Have you ever been in a room with such a bad echo that you could barely hear yourself think? Rooms with high ceilings are notoriously bad for echo and reverb. Luckily the answer is simple. To fix the sound quality, you need to add acoustical materials . If you are looking into fixing the echo in your room, don’t worry, it is a fairly straightforward process that we can walk you through no problem!

In this article, we will discuss how to reduce echo in a room with high ceilings and our top recommendations for which products to use for the project.

Acoustics in a Room With High Ceilings

Any room can potentially have issues with echo, but large rooms with high ceilings are especially problematic as the total volume of the room results in worse dynamics for sound quality. Sound travels easily through the air, so the more uninterrupted space sound waves have to travel before running into things – the more likely you are to have speech intelligibility issues. Auditoriums and other large event spaces always consider these acoustics issues on the front end, so we often end up helping in the planning phase. Large industrial spaces, gymnasiums, and warehouses tend to consider the acoustics of their space only after they realize they have a problem. We’re ready help in this situation too as we have plenty of options to retrofit a room with a high ceiling as cost-effectively as possible!

Whether you want to fix acoustics in a gymnasium or a room in your house with reverb issues, we’ve got the know-how and the materials to help you reduce echo and reverb. We’ll get your space sounding the way it needs to for you to enjoy it and be most productive.

How to Reduce Echo in a Room With High Ceilings

The key to reducing echo in a room with tall ceilings is similar to reducing echo and reverb in really any room: add sound absorption material into the space. The key for larger rooms is pretty simple as well..more material. Acoustic materials we commonly use to reduce echo are things like fabric-wrapped panels, polyester acoustic panels, and wood wool panels. There are several factors which lead to a room having sound quality issues (reverb/echo):

1. The overall volume is large (length, width, height)
2. The surfaces in the room are reflective (glass, metal, etc)
3. The room has specific speech intelligibility requirements to be used appropriately

A high ceiling directly leads to factor #1 – lots of volume and air space. Absorptive materials will soften the hard surfaces of a room with a high ceiling, adding sabins (absorptive power) and reducing the amount of time that sound spends bouncing around the space. So let’s dive into our recommended acoustical materials and how to install them.

Large Rooms With High Ceilings

Large rooms with high ceilings commonly struggle with echo and reverb. To understand the difference between reverb and article, check out our article on the topic. If large rooms are the ailment, then Second Skin acoustical materials are the cure!

Determining the amount of acoustical panels a room needs boils down to a math problem. Sound energy is governed by the laws of physics after all! Now, you could go pay an acoustical consultant several thousand dollars to come out to your location and perform this analysis. Or you could have us do it for you for free over the phone (although we can come on site too!) To complete our analysis we need several things:

1. Dimensions of the room (length, width, height)
2. Pictures of the space (that give an overall perspective as well as show the walls, floor, and ceiling)
3. Description of the noise problem and how the room is used

We will run an acoustical analysis and determine how many panels you need and how much surface area will need to be covered in order to treat the room effectively. We’ll also send you an acoustical materials quote and installation plan so you’ll know exactly how to get the results you want!

Best Acoustical Materials to Use

We have a huge variety of wall and ceiling sound treatment materials we use to solve noise problems in rooms with high ceilings. What we recommend will depend on the size and aesthetic of the room. We also can hit any price point on the spectrum, so no project is out of reach.

To give you an idea of the types of recommendations we make, let’s highlight two common choices in large rooms with high ceilings.

EcoVerb Roll

Our EcoVerb Roll is an awesome option for a gymnasiums, warehouses, and comparable rooms. The recycled jute material is extremely sound absorptive, no itch, Class A fire rated, and mold resistant. Because of the black facing, it gives the ceiling a blackout look that solves the acoustical problem while going unnoticed. It’s extremely cost-effective and much easier to install than baffles. The installation is also extremely easy relative to other options as all you do is roll the material out – typically an install is about half the time investment of baffles.

Because of it’s combination of cost-effectiveness, blending in aesthetically, and sound absorption – it’s one of our biggest sellers in large rooms with high ceilings.

Baffles

Acoustical baffles are large rectangular panels that are usually hung from the ceiling to as a tool for controlling reverb and echo in a space. Baffles are commonly found in gymnasiums and large industrial spaces because they are very absorptive per square foot of material – as both sides are exposed and able to absorb sound. Baffles are also common in an office environment, because they can be used artistically to enhance the décor of a space.

We love baffles, and sell them often. They are especially excellent when used as part of an overall design aesthetic. For a large industrial room like a warehouse, the most commonly used baffles are our EcoVerb Cotton Panels (grommets added custom) or our Quiet Quilt Indoor Acoustic Blankets (more for walls or around machinery) though.

The one concern on baffles can be the installation. Hanging them from the ceiling is more time consuming than the EcoVerb Roll. You also can end up blocking light or getting in the way of building’s sprinklers if they aren’t hung correctly. Anyone who’s ever gotten on the wrong side of the fire marshal knows what a giant headache that can be.

If you have questions on how to add sound absorption to your room with high ceilings, feel free to reach out to us. One of the soundproofing experts at Second Skin will get back to you with an acoustical analysis and a recommendation that fits your needs!

What are Acoustic Baffles?

How to Reduce Echo in a Room

Improving Church Acoustics

EcoVerb Roll™ Natural Fiber Liner