In a room with empty hard surfaces the sound will bounce and create a noisy environment due to the sound reflection. We’ve all experienced a day when we feel tired after spending hours in a noisy environment, and some of us also end up with headache. Spending a lot of time in this type of environment will eventually lead to stress, health issues and less productivity.
Curtains and shades help the sound climate
A room is subjectively perceived as acoustically pleasant, when good sound quality is guaranteed, and no disturbing reverberation effects occur. This is achieved by adding materials preventing the sound reflection from happening. One of these materials is a sound absorbing and acoustic curtain – designed with the purpose to increase the sound climate and reduce sound reflection in a room.
Worth mentioning is that a folded curtain has even better sound absorption, compared to a plain curtain in the same material.
Sound absorption factor: alpha
Often, the primary task of a sound absorbing fabric, is not to reflect the sound but to absorb it. Sound absorption factor is called alpha (α) and varies between 0 and 1, where a higher number means better absorption (less reflection). An alpha value of 0,6 means that 60% of the sound has been absorbed and 40% of the sound energy is reflected (not absorbed).
Luxaflex® assortment with a measured alpha value
It is well known that textiles like curtains and rugs helps reducing the reverberation and absorb sound. The Luxaflex® assortment has a wide range of products that absorbs sound including specific designed curtains and fabrics with the purpose to create a better sound climate. These acoustic fabrics have a measured alpha value in common.
Curtains
Roller blinds
Vertical blinds
Duette® shades