Key takeaways for Using Soundproof Room Dividers:

• Soundproof room dividers are an effective solution to separate a large space into two or more separate spaces while blocking sound from transferring through.
  
• To be effective, the soundproofing material installed in a room divider should be dense and should have an airtight seal.
  
• Soundproof room dividers are not true soundproof walls and can only provide modest sound reduction goals of 10 to 20 decibels.
  
• Quiet Quilt Barrier Blanket is a durable, long-lasting solution for soundproof dividers in warehouses, manufacturing environments, and other applications.

Soundproof room dividers are great for seperating a large space into two oe more separate space while blocking sound from transferring through. If you pick the right material that both blocks and absorbs airborne noise, it will work great as a soundproof room divider as long as installed correctly.

What makes a Good Soundproof ROom Divider

Whether you’re shop class or a business, the sound from your loud machinery can be disruptive to other operations. A sound blocking room divider will take a bite out of that airborne noise. Airborne noise is just what it sounds like — the sound that travels through the air (think: voices, radio, etc.) The other type of noise is structural noise, which travels through solids as a result of two objects coming in contact with each other (think: footsteps or vibrations from machinery) If you’re interested in learning more about types of noise and solutions to control unwanted noise, check out our comprehensive guide on soundproofing.

Soundproof room dividers create a barrier to stop airborne noise. In order to effectively block airborne noise, the soundproofing material you install needs to do two things:

1. 1. Add Density. A dense material blocks substantially more sound than a lightweight one. We often recommend MLV, and you may be wondering what is mass loaded vinyl. Mass loaded vinyl is a very dense sound blocking vinyl material that will block airborne noise, but acoustic foam won’t actually block any sound. Thin materials like fabric curtains (often used as room dividers) are great for creating a visual divider, but they won’t block airborne noise because they simply don’t have enough density
   2. Airtight seal. No matter how dense your soundproof room divider is, if it isn’t sealed around the edges, noise will leak through. Think of it like a swimming pool — any small gap in the pool will allow the water to leak out. The same is true with soundproof barriers — if there is a gap between your barrier and the wall, you will never be able to completely soundproof the space.

With a soundproof room divider, you won’t be getting a true soundproof wall. The sound reduction goal should be more modest (10 to at most 20 decibels). For a room divider, we think of them more like a soundproof fence than a true soundproof wall. The same principles that work for fences apply to them – as airtight as possible and 150-200% taller than the noise source with optimal placement to maximize your soundproofing. Contact us if you want to discuss your specific project!

Another thing to note with soundproof room dividers is that they’re useful for organizing a space as well. The prime example of this is in a manufacturing facility where the way a floor space is used needs to adjust over time. Our Quiet Quilt Soundproof Barrier is an extremely flexible solution in addition to blocking noise. Should you want to reorganize your space in the future, simply take them down and reinstall in a different configuration. If you expect the needs of your warehouse of manufacturing facility to change, using soundproof blankets for walls will allow you to organize and soundproof the space without locking you in like a permanent structure.

If after reading more about soundproof room dividers and think a permanent solution may be a better fit for you, we do that too! Give us a call. We’d be happy to help develop a soundproof plan that accommodates your needs.

A soundproof room divider must be dense and well sealed. One of the most common solutions is our Quiet Quilt Barrier Blanket, a barrier blanket with an absorptive quilt facing on each side. It comes in 4 different colors and includes grommets/Velcro for an easy install. No special expertise is required – you just need something to hang them on. These blankets are STC rated (29) to block sound and also NRC rated to absorb it.

We have several versions of our Quiet Quilt line, with the Quiet Quilt Indoor Soundproof Blanket featuring one absorptive face instead of two. We can do both 1lb and 2lb MLV for this blanket. It also can be manufactured for indoor or outdoor use. These are also great temporary sound barriers on a construction site or warehouse.

There are many materials out there that won’t actually block noise, but are sometimes marketed ambiguously so you can’t be sure. Now that you understand a bit better how soundproofing works, you should be able to avoid wasting your money. There are a couple of easy tells that you should watch out for when comparing soundproofing materials:

1. STC rating. Sound Transmission Class (STC) ratings measure how much sound is blocked by a material. If the product is not STC-rated, then it’s not designed to block sound.
2. Acoustic foam. If you see a product advertised as “acoustic foam,” or an “acoustic panel,” it is not meant for soundproofing. Acoustic treatments are designed to improve the sound quality and reduce echo in a room. They do not block sound. Acoustic products are not “bad,” they just serve a completely different purpose. Check out our guide on acoustical materials if you want to learn more.

A soundproof room divider is a very effective tool for controlling noise in a space – both for businesses and homeowners – but you need to use the right materials. The Quiet Quilt Sound Barrier is excellent for anyone looking for a configurable barrier that is easy to install. Depending on your soundproofing needs, there may be other solutions that make more sense. For information on walls and how to soundproof interior walls, check out our article on the topic.

If you have questions about soundproof dividers or would like to work with us on a custom plan for your space, give us a call. We’re here to help with your soundproofing project!