Questions & answers
Acoustic panel questions, answered directly
Complete, honest answers to the questions people ask most — including the one that matters most: acoustic panels absorb sound within a room, they do not soundproof it.
Acoustic panels: the basics
What are acoustic wood panels?
Acoustic wood panels are decorative wall and ceiling panels that combine a timber face — usually slats or fluting — with a porous absorbent backing such as acoustic felt or mineral wool. The timber gives the look; the backing does the acoustic work, soaking up sound so a room echoes less. They are a finish that also absorbs, used to make hard, reverberant rooms calmer and easier to hear in.
Do acoustic panels actually work?
Yes, for what they are designed to do: absorbing sound within a room to shorten its reverberation and cut echo, so speech is clearer and the space feels less harsh. How much they help depends on the room, how much absorptive area you add, and the panel's tested absorption. They do not stop sound passing to another room — that is a different problem — but for in-room echo they genuinely work.
How do acoustic panels work?
Sound passes between and around the timber slats into a porous layer behind them, where the moving air loses energy to friction and is converted to a tiny amount of heat instead of reflecting back. Adding this absorption raises a room's total absorption (the term A in Sabine's equation, RT = 0.161 × V / A), which shortens the reverberation time and reduces echo and loudness.
What is the difference between acoustic panels and acoustic foam?
Both absorb sound, but wooden acoustic panels pair a durable, decorative timber face with a defined absorbent backing, so they suit finished, public-facing rooms and are published against a test report. Acoustic foam is cheaper and light but looks utilitarian, marks easily and its performance varies. The right choice depends on appearance, durability and whether you need tested, specifiable data for the finished build-up.
What is an acoustic slat wall panel?
A slat wall panel is a common wooden acoustic panel: evenly spaced timber slats mounted on an acoustic felt backing, usually on a board. The gaps let sound reach the absorbent felt while the slats give a warm, linear timber finish. It works as a feature wall and an absorber at once, which is why it is popular in offices, receptions and homes.
Absorption vs soundproofing
Do acoustic panels soundproof a room?
No. Acoustic panels absorb sound within a room to reduce reverberation and echo; they do not soundproof it. Soundproofing means stopping sound passing between rooms, which depends on the mass and construction of the walls, floors and doors — not on an absorptive finish. Panels make a room sound better to the people in it; they will not keep sound in or noise out.
Will acoustic panels stop noise from my neighbours?
No. Noise coming through a wall, floor or ceiling from a neighbour is a sound-insulation problem, solved by mass and construction — heavier or decoupled structure — not by adding absorption to your side of the wall. Acoustic panels reduce echo inside your own room; they do not block sound travelling between spaces. If neighbour noise is the issue, panels are not the answer.
What is the difference between absorption and soundproofing?
Absorption reduces sound bouncing around inside a room — the echo and reverberation you hear in the same space — and is what acoustic panels provide. Soundproofing, or sound insulation, stops sound passing between rooms and depends on mass and construction. They solve different problems: absorption improves how a room sounds to its occupants; insulation stops a room being heard next door. One does not deliver the other.
Do acoustic panels reduce echo?
Yes — reducing echo is exactly what they do. By adding absorptive surfaces, panels shorten a room's reverberation time, so the reflections that smear speech and build up loudness die away faster. Treating the first surfaces sound strikes, and spreading absorption across walls and ceiling, controls both general reverberation and the rapid flutter echo of parallel hard surfaces.
Can acoustic panels give me privacy in an open-plan office?
Only partly. Absorption lowers the overall noise build-up and reverberation, which helps comfort and reduces the distance over which speech distracts. But it does not give true speech privacy on its own: the fuller answer combines absorption with screens or layout and, sometimes, sound masking — the "absorb, block, cover" approach. Panels are one honest part of that, not the whole solution.
Choosing and sizing
How many acoustic panels do I need?
There is no fixed number — it follows from the room's volume and how much absorption it already has. Work out the extra absorption needed to reach a target reverberation time, divide by the panel's tested absorption to get an area, then by a panel's coverage to get a count. Our room-designer tool does this from your room and your panel's tested αw.
How thick should acoustic panels be?
For speech-range absorption — offices, classrooms, most rooms — a typical slat panel on felt is usually enough. Greater depth, and an air gap behind the panel, mainly helps at lower frequencies, so a room with a bass problem needs more depth than most people expect. The right thickness follows from the frequencies you need to control and the tested data for that build-up.
Where should I place acoustic panels?
Treat the first reflection points first — the wall and ceiling spots where sound bounces from the source to the listener — and break up parallel hard surfaces that cause flutter echo. Spreading absorption across several surfaces works better than loading one wall. Where walls are glazed or in use, the ceiling does the work. Placement decides how much a given number of panels achieves.
Should acoustic panels go on the walls or the ceiling?
Both can work; the best split depends on the room. The ceiling is often the largest uninterrupted surface and faces the hard floor, so it is efficient — especially where walls are glazed or crowded. Walls handle the reflections that travel at ear height between people. Spreading treatment across walls and ceiling generally beats loading either one alone.
Do I need an acoustician?
For a comfortable office, café or home room, sizing absorption against the volume and using tested panel data is usually enough. For a regulated or acoustically critical space — a BB93 classroom, a healthcare setting, a performance room — the compliant route is a qualified acoustician modelling the space against measured data. Panels are a tool that helps meet a target; they are not automatic compliance.
Performance and standards
What is αw, and how is it different from NRC?
αw (the weighted sound absorption coefficient) is a single-number rating from 0 to 1 for how much sound a surface absorbs, defined in BS EN ISO 11654 in steps of 0.05 and weighted toward the speech range. NRC is a similar single number used in North America, the average of absorption at 250, 500, 1000 and 2000 Hz. They are close but calculated differently, so they are not interchangeable.
What are the sound absorption classes A to E?
BS EN ISO 11654 groups αw into classes: Class A is αw 0.90–1.00 (the most absorptive), Class B 0.80–0.85, Class C 0.60–0.75, Class D 0.30–0.55 and Class E 0.15–0.25. A higher class absorbs more sound. The class always belongs to a specific tested build-up at a stated mounting — it is a property of the product's test report, not a claim you can assume.
Are wooden acoustic panels a fire risk?
Timber is combustible, and its behaviour in a fire is graded by Euroclass (BS EN 13501-1). Untreated timber typically achieves around Class D; reaching a higher class such as B-s1,d0 generally needs a fire-retardant treatment or specific construction, evidenced by a test report. Where a lining must meet a set class — escape routes, public buildings — choose a fire-rated panel proven against a report. Reaction to fire is not the same as fire resistance.
What reverberation time should a room have?
The right target follows from the room's use: speech spaces want a short reverberation for clarity, while music and multipurpose rooms want a longer, more "live" response. New-build classrooms in England, for example, are held to about 0.6 seconds mid-frequency under Building Bulletin 93, and BS 8233 describes good practice for buildings generally. Broadly, shorter reverberation means clearer speech and longer means a livelier room.
How is a panel's absorption tested?
Absorption is measured in a laboratory reverberation room to ISO 354, which gives the absorption coefficient across frequency bands. Those results are condensed into the single-number αw under BS EN ISO 11654. Because the mounting and any air gap change the result, a tested figure only applies to the exact build-up and mounting tested — which is why panel performance is quoted against its own test report.
Buying, finishes and installing
How much do acoustic panels cost?
It varies with the panel type, size, backing, timber and finish, and whether you fit them yourself or have them installed, so there is no single price. Rather than quote a figure we can't stand behind, we price against your actual specification — send us your room or project and we will quote it. Ordering a sample first lets you check the finish before committing.
Can you paint acoustic panels?
You can, but it is usually a mistake acoustically: paint can bridge and seal the porous felt and slat gaps that do the absorbing, reducing performance. The timber is normally chosen as a finished surface, and most ranges offer a choice of factory finishes, so you rarely need to paint. If a colour change is essential, keep paint off the absorbent felt.
How are acoustic slat panels installed?
Slat panels are a dry, mechanical fix — screwed or clipped to battens or a solid substrate, not glued alone for a large panel, which is heavy. Plan the layout so whole slats fall at sightlines, and set out any cuts, sockets and fixings before fitting. Where a fire class matters, follow the tested mounting. It is a straightforward install, but planning the setting-out saves cutting finished panels later.
Can you cut acoustic slat panels?
Yes. Slat panels can be cut to length and trimmed around sockets, switches and corners with a fine-tooth saw — cutting the backing between slats and trimming individual slats as needed. Seal or edge a cut edge for a clean finish, and measure so that whole slats stay at the most visible lines. Planning the cuts before you start keeps the finished wall tidy.
How do you clean wooden acoustic panels?
For routine care, dust the slats with a soft brush or a vacuum brush attachment along the grain, and wipe the timber with a barely damp cloth. Avoid soaking the felt backing, which is porous, and avoid harsh solvents on a finished timber face. A timber-faced slat panel is more robust and wipeable than open foam, which is one reason it suits busy, public rooms.
Where panels are used, and sustainability
Are acoustic panels good for offices?
Yes — improving office acoustics is one of the everyday reasons to use them. Hard, open-plan interiors build up reverberation and speech noise that tire people and hurt concentration; adding absorption on ceilings and walls shortens the reverberation and lowers the background build-up. Panels won't give full speech privacy alone — that needs absorption plus screens and sometimes masking — but they address the acoustic comfort side.
Do acoustic panels help in classrooms?
They help control reverberation, which is central to speech intelligibility for pupils. New-build classrooms in England are held to about 0.6 seconds mid-frequency under Building Bulletin 93, a limit met by adding sound absorption. Because it is regulated, the compliant route is an acoustician modelling the room against measured data; panels are a tool that helps reach the target, not automatic compliance.
Do acoustic panels help on video calls and in home offices?
Yes, within your own room. A bare, hard room makes your microphone pick up reverberation, so you sound distant and echoey to others. Absorbing the reflections near your desk gives the mic a closer, clearer signal. It improves how you sound and how clear the room is — it does not stop household noise leaking in or out, which is a separate insulation problem.
Are acoustic wood panels sustainable?
They can be, and the evidence is the certification, not the marketing. Timber from responsibly managed forests carries FSC (or equivalent) chain-of-custody certification; recycled-content PET felt backings are common. Ask for the specific certificates for the product you are buying rather than taking a general "eco" claim on trust. We publish sustainability credentials against documentation, not as an unbacked claim.
How long do acoustic panels last?
A timber slat panel on a felt backing is a long-life interior finish in normal indoor use. What shortens it is UV fade on the timber, damp or moisture, and physical knocks; routine care extends it. Warranty terms are specific to the manufacturer, so check the figure for the product you buy rather than assuming one. At end of life, timber and PET felt are recyclable.