Hotel Soundproofing

Your guests likely do not want to hear other guests sneezing, coughing or even whispering in the middle of the night — or in the middle of the day. Walls that seem to be made of paper lead to angry guests and bad reviews. If you want to make your guests feel transported to a luxury resort, even on a budget, you can drastically increase their comfort with soundproof walls.

To soundproof the walls in your hotel, you generally need to add mass, air space or both, and seal the perimeters. Here are steps you can take to soundproof hotel walls:

• Increase wall thickness: Generally, the denser the wall, the harder it is for noise to get through. That’s why concrete walls are better at reducing noise transmission than wood walls even if they are the same width. According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), doubling the thickness of a wall can reduce sound by as much as 6 decibels (dB). This can make a big difference as the intensity of sound grows extremely fast. To increase wall mass, you can add more insulation to the wall cavities, or add a second layer of drywall to the existing wall and install a soundproofing material like mass loaded vinyl (MLV) or Green Glue between drywall layers.
• Add resilient channels: Resilient channels, or metal beams, keep the drywall from the studs and reduce structural vibration and noise. Resilient channels also enhance the soundproofing capabilities of other materials. Resilient channels must be applied before drywall is installed.
• Install sound-absorbing materials: Besides adding soundproofing materials to the insides of walls, you can also reduce noise transmission and reverberation by mounting materials like acoustic panels to finished walls. Acoustic panels soak up sound waves and keep them from bouncing around the room. You can even choose colorful and attractive fabric-wrapped acoustic panels to match the decor.
• Seal cracks and edges: Make sure to seal up any holes or cracks in the walls or around the edges using an acoustical sound sealant. Even the smallest hole in a wall can sabotage your soundproofing efforts.

Windows are one of the weakest points of a wall and can defeat the purpose of having a soundproof wall. Here are ways to soundproof windows in your hotel, which can make a huge difference in noise control:

• Install laminated glass windows: Laminated glass windows contain an extra layer of plastic that serves as a
  barrier between the two glass sheets. Laminated glass windows offer better soundproofing capabilities than tempered glass windows.
• Seal windows: No matter what type of glass you have, make sure to close up any gaps around the windows with an acoustic sealant or thick insulation tape like Quiet Barrier® Tape.
• Treat nearby walls: Install acoustic panels on walls surrounding the windows to improve overall soundproofing in the room.
• Install thicker windows: If sealed windows do not sufficiently block noise, consider installing windows with thicker glass, and don’t forget to choose laminated glass. Make sure to seal the newly installed windows as well. You can also install two sets of windows, or double-glazed windows, with a large air space between them.
• Hang heavy curtains: Once your windows are sealed, hang noise-blocking curtains to further soundproof your windows and help guests feel more comfortable.

If your hotel has carpeting in the room, you’re already halfway there when it comes to floor soundproofing. Carpeting is a great material for cushioning impact noise and footfall, but sometimes it’s not always enough to create the sanctuary your guests expect.

To soundproof a floor, you can install a concrete slab or a floating floor. A floating floor consists of wood or concrete placed over the structural slab. Although a floating floor is a highly effective soundproofing solution, it’s also costly. Your best option for cost-effective floor soundproofing is to install a soundproofing flooring underlayment. An underlayment will go between the carpet and the floor to effectively block unwanted noise.

Drop ceilings are usually sufficient at effectively reducing noise, but if you still have noise issues or have drywall ceilings, you may need to take steps to soundproof the ceiling. Here are ways to soundproof the ceiling, because your guests don’t need to know there’s a dance troupe lodging above them:

• Add an underlayment to the floor above: You can soundproof the ceiling by soundproofing the floor above. Why not accomplish two goals at once?
• Fill in the ceiling space: A single layer of drywall is not very good at blocking sound. If you have a drywall ceiling, you can fill in the ceiling space with a soundproofing material such as mineral wool.
• Add another layer of drywall: You can also add another layer of drywall with Green Glue or MLV in between layers.
• Add resilient channels: Consider adding resilient channels and insulation underneath drywall to eliminate vibrations and effectively reduce noise transmission.
• Seal the perimeter: Make sure to seal the ceiling perimeter with acoustical caulk after you soundproof the ceiling.

If you want to soundproof your hotel floors and reduce impact noise, consider PROFLEX™ 90. PROFLEX™ 90 is a soundproofing flooring underlayment that goes between the floor covering and the subfloor. Composed of a specially formulated rubberized membrane, PROFLEX™ 90 is a strong material that bridges cracks and eliminates noise transfer. It also provides excellent impact insulation, so hotel guests can dance to their favorite tunes without disturbing guests below. With its simple peel-and-stick application, you can install PROFLEX™ 90 underneath tile, stone and hardwood floors.

If you need to increase wall thickness and block noise transmission between rooms, you need a powerful sound blocker like Quiet Barrier® HD Soundproofing Material. This 1/4-inch-thick high-density material is a specially designed MLV product. With Quiet Barrier® HD Soundproofing Material, you’ll be able to block sound transfer between hotel rooms and improve the acoustics within the room. You can nail Quiet Barrier® HD Soundproofing Material directly to the wall studs, or apply Quiet Barrier® to existing drywall. This extremely versatile material can also be used to soundproof the floors and ceilings.

Acoustic panels enhance the sound quality of a hotel room by absorbing sound waves, and they can fit seamlessly in with the decor. At Soundproofcow.com, we offer a range of acoustic panels to suit your style and soundproofing needs. Here are some of our options:

• Art Acoustic Panels: Art Acoustic Panels improve sound quality and reduce reverberations while adding elegance to a room. Our Art Acoustic Panels are made-to-order, so you get to choose the fabric color and design. Featuring a sound-absorbing mineral wool core and soft fabric covering, these panels add beauty and peace to a room. If you’d like the option to switch things up once in a while, consider our ADAPT™ Acoustical Treatments. These acoustical “skins” offer soundproofing that evolves with your style or season.
• Echo Absorber™ Acoustic Cotton Panels: Our Echo Absorber™ Acoustic Cotton Panels are made of 80% recycled cotton. These panels offer flexibility and cost-effectiveness. You can install Echo Absorber™ inside walls as a sound-insulating material, or where you need soundproofing in oddly shaped places. Echo Absorber™ Acoustic Cotton Panels are eco-friendly, Class A fire-rated, and resistant to mold and mildew, so you can feel good about the soundproofing materials in your hotel.
• Fabric-Wrapped Acoustic Panels: Our Udderly Quiet™ Acoustic Panels are our standard fabric-wrapped acoustic panels. You can easily mount these all-purpose panels to walls or ceilings, and they’re made-to-order to fit your requirements. They’re available in a range of sizes and colors and will help muffle conversations in hotel rooms and improve speech intelligibility.

Do the rooms in your hotel have high ceilings? Are you looking to soundproof large open spaces in your hotel, like conference rooms or banquet halls? Hanging baffles are perfect for reducing echos and reverberations in large open spaces. Hanging baffles are acoustic panels that suspend from the ceiling by chains and hooks. They also come in handy if you need to improve sound quality and reduce reverberations in a room with limited wall space. We offer easy-to-install Udderly Quiet™ Acoustic Baffles and Echo Absorber™ Hanging Baffles to meet your budget and material preferences.