Church Acoustic Evaluation and Treatment
The West Coast Church in Englewood, FL has received noise concerns after removing previous panels in the primary sanctuary room. There are a number of overhead amplified speakers hanging from the ceiling grid above, and a live band space in the front of the sanctuary, with the drum set partially insulated by a transparent shell.
Commercial Acoustics was contracted to perform an acoustical assessment and reverberation testing on site to provide options to improve the acoustics in the space.
RELATED: Church Acoustic Treatment Options
Step 1: Evaluate Church Reverberation
Description of Test (3):
3 reverberation tests were performed in the sanctuary space. A Nor131 Sound Pressure Level meter was used for all tests, Serial # 1313740. A Nor1251 Sound Calibrator was used for sensitivity checks, Serial # 34824. The meter and calibrator were hand-held.
The 3 tests were performed at the base of the stage, and 25’ and 50’ toward the back doors. The results were as follows:
- Back of Sanctuary: 1.6 second Reverberation
- Center of Sanctuary: 1.5 second Reverberation
- Front of Sanctuary (at Stage): 1.6 second Reverberation
The room currently consists of painted drywall on 3 sides and the East Wall made of drywall and glass. The ceiling is gabled of acoustic ceiling tile and the floor is a low-profile carpet.
Summary Findings & Recommendations:
In many worship spaces, the desired reverberation time is between 1.1-1.3 seconds. This allows the music to “ring out” in a space, without lingering too long and making it difficult to hear the words.
Based on the reverberation test results and the Sabin calculations below, we recommend additional absorption material of at least 250 Square Feet, and ideally 535 Square Feet to meet the 1.2 second Reverberation Time goal. This absorption material should have an NRC (Noise Reduction Coefficient) of at least 1.00.
By installing the acoustic panels and placing them evenly around the room, the reverberation time of the room should drop dramatically, allowing improved speech intelligibility during music and worship, and other assembly activities.
By first using the base acoustical treatment, the client may determine that a sufficient amount of reverberation has been reduced. If additional panels are still needed, they then be added on at that time.
The panels may be situated vertically or horizontally, and may be arranged in any aesthetic layout that best fits the interior design of the sanctuary. An acoustically-transparent fabric should be used on any fabric-wrapped panels chosen.
Step 2: Church Acoustic Treatment
A total of 50 2’x4′ Acoustic Absorption Panels were installed around the perimeter of the sanctuary walls in order to reduce the reverberation in the worship space. These were wall-mounted with impaling clips. Post-testing of the solution yielded a reverberation time of 1.05 seconds, which slightly exceeded the acoustic modeling.
Panel installation took less than 1 full day. The feedback from the client, Mark Morris, was very positive: “This company is a dream to work with. Great communication skills and customer service was second to none. Thank you Commercial Acoustics for an excellent job!”
Working with great customers and providing superior acoustic performance, Commercial Acoustics continues to help churches and worship centers nationwide with Acoustic Treatment options.
