When you’re in a tiny home, it’s pretty clear that it’s hard to keep sound in one room. Typically there isn't a lot of separation between spaces so when you live with more than one person in the tiny home, sometimes sound can be an issue.
In a season like this, where many people are sent to work from home to stop the spread of Covid-19, keeping your phone calls and conference calls from disrupting everyone else in the home all of the sudden becomes a heightened issue. Here is some quick info to help with the noise.
Absorbing is simply taking up the sound waves, and reducing the sound waves that bounce back off. This will help keep sound levels down.
Diffusing sound is to stop it from having a direct hard bounce. A well diffused sound system can make you feel like you’re “in” the movie.
To lower the volume in a room, sound panels can work the best. Having them on the ceiling and walls. They don’t have to look ugly, make them a part of your decor. Create art out of them!
See how this tiny home was designed to keep sound down for two musicians - Tiny Luxury Episode 3 Season 2
Keep in mind, you don’t have to use an expensive sound board to reduce sound. You can easily make great looking sound boards at home. Or get some decent and cost effective ones like this. Also, remember, any soft object generally works great. Place a stack of blankets, or hang one on the wall as a quick tip to reduce sound.
If you are trying to create a more even sound in the room, you should look into diffusing the sound. This will allow you to create a better sounding speaker system for your movies, music or playing instruments, etc.
The best place to put it is in the direct line or angle of reflection where the sound is coming from. For example, imagine the location a mirror would have to be placed in order to reflect and see the location where the sound is coming from. Right there is the best place to put it.
The key is to interrupt the sound waves from being able to bounce all around the room. The more hard flat surface(ceilings, floors, walls etc.) the easier the sound continues to bounce around. Rugs, wall coverings and really any item that will interrupt will help keep the sound down. And as a rule of thumb, the softer the material, the more likely it is to absorb the sound waves.
Did you make your own soundboard? Let us see it! info@tinyhouse.com
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