Soundproofing a gym is one of the most popular acoustic treatments performed in the noise control industry. Gymnasium space is defined by hard reflective surfaces that combine to produce unwelcome levels of background noise called echo. From metal roof decks to wooden floors, block walls and glass windows, drywall and brick facing, these standard surfaces found in a gym absorb less than 5% of the noise in the room. The balance of the noise continues to reflect its way through the space, causing the unwelcome spike in decibel level exposure. The end result is that the gym space becomes less than user friendly. From gym class to sporting events, musicals to guest speakers, whatever the gym is used for is compromised in quality due to poor hearing conditions. The answer to better acoustics for soundproofing a gym is easy.
A simple set of sound panels, either wall or ceiling mounted, scattered evenly throughout the expanse of the gym will combine to capture the echoes and render the gym space more user friendly. Up to 80% of the echoes in a gym can be caught and captured by these sound absorbing acoustic panels. The wall mounted panels also called as fabric wrapped panels, they are decorative and durable, easy to self install, colorful and class A fire rated. Clients anchor them mechanically to the upper 1/3 of the walls around the perimeter of the gym, and the sound wave reflections in the space collapse as the acoustics in the gym return to premium sound quality.
Because so many gym soundproofing treatments start with a metal roof deck with exposed joists, an even more popular treatment is a set of sound baffles to be suspended vertically form the ceiling. These baffles tuck neatly between the runs of exposed joists, and are also decorative, durable, easy to self install, colorful, waterproof, fire rated and combine to produce the same sound reduction in a gym space as do the wall sound panels.