Is there an area in your home where all of the sounds echo? When you have hard floors in the home, it can be difficult to control the way sound bounces around. Fortunately, you can make your own acoustic panels in a way that will look great and be effective in reducing the echoes in your home.
Supply List
- ¼ inch plywood
- Staple gun and staples
- Foam blue-board insulation
- Sharp knife
- Screwdriver
- D-Ring hangers and screws
- Heavy-duty picture frame hangers
- Fabric
- Circular saw and blade
- Glue
Choose the Fabric
Before you can begin, you have to choose the fabric that will cover the board and be seen. Look for something that is relatively neutral if you like to change the décor in your home often. If you maintain the same look for a while, you can choose the fabric that you think will go well with the décor that you already have.
Look for fabric that is easily kept clean – something that won't begin to show dust and dirt after hanging on the wall for a while.
Plan the Design
Do you want to have one large acoustic panel or would you like to create a few smaller ones to hang decoratively? Think about the size of the wall and the uses of the space. If the room is used for entertaining and such, think more decoratively. If the room is just used as a play space for the kids, or what have you, the design can be anything you feel comfortable with.
Start Building
- Cut the plywood to the size you've planned for.
- Cut the blue-board insulation to the same size. Use the sharp knife to shave the edges of the blue-board so that it is rounded or angled.
- Glue the blue-board to the plywood.
- Measure and cut the fabric – you want to have about six inches of fabric hanging over the edges.
- Lay the fabric right side down and position the wood panel on top of it.
- Pull the fabric tight and staple it in place.
- Install the heavy-duty picture frame hangers.
Hang it Up
Find the studs in the wall and install the D-ring hanger. This will provide enough support to securely mount the panel. Hang the panel and scream – did it echo?
You can install as many, or as few of these panels in the area as you need to control the sound in the space. If you decide to change the look of the room, you can easily pull the panels down, cover them with new fabric and hang them back up.
Visit a shop, like By The Yard, for more help.
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