How to Choose Soundproof Walls for Meeting Rooms? A Guide to STC Ratings



How to Choose Acoustic Walls for Meeting Rooms? A Guide to Selecting STC Ratings

: Choosing acoustic walls for meeting rooms should be based primarily on the confidentiality level of the discussions within the room. Generally, general team meeting rooms are suited for STC 40-45. Standard meeting rooms requiring normal privacy are suited for STC 45-50. Executive meeting rooms or rooms handling critical business information are suited for STC 50-55. And meeting rooms requiring maximum confidentiality, such as HR or legal rooms, should choose STC 55 and above. In addition to the main walls, doors and glass partitions—which are often the weak points of meeting rooms—must also be inspected accordingly, as they are the primary points where sound leaks in spaces of this type.

Meeting rooms are among the spaces that require special attention regarding acoustic walls, as discussions often involve business information, strategies, or employee personal matters that should not escape the room. However, selecting acoustic walls for meeting rooms does not have a one-size-fits-all answer, as each room has different privacy requirements. This article helps you choose the appropriate STC rating for each type of meeting room.

Why Meeting Rooms Require Special Attention to Soundproof Walls

Unlike typical residential spaces that focus on everyday privacy from general noise, meeting rooms have a unique risk: the discussions often involve data with direct business impact. If sound leaks from a meeting room and is heard by other staff or visiting competitors, it can easily cause unquantifiable damage. High-performance acoustic walls are therefore an investment in both information security and organizational professionalism.

Factors to Consider Before Choosing STC Ratings

• Confidentiality Level of Room Discussions: This is the most critical factor. Standard daily briefing rooms carry different risks compared to rooms used for contract negotiations or HR matters.
• Adjacent Spaces: Meeting rooms adjacent to open-plan offices with constant conversation require higher STC ratings than those next to quiet corridors or storage rooms, due to differing background noise levels.
• Room Usage Patterns: Meeting rooms frequently used for video conferencing often require higher STC ratings than standard rooms because in-room microphones are typically more sensitive to outside noise than human ears.

How to Choose STC Ratings by Meeting Room Type

Don't just look at the main walls; meeting rooms often have other weak points to check as well

Meeting rooms have unique characteristics that set them apart from other rooms: they often feature clear glass walls for visibility from the outside. Standard single-glazed glass is a major acoustic weak point. No matter how high the STC rating of the solid walls is, if the majority of the room's perimeter consists of ordinary glass, sound will primarily leak through the glass.

Additionally, meeting room doors that are not Acoustic Doors and gaps under the doors are points that prevent the invested wall system from performing as expected. Therefore, choosing acoustic walls for meeting rooms requires considering the entire system together, rather than focusing solely on the solid wall.

Examples of acoustic wall systems suitable for each level of meeting rooms

Trandar Acoustics offers the TSIS (Trandar Sound Insulation System) under Trandar Hitech Wall, covering a range of STC ratings to meet the requirements of various meeting room levels.

For standard general office meeting rooms, the TSIS48 d105 (STC 48) or TSIS53 d95 (STC 53) systems are typically sufficient for standard privacy levels. For executive meeting rooms or spaces requiring higher confidentiality, the TSIS56 d100 to TSIS58 d105 (STC 56-58) systems provide a higher level of guaranteed privacy. All systems are assembled using Trandar Zoundboard panels combined with Trandar Heplar Pro framing and Trandar dBphon insulation, representing STC ratings measured from the complete, fully assembled wall system.

If you are planning a meeting room design and want to know which STC rating is appropriate for your room's confidentiality level, feel free to chat with the Trandar Acoustics team to share your meeting room details. We are happy to recommend the most suitable system.