Excessive noise in gyms can distract members from their workouts and make it difficult to run group classes or personal training sessions. If sound is an issue at your gym, noise curtains can help.
With noise reduction curtains for commercial gyms, you can make your facility more pleasant and functional for members and staff. In this article, we’ll discuss how curtain walls can reduce echo in large spaces like gyms, the best places to install commercial soundproofing systems, and other tips for improving the acoustics of your facility.
Gym Noise Can Hurt Your Business
Gyms are built with echo-prone materials like concrete, hard flooring, and steel. When you mix these factors with high ceilings and open layouts, noise levels quickly begin to rise. Unfortunately, excessive noise can distract members from their workouts, make it difficult to run fitness classes or personal training sessions, lower the perceived professionalism of your facility, and lead to hearing fatigue over time. If your gym is too noisy, it may drive people away.
What Are Noise Curtains?
Noise curtains, also known as acoustic or soundproofing curtains, are large panels made to absorb and block sound. Typically, noise curtains are made with commercial soundproofing materials like thick, multi-layered fabrics that trap and dampen sound waves. In gym environments, you’ll usually see them installed as curtain walls, room dividers, or wall coverings. They help reduce echo, dampen ambient noise, and separate spaces without the cost of permanent walls.
How Do Noise Curtains Work?
Sound is a vibration that travels through the air in the form of waves. When those waves hit a hard surface like a wall or floor, they bounce back and create an echo. In a space filled with hard surfaces like a gym, this creates a noisy mess of bouncing sound waves.
Noise reduction curtains absorb those sound waves before they can bounce around using a series of specially constructed layers. Most soundproof curtains are made from three parts: dense materials like mass-loaded vinyl to physically block sound; porous materials like fiberglass or mineral wool to absorb sound energy; and an outer fabric layer that protects the inner materials and also improves how the curtain looks. The dense layers work to block low-frequency sounds like banging weights, while the soft layers absorb higher-frequency sounds like voices. Combined, they reduce the overall noise that makes it into or out of the space.
Benefits of Installing Noise Curtains in Gyms
Here are some of the main benefits you can expect after installing noise curtains at your gym.
Reduced Echo
Echoes distort sound and make it harder to understand speech. Noise curtains absorb sound waves and eliminate that reverb, making it easier for everyone to hear each other without yelling.
Improved Focus for Members
When you invest in soundproofing solutions for commercial gyms, you help your members stay focused on their workouts.
Flexibility
Don’t want to build permanent walls? You can use curtain walls to divide a large gym floor into zones like cardio, strength, stretching, or group classes without sacrificing flow or natural light. Plus, they’re movable and adaptable as your gym evolves.
Improved Privacy
Want to give your personal training clients a quieter space to work or separate a private class from the hustle of the gym floor? Noise reduction curtains can create semi-private areas that feel more exclusive and comfortable.
Cost-Effective
Building permanent soundproof rooms can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Soundproofing solutions for commercial gyms, including noise reduction curtains, offer similar benefits at a fraction of the cost.
Where to Install Noise Curtains in Your Gym
Every gym layout is different, but here are a few places to consider.
Around Free Weights
Free weights are one of the most sound-intensive areas of a gym. Hanging acoustic curtains around the perimeter of the weight section can contain that sound.
Around Group Fitness Rooms
Group classes like HIIT or spin classes tend to crank the volume of the music up. Use curtains as barriers to keep that energy in the room and out of quieter areas nearby.
Near Cardio Equipment
Ellipticals, rowers, and treadmills can generate a surprising amount of hum. Curtains can help mute that noise, especially if machines are close to rest areas or stretching spaces.
At the Reception Area
If you want to create a good first impression, install noise curtains to block out the gym floor noise near your front desk or waiting area.
What to Look for in Gym Noise Curtains
As you’re shopping for soundproofing solutions for commercial gyms, pay attention to the curtain’s thickness and weight. Heavier curtains with multiple layers will perform better than light curtains with fewer layers. Additionally, you want your curtains to be made of materials that stand up to wear, moisture, and cleaning. It’s a good idea to invest in curtains that meet local safety codes for commercial spaces, especially when it comes to fire safety, and to pick curtains that can be mounted on ceiling tracks for easy sliding. Finally, pay attention to sizing. Every gym is different, so look for manufacturers that offer tailored dimensions or modular panels.
Tips for Getting Started
Before you choose your curtains, you’ll need to determine the areas of your gym that produce the most noise. Walk around during your gym’s busiest hours and see where the sound seems to build up the most. We also suggest starting with a few curtains and building from there. Even a single well-placed curtain can make a difference. Finally, try out different systems, expand as needed, and think about branding. Some manufacturers let you customize curtain colors or print your logo onto the sides to make them fit the theme of your gym.
Learn More About Soundproofing Solutions for Commercial Gyms
At Singer Safety, our mission is to reduce excessive noise and improve safety in easy, efficient ways with our range of high-quality noise cancelling curtains. Each of our products is designed with durability in mind, and we offer both standard and custom sizes.
Need help deciding which option is right for you? Our staff can help you determine the products that will work best for your facility. To learn more, contact us today.
'
