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Coverage · Treatment sizing

Acoustic Panel Coverage Calculator

Given a current RT60 and a target RT60, how much absorption panel do you need? This tool solves it backwards, with a per-wall placement hint that catches the most common installation mistake — putting every panel on a single wall.

Inputs

Room dimensions (m)
Acoustic state

If you don’t know current RT60, run the Acoustic Comfort Analyzer first.

Panel specification

What this calculator solves

Acoustic panels are expensive, and most installations under-buy. A homeowner reads “add 6 m² of panels” and installs six 60×60 panels on a single wall. The room doesn’t change. The reason: a flat panel covers one reflection path. Distribute the same panels across two non-parallel walls and you cut more reflections than the same area in one block. This tool tells you both the number and where to spread them.

Who it’s for

How to interpret the result

The panel count is a Sabine-based estimate. It assumes the panels deliver their rated coefficient at 1 kHz. Real-world absorption drops off at low frequencies; below 250 Hz, even thick panels barely move the needle. If you need bass control, plan bass traps in the corners separately, and budget 4–8 broadband panels per corner.

Limitations

Common questions

Do panels go on the ceiling too?

Only if the ceiling is the dominant reflective surface (bare plaster + hard floor + upholstered walls). For most residential rooms, walls and the back wall behind the listening position are higher priority. Ceiling clouds become necessary when the ceiling is < 2.4 m or when speech intelligibility still fails after wall treatment.

Is thicker always better?

Yes for low-frequency absorption. A 10 cm panel outperforms a 4 cm panel at 250 Hz by roughly 2–3× in absorption area. The 4 cm panel is fine if you only care about speech-band (500–2000 Hz) clarity.

Can I get the same effect from bookshelves?

Partially. A full bookshelf with mixed-size books delivers α ≈ 0.30 at speech-band. A 6 cm fabric-wrapped panel delivers 0.85. You’d need roughly 3× the wall area in bookshelves to match a thin panel — often more expensive than buying the panels.

About this tool

One of 36 interior design calculators on InteriorLab. Calculations are client-side; no values stored.

Privacy

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Disclaimer

Estimates only, not professional acoustic engineering. Confirm with on-site measurement for critical spaces. See full Disclaimer.