When soundproofing, soundproofing for Bars, Pubs, Coffee Lounges, most people often seek advice on the internet or from friends without really spending time learning and working with specialized consulting units.
Mistakes in this process can lead to great consequences when the shop goes into official operation. Many of our customers have had similar experiences.
Here are the mistakes we often see bar and lounge owners make when designing and building a bar.
1. Underestimate the Transmission Ability of Sound
“My shop is in front of a big street, two sides are offices, behind are houses. You just need to help yourself with the soundproof wall behind the shop. I don’t play loud music, so there’s no need to make the wall too good.” – Frequently request of customers
Any company that follows these customer instructions without carefully assessing the problem will get unsatisfactory results.
Sound doesn’t work so simply. It’s not like a flashlight, wherever you shine, there’s light. Even if you point the speaker to the front of the house, the neighbors behind you will still hear clearly.
Not only is sound transmitted through the air, but also through structural vibrations to the neighbor’s house. Therefore, when your bar, coffee lounge is not carefully soundproofed, you will quickly be knocked on the door by the authorities.
2. Misunderstanding the volume of the restaurant and the volume of the sound system to play
“My pub only plays around 90-95dB, no need to be too fussy about soundproofing”
This is the most common answer we hear from our customers. Also have to sympathize, because they are not specialized in this field.
To assess the need for a soundproofing system, you will need to consider many factors. Below are a few examples:
- Is the space around the restaurant a street, an office, a house or something?
- How many square meter wide?
- What is the music playing in the bar?
- How long the music play?
- What is the current structure and design of the house and room?
- How is the drawing plan?
Only when we collect enough information and evaluate it thoroughly can we answer the question of what the appropriate level of soundproofing is. The shop hits 95dB, but is that 95dB at 1m in front of the speaker or 95dB at the listening position?
If the bar is spacious, the listener is 10m away from the speaker and listening at 95dB, your speakers are actually hitting with a very high pressure of 115dB SPL at 1m! Now you see the problem is much more difficult, right?
3. Unpredictable maximum volume level
This is an extremely common mistake of bar and lounge owners. When planning, it is only moderate, enough for guests to talk from 18-23h. But when it comes to business for a while, there will be events or late-night activities, so the maximum volume level is pushed up VERY much higher than the original plan, the playing time is also significantly later.
This leads to the initial soundproofing system not having enough performance, resulting in too much noise escaping.
4. Soundproof design after Architectural and Interior design
To have good soundproofing for bars and lounges, you must work with a soundproofing consultant right from the design stage of the premises. How to allocate space, what materials to use greatly determine the soundproofing performance of the restaurant
If done well right from this stage, the total soundproofing budget for the restaurant will be significantly reduced while still getting the desired soundproofing performance.
There are many bars and lounges that are built by an interior design unit with no experience in acoustics, making soundproofing extremely expensive, even impossible.
5. Acoustic treatment after interior installation
How can the construction of sound absorption and soundproofing when the bar, club… have all the furniture?
How can the construction of sound absorption and soundproofing when the bar, club… have all the furniture?
As above, good sound absorption performance needs to start right from the right ground. Moreover, when the interior design is finished, or even the interior construction is completed, your bar, lounge has been shaped in terms of aesthetics. It is extremely difficult for a soundproofing unit when it needs to do its job without affecting the appearance of the shop (if not impossible).
In addition, in some locations that require a heavy and thick sound absorption system to handle bass, the walls or ceiling are too weak or there is not enough space left.
Summary
You will not be able to get the desired soundproofing, sound absorption or waste money because of overdoing it if you only follow the advice, configuration, materials … superficially on the internet.
This is the same problem as nursing mothers who want to self-medicate their children because they read instructions on medication, tips, etc. online instead of consulting a specialist. Too many heartbreaking cases have happened because of this way of thinking and acting.