Understanding Acoustic Treatment: The Petra™ Acoustic Range in Ireland

Controlling reverberation is an important part of creating comfortable offices, classrooms, restaurants and other shared spaces.

Many modern buildings contain acoustically reflective materials such as glass, concrete, plasterboard, timber and metal. These surfaces can reflect sound back into a room, increasing reverberation and background noise.

This guide looks at how acoustic treatment works and how Petra™ wall panels, ceiling rafts and acoustic baffles can be incorporated into projects in Ireland.

What Causes Excessive Reverberation?

Sound travels through a room until it reaches a surface. Soft and porous materials absorb sound energy, while harder surfaces tend to reflect it.

In rooms with predominantly hard surfaces, sound can continue reflecting between the walls, floor and ceiling. This creates reverberation and can make speech less clear.

The effect is particularly noticeable in busy spaces such as open-plan offices, classrooms, restaurants and larger meeting rooms.

Introducing acoustic absorption helps reduce these reflections, control reverberation and improve the overall acoustic environment.

How Does Petra™ Work?

Petra™ acoustic panels use a high-density glass wool core designed to absorb sound energy.

Selected products achieve Class A sound absorption and NRC ratings of up to 0.95.

This level of acoustic performance means treatment can be focused where it is most effective, rather than covering every available wall or ceiling surface.

Petra™ Acoustic Wall Panels

Wall-mounted acoustic panels are a practical option for smaller rooms where sufficient wall space is available.

Typical applications include meeting rooms, offices, classrooms and conference rooms.

Petra™ wall panels are available in a range of sizes and shapes, allowing layouts to work around furniture, screens, doors and other features.

Petra™ Acoustic Ceiling Rafts

Ceilings often provide more space for acoustic treatment than walls.

Acoustic ceiling rafts are suspended horizontally below the existing ceiling and can be installed individually or arranged across larger areas.

This makes them particularly useful where wall space is limited or where sound absorption needs to be added without significantly changing the room layout.

Petra™ acoustic ceiling rafts can be used in offices, education spaces, restaurants, reception areas and a wide range of commercial interiors.

Petra™ Acoustic Baffles

In buildings with high ceilings or exposed services, vertically suspended acoustic baffles provide an alternative to horizontal ceiling rafts.

Baffles allow services and the original ceiling structure to remain visible while adding sound absorption to the space.

They are particularly useful in large open-plan offices, education environments and commercial buildings.

Considering Cost When Planning Acoustic Treatment

Acoustic performance and project cost need to be considered together.

Rather than treating every available wall or ceiling surface, it is usually better to determine how much sound absorption the room actually requires.

Using high-performing acoustic products can help achieve the required result without treating more surface area than necessary.

Petra™ combines a high-performing acoustic core with a relatively simple construction and finish, making it a practical option where both sound absorption and budget are important.

Local Stock and Delivery in Ireland

Availability and lead times can also influence product selection.

Acoustic products are often considered later in an office, education or commercial fit-out, when long manufacturing lead times can be difficult to accommodate.

Petra™ products are stocked locally for the Irish market, helping to reduce lead times and provide faster supply to projects across Ireland.

This can be particularly useful for projects in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and elsewhere in Ireland, where acoustic treatment may need to fit within an existing construction programme.

Acoustic and Fire Performance

Alongside acoustic performance, fire classification is an important consideration for commercial and public buildings.

Selected Petra™ acoustic products achieve an A2-s2,d0 fire classification to EN 13964:2014.

Always check the relevant technical data sheet against the specific acoustic and fire requirements of the project.

Where Is Acoustic Treatment Most Useful?

Acoustic panels can be beneficial in many environments, particularly where speech and communication are important.

Typical applications include:

• Open-plan offices and meeting rooms
• Schools and classrooms
• Universities and education spaces
• Restaurants and cafés
• Healthcare environments
• Reception and shared commercial areas

Depending on the space, the most suitable approach may involve wall panels, ceiling rafts, acoustic baffles, or a combination of different products.

How Much Acoustic Treatment Is Needed?

There is no single quantity of acoustic panels that will work for every room.

A large classroom with a high ceiling and extensive glazing will behave very differently from a small, carpeted meeting room. Room volume, ceiling height, occupancy, existing finishes and how the space is used can all influence the amount of sound absorption required.

For projects in Ireland, The Acoustics Store can provide guidance on the appropriate type and quantity of acoustic wall panels, ceiling rafts and acoustic baffles for the individual space.

Further technical information, available sizes and product options can be found on the Petra™ range page at The Acoustics Store Ireland.

👉 Contact us today for expert advice and product recommendations.