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Acoustic Treatment Basics
Sound dampening (adding absorption)
Felt Right tiles are designed to absorb sound reflections off of hard surfaces and NRC is the percent of sound they absorb (35%) on average wherever they’re placed (i.e. they reduce the reflected energy by 35%). It’s important to note that absorption percentage varies for different sound frequencies.
Our tiles generally absorb frequencies above 300 Hz (see NRC chart), and perform especially well (60-100% absorption) in the range critical to human speech intelligibility (between 1.4 Khz and 8 kHz) where consonant sounds such as “k”, “s”, and “t” are found.
When we improve the acoustics of a space with absorption, we can hear more clearly at lower levels. People speak to each other more quietly, we listen to television programs at lower levels, etc. So whether we’re sharing a workspace with our partner, or sharing a wall with a neighbor, everyone benefits by reducing the sound level of our activities and the intermittent noise it causes for others.
Additionally, more absorption means noise sources like fans and street traffic bounce around the room less, reducing background noise levels slightly and making it even easier to hear the sounds we want.
Sound isolation (soundproofing)
Soundproofing, or acoustically isolating a space, can minimize background and intermittent noise. We measure this using a rating called STC (Sound Transmission Class). STC indicates how well part of a building limits the transfer of sound from one space to the next.
It usually ranges from about 25 to 60+ and indicates how many decibels of sound reduction you can expect from a structure. There are STC ratings for walls, ceilings, floors, windows, and doors, and you can increase a structure’s STC rating in the following ways.
Add soundproofing panels, layers, or different-density materials
If you’re dealing with a sound source that produces enough energy to vibrate the mass of a wall, you might consider applying layers of “sound damping” felt materials on one or both sides of the wall. The term “sound damping” has a specific meaning when talking about sound transmission through structures, one that’s different from “sound absorption,” but with similar end results.
While sound-absorbing materials reduce sound reflections by converting the energy into heat, sound-damping materials reduce sound transmissions by converting the energy into the movement of the damping material. This is why you might see a drummer tape a piece of felt to the front of their kick drum. As they beat the backside of the drum, the felt acts as a sound-damping material that tames vibrations on the audience-facing side and makes the drum sound more controlled.
Similarly, Felt Right wall tiles installed on a wall may convert wall vibrations coming from another room, into subtle movements of the tiles themselves, lessening sound transmission and making the space quieter. While we don’t yet have STC ratings for our acoustic felt tiles, customers have found that covering an entire wall with these tiles may help reduce sound transmissions. For added sound-transmission reduction you can experiment with covering both sides of an offending wall with acoustic tiles.
Seal the perimeters
Closing off air gaps in your room is the first recommendation for any sound isolation project, and it’s often easy to get great results. Even a tiny gap can let many decibels of sound into a space.
- Be sure not to cover any necessary openings like fresh air intakes for your HVAC system.
- Gaps under interior doors are common and you can use inexpensive draft stoppers to block them (the heavier the better).
- Acoustic sealant dispensed from a caulk gun can be used for most gaps of ¾” or less in walls, floors, ceilings, and around window and door frames.
- You can add soft neoprene gaskets to doors (thought this usually takes some adjustment of the latch mechanism).
Add mass (weight)
Like a small child trying to tackle a pro football player, sound has a tough time vibrating heavy surfaces. The heavier the barrier, the better it is at stopping sound from penetrating it. In most cases, this requires construction and should always be done by a licensed contractor. Examples include:
- Replacing hollow-core doors with heavy solid-core wood doors or insulated metal doors
- Adding additional layers of drywall to existing walls
- Adding heavy MDF (medium density fiberboard) between open ceiling or floor joists
What Gives Felt Right Tiles Their High-Quality, Beautiful Appearance?
Our felt panels have a warm, wool-like appearance with durable and wear-resistant constructions. Using a high-density, engineered PET felt board, beautiful chamfered edges, and engraved patterns that reflect your creativity, we fabricate our felt wall tiles to your exact specifications.
How Effective are Felt Right Tiles at Dampening Sound?
Felt Right tiles have an NRC (noise reduction coefficient) of .35. That means they absorb roughly 35% of the sound they come in contact with. Felt Right’s tiles often have a noticeable effect on your space’s acoustics, but the level they affect your sound depends on the surface.
Will My Tiles Work With Pins?
Felt Right tiles work with pins because we make them using high-quality, dense PET felt board. The PET felt board makes them perfect for pinning and repinning as many times as you want.
What Are Felt Right Tiles Made From?
We make Felt Right tiles from 100% PET plastic. Using PET plastic improves our sustainability and reduces our environmental impact. By reclaiming at least 50% of the plastic we use from discarded water bottles, we keep four water bottles out of the waste stream with every 12x12 felt wall tile we use.
How Do Felt Right Tiles Contribute to Healthy Indoor Air Quality?
Felt Right tiles adhere to strict quality standards and ensure our products do not contain any red-list chemicals or materials harmful to your health . Our materials have also been tested to confirm they do not emit any harmful gasses into the places where you install your designs.
Where Are Felt Right Tiles Made?
We make our felt panels in-house in Salt Lake City, UT. Our headquarters are located at the base of the beautiful Wasatch Mountain Range, which provide a backdrop almost as beautiful as our custom felt wall designs.
What Are the Felt Right Tile Sizes?
Felt Right tiles come in 6 distinct sizes that are designed to work together in our Design Studio:
Square 12x12 (11 7/8 actual)
Triangle 12x12 (11 7/8 actual)
Shiplap 24x6 (23 3/4 x 5 15/16 actual)
Half 12x6 (11 7/8 x 5 15/16 actual)
Quarter 6x6 (5 15/16 actual)
Pixel 3x3
Please note that dimensions are nominal and exact dimensions are slightly smaller (for example: 12” tiles are actually 11 ⅞”). All tiles are 3/8 inches thick.
Can Tiles Be Cut on Site to Specific Sizes?
Yes, we can cut our tiles to specific sizes and dimensions using a craft knife and a straight edge.
What Is the Tile Thickness?
Felt Right tiles are ⅜ inch or 9mm thick.
Do Felt Right Tiles Reduce Sound Transmission From or Through a wall?
Our felt tiles deaden sound transmission from nearby spaces. Multiple customer reviews highlight this benefit. However, we have not fully calibrated Felt Right tiles Sound Transmission Coefficient (STC), so we can’t accurately calculate the sound reduction range.
Do Felt Right Tiles Meet Flammability Requirements for Commercial Applications?
Yes. Made with material that has undergone ASTM E-84 testing, our felt panels are considered a Class A material for commercial specifications.
Will Quilting Fabric Designs Stick to Felt Right Tiles Without Pins?
No. Quilting designs will not stick to Felt Right tiles without pins. However, many quilters use pin boards to showcase their designs.
What Is Required to Install My Felt Right Tiles?
We use easy-installation methods for our felt tiles that only require a tape measure, level, and pencil. After aligning your first few tiles, your design should be easy to complete. Most felt wall designs take less than an hour.
Are Adhesive Tabs Included in My Felt Right Order?
Every order of Felt Right tiles comes with plenty of adhesive tabs for installation. We also provide a few extra just in case you lose a few.
Can I Purchase Extra Adhesive Tabs?
Yes, to purchase extra adhesive tabs, visit our Shop section.
Are Felt Right Tiles Safe For My Walls?
Yes. Felt Right tiles utilize our proprietary, paint-safe adhesive and can be uninstalled damage-free when removed properly. Upon removal, the tile is first separated from the wall, leaving the tabs on the wall surface. The tabs are then removed from the wall by rolling them off with your thumb or fingers.
How Easy Is It to Clean Felt Right Tiles?
Our felt wall panels are easy to clean and maintain. To remove dust, all you need is a vacuum wand or hose. For spot cleaning, all you need is a damp rag or household cleaner to spray the tiles and wipe them down. For high-traffic, commercial applications, you can disinfect Felt Right tiles with common cleaning products.
Can I Relocate a Tile Once It’s in Place?
Of course. We include extra adhesive tabs in all of our orders. These extra tabs let you reposition one or two tiles during the installation process. If you find you need to move more tiles, you can always order extra adhesive squares.
How Should Felt Right Tiles Best Be Positioned to Dampen Sound?
Sound waves will typically reverberate between parallel surfaces. Because of this, positioning your felt wall panels on parallel walls is most useful to interrupt sound wave reverberation.
Can the Tiles Be Used in Ceiling Applications?
Yes, you can use Felt Right tiles in ceiling applications. However, we do recommend using Felt Right Commercial-Grade adhesive tabs to create a stronger, semi-permanent bond.
Can Felt Right Tiles Be Used in Flooring Applications?
You should not use Felt Right tiles for flooring applications.
Do the Tiles Stick to Textured Walls?
Felt Right adhesive tabs conform to most surfaces, including painted cinder block and textured walls.
Will Tiles Match if I Want to Add New Tiles to an Existing Design?
Generally, yes, however we do experience some dye-lot variation, particularly with the grey colors.
Dye-lot variations are typically not noticeable unless the tiles are placed next to each other. If you are ordering new tiles that will go next to existing tiles, you may want to just give us a quick heads up so we can help make sure you don't experience significant dye-lot issues.
How Long Does it Take to Ship an Order?
Most orders ship from our factory within 2-4 business days. Occasionally, this lead time may be extended to 5-6 business days for larger orders, or if we are super busy. If you need your order by a specific date, please reach out to us at support@feltright.com and we will do everything we can to accommodate.
What if I am not 100% satisfied With My Order?
No problem. You can return your order for any reason within the first 30 days after your purchase.
Do you ship internationally?
Yes we do! You can calculate shipping rates durring your checkout.
How do I uninstall tiles without damaging paint?
There are 2 important steps to uninstalling felt Right tiles without damaging paint:
Step 1: Carefully separate each tile from the adhesive tabs. Tiles are removed, leaving the tabs on the wall surface. This is done by inserting fingers between the tile and the wall, away from the tab location and gradually applying pressure until the tile separates from tabs. Avoid pulling the tile directly away from the wall in an abrupt or forceful manner as the tile needs time to release from the tabs.
Step 2: Roll the tabs off the wall. Once the tile has been removed from the wall, leaving the tabs, then remove each tab from the wall. This is done by starting at a corner of the tab, applying pressure and rolling the tab off of the wall with your finger or thumb. Avoid pulling the tab directly away from the wall.
If you have difficulty getting the tab to begin rolling, you can use a block pencil eraser to start the process.
