Cafeteria’s fill with noise as crowds gather and voices begin to carry.   Cafeteria’s need to have hard, cleanable surfaces, which in turn means those surfaces will also combine to reflect and scatter echoes rather than absorb them.   As a result, echoes carry, background noise builds, and conversation over tables spikes as communication becomes strained.   If you can absorb the echo, however, the background noise will collapse, conversation will restore to its original state, crowd noise subsides, the room is much more comfortable to dine and converse in.

The answer?  A simple set of sound panels can be wall or ceiling mounted throughout the space to help capture and convert the echoes.   While there are a variety of acoustic panels on the market, some will out perform others, and some will not be suitable for a cafeteria.   The key to the success of soundproofing a cafeteria lies in product selection and targeting the right quantities based on the rooms size, shape and surface textures.  Ceiling Clouds are a popular method for placing sound panels into a cafeteria, as they combine to “float” mechanically from the ceiling to capture the unwanted background noise, and leaves the walls as they are.

For more information on treating your cafeteria for noise control, including a free Room Analysis of your space, contact NetWell Noise Control at 1-800-638-9355 or visit them online at www.controlnoise.com.