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What is a soundproof wall?

A soundproof wall is designed to reduce sound transmission between two spaces by applying the principles of mass, decoupling, and sealing. The performance of a soundproof wall is measured by the STC (Sound Transmission Class) rating; the higher the value, the better the sound insulation. However, STC is measured for the entire wall system rather than the property of any single material. An example of a prefabricated soundproof wall system in Thailand is Trandar Hitech Wall under the TSIS (Trandar Sound Insulation System), which ranges from STC 43 to STC 77. Different application areas, such as bedrooms, meeting rooms, hotels, or studios, require different STC ratings and system designs.

What is the acoustic rating required for a 5-star hotel?

There is no official global governing body that sets a fixed STC (Sound Transmission Class) rating for each hotel star rating. However, in the hospitality industry and acoustic design field, industry benchmarks consistently indicate across multiple sources that 4-5 star hotels should have guestroom partition walls with an STC of at least 50, while luxury 5-star hotels typically target an STC of 55 or higher (with some premium chains reaching 58-60) to ensure normal conversation from adjacent rooms is virtually inaudible. Meanwhile, standard brick or lightweight concrete walls at typical thicknesses usually achieve only STC 36-44. Prefabricated acoustic wall systems like Trandar Hitech Wall (TSIS) are therefore engineered to achieve an STC rating of up to 58 with a thickness of just 10.5 cm—thinner yet providing superior sound insulation compared to double-layer lightweight brick masonry.

What is the difference between soundproofing boards and acoustic insulation?

Soundproofing boards are dense, rigid materials used for the inner and outer surface layers of a wall system. They function by blocking sound waves through mass and often feature damping technology within the core. On the other hand, acoustic insulation consists of soft, porous fibrous materials, such as rock wool or glass wool, placed within the wall cavity to absorb sound energy reverberating inside the air space. Both serve different functions and cannot be used interchangeably. A complete acoustic wall system requires both soundproofing boards and acoustic insulation to work together. Insulation alone cannot be used as a wall surface, and soundproofing boards alone will not achieve maximum performance without sound-absorbing insulation in the wall cavity.

What materials should be used for bedroom soundproofing walls?

Soundproofing walls for bedrooms should use a system consisting of 3 key components: soundproof boards with mass and damping technology, sound-absorbing insulation within the wall cavity, and compatible framing.

What kind of acoustic wall should you choose for a hotel?

Hotel room acoustic walls should generally have an STC rating of at least 50 for standard hotels, and 55 to 60 or higher for luxury properties.

How to Choose the Right Soundproof Wall for Your Room? (Decision Guide)

Choosing the right soundproof wall starts with the specific requirements of each room, rather than simply picking the highest STC rating. Meeting rooms require considering the desired privacy level relative to STC values, bedrooms focus on solving noise from adjacent rooms through sound isolation, hotels must look at the entire system including walls, doors, ceilings, and flanking paths simultaneously, while cinemas or home theaters need to control both incoming and outgoing noise in both directions. Therefore, each space requires a different suitable system; there is no single soundproof wall that fits every room.

Noisy neighbors leaking through the wall? How to fix it and how effective are soundproof walls?

Noise from neighboring rooms penetrating walls is usually caused by existing walls having low mass and lacking structural separation, which is common in thin gypsum walls or standard partition walls. A truly effective solution is installing a new independent wall structure separated from the existing one, which adds both mass and an air gap. Meanwhile, methods many people mistakenly believe work—such as hanging heavy curtains, placing wardrobes against the wall, or sticking acoustic foam panels—usually only reduce echo within the room, but do little to block noise from neighboring rooms because they serve different acoustic functions. Properly installed soundproof walls can significantly reduce transmitted noise, though the actual level of quiet achieved still depends on the limitations of the existing structure.

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

Choosing a soundproof wall for a meeting room mainly depends on the confidentiality level of the discussions. Generally, standard team meeting rooms are suitable for an STC rating of 40-45. Standard meeting rooms requiring normal privacy are suited for STC 45-50. Executive meeting rooms or those handling sensitive business data require STC 50-55, and high-security meeting rooms such as HR or legal rooms should use STC 55 and above. Alongside the main walls, doors and glass partitions—which are often weak points in meeting rooms—must also be inspected, as they are the easiest paths for sound leakage in these spaces.

Why do you still hear noise after installing soundproof walls? 10 points to inspect

The reason why you can still hear noise after installing soundproof walls is usually not because the main wall itself is inadequate, but because sound leaks through other weak points in the system that are not the wall, collectively known as Flanking Transmission.

What is STC? What does the wall STC rating tell us about acoustic performance?

STC (Sound Transmission Class) is a single-number rating used to evaluate the airborne sound insulation performance of an entire wall assembly, rather than the property of any single material alone. The higher the STC value, the better the wall is at blocking sound transmission.

What is a Soundproof Wall? Working Principles and How to Choose the Right Soundproof Wall for Your Space

A soundproof wall is a wall system designed to reduce the transmission of sound from one area to another by combining multiple components, such as wall mass, structural separation, air cavities, insulation, and joint sealing, to enhance the overall sound insulation capability of the entire system. Therefore, a soundproof wall differs from an "acoustic absorption wall", which primarily focuses on reducing echoes within the same room rather than preventing sound transmission across areas.

What are the sound insulation ratings of the Trandar Hitech Wall acoustic wall system?

Trandar Hitech Wall: Comprehensive acoustic wall solutions with various STC ratings to suit your project requirements

Can acoustic ceilings block noise from upstairs or outside?

Standard acoustic ceilings do not significantly block noise from upstairs or outside because sound absorption materials are designed to reduce echoes within the same room, not to block sound transmission between areas, which is a different property known as sound insulation. If you genuinely need to block noise from upstairs or outside, you must use a specialized acoustic insulation ceiling system that focuses on increasing material mass and sealing sound leaks, such as the Trandar Zoundboard or Trandar Hitech Ceiling systems, which are measured by STC ratings rather than the NRC ratings used for standard acoustic ceilings.

Acoustic Ceilings vs. Acoustic Wall Panels: Which is Better?

Neither is objectively better, as acoustic ceilings and wall panels complement each other by addressing different areas. Ceilings typically offer a larger continuous surface area that is not obstructed by furniture, doors, or windows, making them the ideal primary surface for reducing overall room reverberation. Wall panels, on the other hand, are ideal for capturing first reflection points at eye and ear level, which directly impact speech clarity. Rooms requiring the highest sound quality therefore typically use both in combination, proportioned to the specific acoustic challenges, rather than choosing just one.

Should echoing rooms be fixed with acoustic ceilings or walls?

It depends on the type of echo and the physical constraints of the room; there is no definitive answer as to whether ceilings or walls are always better. Generally, rooms with widespread reverberation are best addressed starting with the ceiling due to its larger surface area, whereas rooms with distinct parallel walls experiencing directional flutter echo typically require wall treatment. Rooms with complex issues or high acoustic performance requirements usually need a combination of both. Accurate diagnosis should be based on room geometry, ceiling height, and on-site acoustic listening tests.

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