Acoustics Case Study

Bert's Bottle Shop has an open ceiling design that ownership decided to keep because they liked the industrial look. The hard surfaces, together with the large space, created excessive sound reverberation which contributed to uncomfortable noise levels.

Acoustical measurements showed the average reverberation time in the space was 1.4 seconds. Industry recommendations for a bar/restaurant are 0.8 to 1.0 seconds.

Alberto Flores, owner of the shop stated, “It was really loud and echoey. We might only have a small group of customers in the space, but it would sound like it was completely full. And, it would tend to get increasingly worse as patrons started talking even louder to be heard over the noise level, all of which compounded the problem.”

Designed specifically for exposed structure spaces, INVISACOUSTICS ceiling panels from Armstrong Ceilings were installed. The panels have a Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC) of 0.75, meaning they absorb 75% of the sound that strikes them. Measuring 2' x 4' in size, the fine-textured panels attach directly to the existing structure, allowing them to provide acoustical absorption while virtually disappearing into the ceiling.

Acoustical measurements taken after the addition of the INVISACOUSTICS panels validated the improvement. The average reverberation time dropped to 0.9 seconds – a reduction of 36%, and now within industry recommendations.

“It was noticeably quieter right away. It made the space feel more solid and less like a tin box. The panels blend in so well, they look like they have always been there rather than being a simple retrofit.”

“It was noticeably quieter right away. It made the space feel more solid and less like a tin box. The panels blend in so well, they look like they have always been there rather than being a simple retrofit.”