We frequently come across home cinema installations where all the walls are covered in fabric. The fabrics used in these dedicated home theater systems are categorized as acoustic”. Acoustic fabric panels are only covering the acoustic treatments used in the cinema room, while offering a more pleasant visual outlook. They are used only for aesthetics. Acoustic fabrics should permit sound to pass through to maintain complete functionality of all the wall treatments used.
Home theater designers, interior designers and architects should consider how well the fabric will look after installation. The choice is generally done based only on the way it looks, making sure it complements the interior décor. Home cinema installations can have pre-fabricated panels or pre assembled acoustic enclosure, on-site over customized acoustic wall treatments. The choices are unlimited when it comes to these assembled acoustic enclosures.
Nonetheless, there are many fabrics that are not suitable for covering the acoustic treatments or the floating ceiling systems. Backed fabrics are not suggested as they have a tendency to resist any kind of stretch, along with the additional backing that limits its acoustic transparency. Another thing that the home theater designer should consider is the material of which the acoustic fabric is made of.
The usage of synthetic fabrics is more ideal for fabric stretch applications in home theater systems. Synthetic fibers can withstand high humidity without rippling and sagging, maintaining their original shape when stretched over the acoustic panels for rooftop noise control. A fabric that has a maximum of 30% natural fibers would be suitable in case a completely synthetic acoustic fabric is not used.
Selecting the ideal acoustic fabric panels in a home theater installation will make sure a great visual result that will impress the client for years to come.