification. Contractors can start spraying with drum temperatures as low as 60 F.
6. EchoPanel Balance
Kirei
Modular acoustic tiles come in three sizes and nine colors, offering numerous design options. Peel and stick the panels on any smooth surface for acoustic control in noise-sensitive spaces, such as workplaces, retail stores, and schools. The tiles are made from recycled PET materials and qualify for sustainability certifications. Two thicknesses: 12mm and 24mm for added sound absorption.
7. Living Hinge Collection
Smith & Fong
This new line of flexible acoustical panels is made from carved bamboo plywood. Utilizing CNC technology, the panels can bend around corners to provide visual continuity and sound-reducing performance for non-standard interior walls. The CNC-enabled flexible hinge allows the rigid bamboo plywood to flex into a 24-inch radius. Available in a variety of colors, the panels offer an NRC of up to 0.7.
8. Heartfelt
Hunter Douglas
The world’s first modular felt ceiling system, HeartFelt is a linear ceiling that creates a warm ambience, offers solid acoustic control, and is sustainable by design, says the maker. The panels are made of non-woven thermoformed polyester fibers, are 100% recyclable, and are Cradle to Cradle Certified. Each panel is box shaped and easily clicks into the carrier system. The dust- and dirt-resistant felt is available in five shades of grey.
9. Balance and Whisperwave
pinta acoustic
The new PlayCore and Dero office in Minneapolis has an open-plan, industrial-chic design with indoor bicycle parking and a climbing wall in the reception area. To absorb sound within the space, architect Mohagen Hansen specified Balance and Whisperwave ceiling clouds. The ceiling clouds were suspended over the reception desk and the breakroom to absorb sound reverberating off the hard surfaces.
10. FOAM-LOK 2000-4G
Lapolla
This insulation is the first product globally to use Honeywell’s next-generation blowing agent, which offers enhancements toward eliminating the product’s depletion of ozone and reducing its global warming effects. The spray applied insulation can improve R values by up to 10% over older systems and offers improved yield. The closed-cell system is manufactured, in part, using post-consumer recycled plastic water bottles.
11. Linwood System
Architectural Surfaces
Available in three styles of solid-wood or real-wood veneer-faced products, this ceiling system creates a rich, warm aesthetic for a variety of interior spaces, including hotel lobbies, civic buildings, and airports. Recycled cotton acoustical backer can be installed to provide sound absorption. Modules are available in standard four- or six-inch widths and can be custom ordered up to eight inches wide.
12. Plenum Barrier
Rockfon
Engineered to improve sound isolation and privacy between rooms in commercial interiors, this plenum board can help Building Teams comply with more stringent sound isolation requirements. When combined with the company’s Rockfon ceiling systems, the boards can achieve high sound isolation—tested up to STC 52—between adjacent rooms without the need for bulkheads above demountable partitions or full-height walls.
13. MODIO
K.R. Moeller
Developed to address the leading guestroom complaint in hotels—noise—this sound masking device covers up intruding noises, or reduces their disruptive impact, by minimizing the amount of change between volume peaks and the guestroom’s baseline background sound level. The device creates a sound similar to soft airflow. It mounts to the back of any flat-screen TV using standard VESA brackets, to furniture, or the wall.
14. Quiet-Tech
CarpetCycle
This insulation is made from post-consumer carpet. It is 90% recycled material and does not contain any inhalable airborne material unsafe for a working environment, according to the maker. Quiet-Tech has a nine-point STC improvement and a NRC rating of 0.95. It fulfills all requirements for UL GreenGuard Gold certification for low-chemical emissions, does not require adhesive use, and contains no VOCs or Red List-banned chemicals.
15. Thermafiber
Owens Corning
This line of mineral wool insulation products has earned the Safety Act Designation, retroactive to January 1, 2006, from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The designation means that the use of these products will provide building owners and AEC professionals with liability protection in the event of an act of terrorism on their structure. It restricts liability where qualified anti-terrorism technologies, or QATTs, have been used.
16. Snowsound Fiber Textile
Snowsound USA
Sound-absorbing textiles can be used for window/roller shades, curtains, partitions, sheers, draperies, upholstery, and canopies, to provide acoustic control for almost any interior environment. The fabric can achieve an NRC up to 1.0, depending on the fiber type and installation. Available in 41 texture/color combinations and six patented microscopic weave geometries, each offering a distinct tactile experience.
