With technology advancing at a rapid pace, it’s no surprise that many builders are receiving requests from homeowners to add an in-home movie theater or media room to complete their housing project. This blog is just one example of what consumers are reading today when it comes to tips on designing a home theater. While some homeowners want their space to be more lavish than others, builders are still tasked to create a media room that can amplify their experience inside, while masking the sound from the outside. To effectively accomplish this, builders must design a media room with acoustics in mind.
Great sound is more than just speakers
Producing a media room with great sound actually starts with the walls, as they envelop and enclose the space. Hard surfaces create a sharp, echoing quality to the sound that’s created within the space, and wall materials used can make a vast difference.
When a TV is mounted to a wall, the entire wall essentially becomes a soundboard. To combat the reverberated noise, consider installing SilentFX® QuickCut, a noise-reducing drywall that works to reduce noise and contributes to sound insulation and privacy. This is possible given that SilentFX QuickCut provides mass to the wall structure with the ability to dampen vibrations caused by the sound energy striking them.
SilentFX QuickCut is specifically engineered to reduce airborne sound transmission between walls, ceilings and floor assemblies, as it features two dense drywall layers with an inner layer comprised of viscoelastic polymer. This inner layer acts much like a shock absorber to dampen the board vibrations. It also serves as “Constrained Layer Damping,” significantly improving sound attenuation and increasing Sound Transmission Class (STC) ratings—the most commonly recognized sound isolation standard in North America.
According to the STC standards, the lower the STC rating (such as 25), the greater likelihood that normal speech can be heard in an adjoining room; whereas, the higher the STC rating (such as 50 or more), the less likelihood that loud sounds, such as musical instruments—or in this case large speakers—can be heard in adjacent rooms. A higher STC rating results in better soundproofing. SilentFX QuickCut has a high STC rating of 50 and higher, further making it an ideal choice for home theater rooms.
Overall, by leveraging this drywall product from CertainTeed, builders are able to provide a unique option for the homeowner that can not only enhance their in-home media room experience but also provide peace and quiet for others in the home. Visit CertainTeed.com/Drywall for more innovative drywall solutions.
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