A common question we get everyday is where to place the acoustic panels once you’ve purchased them. Whether you have acoustic ceiling clouds, art-wrapped acoustic treatment, or standard fabric-wrapped acoustic panels, by spacing and installing them properly, you can greatly improve the efficiency and aesthetics of your space.

Acoustic Panel Placement Guidelines

Our trained and experienced team of installers follows a few basic rules when installing acoustic panels in a space to minimize reverberation, including:

1. Symmetry: This is simple but not always easy. Panels should be balanced in a space, but there are often multiple patterns in a given room, including windows, doors, A/C vents, etc. There can also be a number of penetrations or obstructions, such as lights and exit signs, that need to be installed around. Where possible, observe the primary symmetrical pattern, and when patterns must be broken for an obstruction, minimize the change in spacing between panels.
2. Spread them out: Panels become less effective if they’re all placed together in a single corner. This is intuitive, since only a small amount of the sound waves will reach that corner in the first half-second or second after the noise source occurs.
   • A corollary to this rule is to ensure that no 2 parallel walls are left untreated. If this happens, then standing waves may develop in the space.
3. Don’t place them too high: While hanging acoustic panels well above eye level prevents any imperfections, or stains from the hanging process, from being seen, it also increases the amount of time it takes for sound to reach them. This can adversely affect the acoustic treatment.

Area Principle for Acoustic Panel Placement: e~P/A

Put another way, the efficiency of your panel layout is proportional to the Perimeter of the panels divided by the Total Surface Area of the panels. For a given number of panels, the surface area doesn’t change. However, by spreading out the panels, the perimeter of the treatment grows significantly, resulting in a more efficient layout.

For example, if you have only 4’x8′ panels, four of them will give a square footage of 124 sf. The minimum perimeter occurs if all 4 panels are placed so that their long sides are touching, with only 48′ of perimeter. By spreading them out with 4′ gaps in between the panels, the perimeter of the entire set of panels increases to 72′, and the efficiency of the layout increases by 50%.

Acoustic Panel Layouts – Do’s and Don’ts

The color, shape, and size of your acoustic panel selection all affect the location of where you can place them. However, by following core principles and guidelines, you can assure an aesthetic finish that will also efficiently improve the acoustics in your space.

DON’Ts Acoustic Panel Layouts:

• Put acoustic wall panels too close to the ground where they will be bumped or get dirty and dinted
• Place the panels too high where sound will take longer to reach them
• Place all panels directly together in the same area, reducing the P/A ratio
• Leave two parallel walls untreated – this allows standing waves and flutter echo, even in relatively small rooms
• Hide the treatment. If the foam, fiberglass, or other absorptive material is hidden under chairs or tables, its effectiveness is greatly reduced.

Instead DO this for Acoustic Panel Layouts:

• Place the panels symmetrically, using the wall length and any sub-patterns (lights, grids, doors) dictate the best spacing
• Spread the acoustic panels out to improve the efficiency of the acoustic treatment
• Use impact-resistant acoustic panels if in a gym or other lively environment where they are likely to be tested

Placing Acoustic Panels to Maximize Sound Panel Effectiveness

No matter where you are using them, remember to follow these rules of thumb when hanging acoustic panels:

1. Hang them symmetrically – keep the spacing consistent between adjacent acoustical wall panels
2. Space them out – don’t hang all acoustical panels in a single area, or on a single wall. Instead, put them in equal numbers across the entire space.
3. Don’t place panels too high – keep acoustical panels within 12-14′ AFF (above finished floor). However, you may want to place them at least 6′ off of the ground to minimize touching by children or curious patrons.

Also in relation to placing acoustic panels, see our video on determining reverberation time in a space. This measurement can give you an idea of how much absorptive material is needed in a space.