Difference Between Soundproofing and Sound Dampening

It is easy to confuse soundproofing and sound dampening as the same concept. The two concepts sound similar and are closely related, but they're no...

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It is easy to confuse soundproofing and sound dampening as the same concept. The two concepts sound similar and are closely related, but they're not the same thing. Essentially, soundproofing a room means sound can&#;t effectively penetrate the exterior walls, while sound dampening is the process by which you can reduce the vibration of an object by applying a sound-dampening material over it. Rugs, carpets, foam, and sound-dampening felt can all dampen sound and soundproof a room, though there is a lot more that goes into it, which we'll get into below.

How Does Sound Dampening Work?

Sound dampening, which is also sometimes referred to as sound deadening, happens when you remove vibration energy from a structure or system by changing the sources producing the vibration. For example, you have a concrete wall in your home, and you line it with felt. Lining the wall in your room with felt reduces the wall&#;s vibrational frequency, thereby dampening or deadening, sound within the room.

Materials vibrate differently according to their physical properties, and they have natural frequencies and vibration frequencies. A material&#;s natural frequency is how fast it vibrates when there is no outside force acting on it. Its vibrational frequency is how quickly it vibrates when an external force acts on it. 

When a material&#;s vibration frequency is equivalent to its natural frequency, it produces amplification. Amplification makes vibrations more grating and jarring while increasing their loudness. Adding materials that reduce vibration frequencies minimizes the vibration of a system and its components. Sound-dampening panels like those from Felt Right result in less harsh noise, preventing you from bothering or distracting neighbors and roommates.

A material&#;s sound-dampening ability relates directly to its NRC (noise reduction coefficient). The noise reduction coefficient measures a material&#;s &#;bounce back&#; ability. Materials with lower dampening qualities produce more bounce back, i.e. your drywall or concrete walls. Materials with higher dampening qualities make a lower bounce-back rate, which reduces unwanted vibrations and lowers sound. 

Did You Know: Felt Right tiles have a noise reduction coefficient of .35, meaning they reduce noise by 35%. As a reference, carpet laid over concrete provides an NRC of .20 - .30, and concrete by itself provides an NRC of .00 - .20. Additionally, Felt Right&#;s stylish design lets you reduce bounce back within your room while adding to its visual appeal. 

How Does Sound Absorption Work?

Sound dampening reduces materials&#; vibrations and amplification. Sound absorption explains the materials&#; ability to absorb sound waves rather than deflect them back into the room. 

When sound waves strike a surface, some pass through the surface, while others don&#;t. Harder materials with less porous surfaces produce a higher sound reflection, while softer, more porous surfaces absorb more sound. When you line harder, less absorbent surfaces with softer, more porous materials, you decrease your room&#;s echoes and, thus, its reverberating sound. 

Sound-absorbing materials help keep harsh sounds out of your home, such as: 

• Heavy machinery 

• Engines 

• Power tools 

• Generators 

How Does Soundproofing Work? 

Soundproofing refers to blocking sound with insulator materials that stop sounds from entering or leaving a room. These materials are solid and heavy because they must be dense enough to physically block sound and keep it in an enclosed space. 

Soundproofing materials need to be installed inside walls because they need to create a sound barrier between two rooms. Creating a complete separation between the walls prevents sound from leaving one room and entering the other. 

Because they need to be installed inside walls, and the materials are dense and cumbersome, they are not ideal for general noise reduction. You shouldn&#;t need to knock out walls to reduce the noise inside your apartment. 

The downside of soundproofing is that it requires a complex procedure to accomplish, making it unattainable for everyone except professionals. For example, in recording studios, engineers may have to construct metal frameworks with multiple plasterboard layers to soundproof a wall and prevent noise from escaping the room. 

Sound-Dampening Benefits of Acoustic Paneling 

There are many benefits to sound-dampening panels, including easy installation processes, increased privacy, and a more comfortable environment for better entertainment. 

Easy Installation

Felt Right&#;s acoustic panels combine creativity and functionality in one flawless design. Our &#;My Studio&#; page allows the user to customize their felt acoustic paneling to their desire, improving your room&#;s acoustic properties without the hassle of invasive installation techniques. 

Increased Privacy 

Whether you like to entertain, are working remotely, or have loud roommates, you might not like the thought of your neighbors eavesdropping on your conversations or complaining about the noise you make within the privacy of your home. 

We all enjoy privacy, and Felt Right&#;s acoustic paneling ensures you never have to share what happens inside your home again. Echoes within your house or apartment might carry conversations over to your neighbors or make your entertainment system seem louder than it is. Acoustic deadening materials absorb your voices and entertainment so you can preserve your home&#;s privacy. 

More Comfort

Comfort typically implies physical relaxation on the couch or a bed. Felt Right&#;s acoustic damping material won&#;t provide you with the same type of comfort as your bed, but it will undoubtedly create a more peaceful environment for your ears and mental state. 

When focusing on work, the last thing you want to deal with is hearing your neighbor&#;s loud conversation or their music. Felt Right&#;s noise reduction wall panels reduce unwanted noise, so you don&#;t feel irritated or distracted. 

Better Entertainment 

You shouldn&#;t have to invest thousands of dollars into your home entertainment system to enjoy its capabilities. With the correct Felt Right acoustic paneling, you can get the most out of your entertainment system. You won&#;t need surround sound to hear every word of dialogue and feel immersed in the cinematic experience. 

The Benefits of Using Felt as a Sound Dampening/Sound Absorbing Material 

Mostly comprised of wool, felt is produced by pressing and matting fibers together. It is a very durable and stable material in response to moisture, greases, salts, detergents, and other chemicals. Additionally, its millions of fibers make it exceptionally resilient. 

Felt is an ideal option for sound absorption because its millions of fibers create frictional energy that dissipates sound energy. Felt also has a high density and elasticity, which further demonstrates its effectiveness at reducing sound. 

The Different Applications of Soundproofing Vs. Sound Dampening

Choosing how to approach your noise reduction solution depends on your situation. Soundproofing can be the only realistic solution if you&#;re a musician who needs complete sound isolation. Aside from musicians, YouTubers, streamers, and voice-over actors are other professions where sound integrity is non-negotiable. 

On the other hand, soundproofing methods can be invasive and expensive, often requiring steep construction budgets that significantly change your home. Sound-dampening materials accomplish noise reduction on a scalable basis, allowing you to fully customize your designs without compromising your bank account or personal taste.

Create Your Customized Felt Right Sound Dampening Design Today

Felt Right&#;s felt wall tiles aren&#;t only useful for sound dampening and noise reduction because your felt panels can give you a new creative outlet while eliminating noise from your neighbors. Plus, your felt pin board can act as a more durable, more attractive bulletin board, allowing you to strategize while reducing unwanted sounds. Visit our My Design page today to start constructing your sound-dampening acoustic design. 

Is felt really the miracle material for soundproofing your noisy spaces as some claim?

The short answer is no &#; felt actually fails as an effective sound barrier despite its popularity.

Let&#;s dive in to understand exactly why felt doesn&#;t work for soundproofing and explore better alternatives.

Why Felt Is Not An Ideal Material For Soundproofing

No felt is not good for soundproofing.

Felt lacks the mass and density needed to effectively block sound transmission.

On its own, felt is too thin to prevent noise from passing through. The porous, fibrous structure of felt makes the material ineffective at impeding vibrations.

Felt has gaps and pores that allow sound waves to easily pass through. For these reasons, felt should be avoided as a primary soundproofing material.

Ideal soundproofing materials share attributes like density, mass, rigidity, and thickness that are lacking in porous felt.

Density describes the compactness of a material&#;s molecules. Denser substances have tighter molecular structures that do not compress as easily. This makes them more effective at blocking noise vibrations.

Mass correlates strongly with noise reduction because heavier materials literally weigh down on sound waves. Mass measurably impedes vibration transfer.

Greater mass also reflects more of the noise energy back rather than letting it pass through. This is why heavyweight concrete can achieve an STC rating over 50, while felt scores nearly 0.

Rigid materials with little flexibility also outperform felt for soundproofing. If a substance can vibrate freely and bend, it will inevitably allow some noise energy to transmit.

Walls sheathed in multiple layers of drywall resist vibration far better than thin felt. The stiffness reflects sound rather than absorbing any vibrations from noise.

Thickness plays an important role too, as thicker materials provide more opportunity to impede sound waves passing through.

But density and mass have a far greater impact, as even a thick layer of felt cannot match a thin sheet of MLV for blocking noise.

Prioritizing density and mass over raw thickness will lead to better noise reduction.

Understanding these physical properties provides guidance for selecting ideal soundproofing materials. Felt lacks the density, mass, rigidity, and thickness required to isolate noise.

That is why acoustic engineers never rely on felt alone for proper sound isolation.

Advanced soundproofing calls for materials engineered like MLV to achieve lab-tested noise reduction that porous felt simply cannot deliver.

Why Felt Fails For Soundproofing

When used alone, felt does not have the physical attributes needed to achieve proper sound isolation.

Felt on walls or ceilings will not prevent noise flanking, which is when sound travels around containment through paths of least resistance.

Flanking is a major issue that renders attempted soundproofing ineffective. Felt allows flanking by leaving gaps wherever it does not fully cover a surface.

The thin and light nature of felt also means it is unable to achieve meaningful STC (Sound Transmission Class) or NRC (Noise Reduction Coefficient) ratings.

These scientific ratings measure a material&#;s effectiveness at blocking airborne sound and absorbing noise, respectively.

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Quality soundproofing materials can reach STC ratings in the 50s or 60s, while felt would achieve an extremely low STC rating indicating poor sound blocking.

Whether the noise source is footsteps above, voices next door, or loud appliances, felt does nothing to provide a true barrier.

The sound waves easily pass through the thin fibers, vibrating the material with little impedance. Felt lacks the mass and rigidity required to reflect noise.

Only denser materials can effectively stop impact and airborne noise transmission.

While felt may absorb some high frequency sounds to a minor degree, its porous structure prevents it from sound isolation.

The many pores and gaps allow noises to flank around the material. If the goal is blocking sound rather than muffling echo, felt will utterly fail to achieve adequate soundproofing.

1. Felt Fibers Are Too Thin And Porous To Block Sound

The naturally porous structure of felt makes it unsuitable for preventing noise transfer. The individual fibers that comprise felt are thin and feature many tiny gaps between them.

This gives felt an airy, flexible texture that lends itself well to crafts and insulation. However, those same traits mean felt cannot impede sound waves.

Felt&#;s porousness lets noise easily penetrate the material rather than reflecting off its surface. Testing has shown that felt offers almost no resistance to the transmission of sound energy.

Without sufficient mass or density, the fibers and gaps simply vibrate and allow noise to pass unimpeded regardless of felt&#;s thickness.

Whether made from wool, synthetic blends, or recycled materials, all felt shares this porous quality that renders it ineffective at blocking sound.

Noise caused by voices, footsteps, mechanical equipment, and more can penetrate felt as if it were barely there.

Even just a single layer of drywall outperforms felt for soundproofing thanks to greater density.

At best, standard felt may absorb small amounts of high frequency noise like echo and reverberation. But any meaningful soundproofing requires blocking lower frequencies too.

Heavier footsteps and raised voices generate low-end noise that bypasses thin felt completely.

Only materials formulated specifically for noise control, like MLV, have a chance at absorbing low-frequency sounds.

For these reasons, contractors and acoustical engineers never rely on felt as a component in soundproofed assemblies.

The fundamental weakness of felt for impedance and noise blocking means it plays no beneficial role in proper sound isolation.

The fibers and porous nature enable flanking while failing to achieve meaningful sound transmission reduction.

2. Felt Does Not Prevent Flanking Noise Like Real Soundproofing

One notorious weakness of felt as a soundproofing material is its inability to prevent flanking noise transmission.

Flanking occurs when noise travels around a blockade through gaps and weak points in the structure. Even if felt covers a ceiling or wall, it does nothing to stop flanking through adjoining areas.

Highly porous materials like felt enable flanking because they are so easily penetrated. Unblocked flanking paths provide an easy route for sound waves to circumvent an attempted sound barrier.

Noise will naturally take any open side passages around an obstacle. So if felt leaves structural gaps unfilled, it fails to achieve isolation.

Effective flanking prevention relies on comprehensive coverage and sealing of potential sound leakage points.

Acoustical caulk, sealants, and gaskets must be applied around outlets, windows, vents and any gaps. Felt lacks the density and rigidity to thoroughly plug these flanking opportunities.

Stopping flanking necessitates blocking all vibrations through the surrounding structure.

Only lab certified assemblies of multiple blocking, sealing, and absorbing layers can achieve meaningful flanking noise reduction.

No single material alone, especially light fibrous felt, stands a chance at preventing flanking.

Proven techniques like staggered studs, double drywall, insulation, MLV, and isolation clips work unison to seal flanking paths. Felt in isolation is no match for persistent sound waves.

In summary, porous materials like felt enable continued noise disruption through inevitable flanking pathways in a building.

True acoustical isolation requires the combination of blocking, absorbing, and sealing materials to cut off all sound leakage.

As an airy, porous substance, felt fails to meet these stringent requirements for flanking prevention that proper soundproofing demands.

3. Voices And Footsteps Easily Penetrate Thin Felt

Two common sources of disruptive noise in homes and offices are voices and footsteps. Unfortunately, the thin and porous nature of felt renders it useless for blocking noise from voices or foot traffic.

Human speech and walking impact noises easily bypass thin felt with no appreciable reduction in volume.

The wide range of audible frequencies in human speech can penetrate felt as if it were not even present. Even loud voices coming through walls can overwhelm flimsy felt insulation.

Without sufficient density to dampen and isolate vibrations, felt allows spoken words to transmit with clarity.

Footstep impact noise is also barely impeded by thin felt coverings. The felt fibers and gaps flex with each stomp or heel strike, allowing the energy to freely pass through.

Hard surfaces coupled with felt will do little to muffle noise from kids running overhead or the stomping of hard-heeled shoes.

Advanced soundproofing materials like MLV are specially engineered to dampen a wide range of noise frequencies.

Membranes containing dense minerals and polymers can significantly reduce the transmission of voices, footsteps, and other common annoyances.

Multiple noise blocking and absorbing layers work in combination to cut ambient noise passing through.

But as a single thin layer, options like basic felt provide no meaningful resistance against the vibrations and frequencies within human voices or footsteps.

Heavy walking and loud talking can easily overpower the limited noise absorption capabilities of porous, flexible felt. Proven sound isolation requires durable materials with density, not flimsy fibers alone.

4. HVAC Systems And Appliances Require Dense Materials, Not Porous Felt

Another use case where felt fails for soundproofing is around noisy appliances, HVAC systems, and mechanical equipment.

Whether it&#;s a rattling furnace, loud fan, or vibrating washer, felt will not adequately dampen and isolate this equipment noise. Materials with proven density are required for a noticeable difference.

HVAC systems and ducts transmit noise throughout a structure, especially when the vibration of airflow causes sheet metal to rattle.

Lining ducts with felt may muffle some high pitches, but deeper fan and airflow rumbling easily penetrate the thin insulation. MLV or dense rubber lining works better for blocking duct noise.

Home appliances also generate problematic vibration and noise spanning a wide frequency range. Felt wrapped around a washer, dryer, or refrigerator will hardly muffle the sounds enough for comfort.

The appliance&#;s vibrations will flex and pass through the felt, especially lower frequencies. Layered MLV, plywood, and insulation make a superior noise barrier.

For any mechanical room, equipment coverings require substance to prevent noise flanking. Felt loosely draped over a motor or generator provides no isolation against structure-borne vibration and flanking noise.

Effective circulation fans, turbines, and compressors benefit from rigid acoustic covers, not flimsy porous felt alone.

What Are The Alternatives To Felt For Soundproofing?

An option for adding mass to walls and ceilings is using flexible soundproofing foam or batt insulation made from mineral wool or fiberglass.

These are thicker and denser than felt, thus much more effective at impeding noise. The material can be cut to fit inside wall cavities, attics, and floor joists.

Combining insulation with MLV creates an effective noise barrier.

Resilient channels are metal runners that can be installed perpendicular across studs or joists before drywall. This decouples the drywall from the framing, allowing it to vibrate independently.

Sound transmission is reduced as the channels dampen vibrations in the wall assembly. Multiple layers of drywall screwed into the channels adds even more mass.

For maximum noise control, a staggered stud partition system can be constructed. This involves double rows of staggered wall studs with insulation between them.

By separating the studs and eliminating any direct contact between interior and exterior wall surfaces, noise transfer is drastically minimized.

Staggered stud walls represent the gold standard in soundproofing assemblies.

Whether applied to existing construction or new builds, these soundproofing techniques all come down to establishing barriers with the density and mass that felt lacks.

Any gaps or joints must be thoroughly sealed with acoustical caulk and foam to prevent flanking.

Combined, these materials create lab-tested, proven noise control far beyond the capabilities of felt alone.

Conclusion

In conclusion, felt is simply not an effective material for proper soundproofing.

Its porous structure allows noise to easily penetrate, flank around, and transmit through the thin fibers. Solid sound isolation requires density, mass, rigidity, and thickness that felt lacks.

While felt can muffle echo, true acoustic separation depends on purpose-engineered materials like MLV, staggered stud walls, double drywall, and sealed insulation.

For guaranteed noise reduction, rely on lab tested assemblies, not flimsy DIY felt alone.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of acoustic slats. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.