With COVID-19 sweeping across the United States, the need for social distancing in schools and other educational institutions has become increasingly important. Many school administrators are looking for ways to ensure that their students maintain proper social distancing. Since space is limited and there might not be enough resources to expand their infrastructure, using gymnasiums as temporary classrooms becomes a viable option. If you are planning to do this, here is what you need to know about the use of acoustic panels to create conducive classrooms.
Managing Sound
Using ordinary portioning panels might be cheaper but it will lead to subpar classrooms where noise from adjacent classrooms will interfere with learning. You can easily solve this problem through the use of acoustic panels. Acoustic or soundproof panels are designed to dampen soundwaves and ensure that ambient noise does not filter through and disrupt learning. Acoustic panels do this by eliminating or reducing reverberation which is typically caused by sound waves bouncing off walls and other surfaces.
Soundproofing Gymnasiums
Gymnasiums are typically constructed to ensure that sound does not move out of the gymnasium into other spaces within the school. However, internally, there is little need to control sound within the gymnasium and so few sound-mitigating measures are taken. In order to use the gymnasium as temporary classrooms, internal acoustics must also be well-managed. This means changing not just the partitions but also taking sound dampening measures for the ceiling and other surfaces within the gymnasium.
Acoustic panels not only eliminate sound from outside but also help improve the acoustic qualities within the space itself. This improves the quality of learning as students and teachers can communicate clearly and effectively.
How Long It Takes
When you source decorative, acoustic materials from the right supplier, you need not worry about the quality of the acoustic panels. Suppliers such as Materials Inc. will help you understand the STC ratings of the acoustic panels that you need to use. STC ratings refer to the ratings that are used to measure the ability of building materials to conduct soundwaves. Generally speaking, acoustic panels of higher STC ratings can cancel out most of the sound coming from outside. For example, acoustic panels of STC rating above 60 will generally be considered soundproof. The installation process does not take long and largely depends on the design of the gymnasium. Your contractor should be able to give you an accurate timeline after the initial assessment of the partitioning process.
As your contractor will probably advise, the approach that you use will depend on how long you intend to use the gymnasium as a temporary learning area. Acoustic panels are very versatile and are remarkably easy to install and remove.
At Materials Inc., we have a variety of building materials that come with different STC ratings for you to choose from. Our high-quality doors, wood panels, and decorative veneers are top class and designed to give your school or business a splendid look. Get in touch with us today for a quote.