For projects in Cuba
Cinema and multiplex soundproofing in Cuba
Screens stacked beside and above each other, each running full range at high level. Bleed between auditoria is the failure everyone hears, and it is decided by the shell, not the finishes. Theatres, church buildings and cultural centres are masonry volumes with very long decay.
- Screen to screen
- Independent construction between auditoria, with services broken at the line.
- In room response
- Heavy absorption on side and rear walls so the mix is heard as intended.
- Plant and projection
- Equipment noise into the auditorium, treated at source.
- Quote
- From a plan and a section, within 48 hours
01 / The material
What this is, and what it changes in a Cuba room
Screens stacked beside and above each other, each running full range at high level. Bleed between auditoria is the failure everyone hears, and it is decided by the shell, not the finishes.
Theatres, church buildings and cultural centres are masonry volumes with very long decay.
Work reaching us from Cuba is mostly hotels and restoration projects, theatres and halls, offices, clinics, schools.
- Paperwork is part of the lead time Import formalities take real time here. We prepare the documentation package before shipping rather than after, and we quote the full window.
- Heritage buildings under restoration Tall rooms with hard plaster and timber floors, where the structure stays and everything has to be done internally and shallow.
- Salt air and humidity PET felt does not absorb moisture, rot or feed mould, which matters on a Caribbean coast where mineral products fail quickly.
- Screen to screen Independent construction between auditoria, with services broken at the line.
Full specification
Thickness, density, NRC by frequency, fire class, standard sizes and build-up detail for cinema soundproofing are on the main product page. This page covers what that means for a project in Cuba.
02 / The build-up
The stack, in the order it is installed
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Layer 1
SoundBlanket mass loaded vinyl
A limp, high density sheet that adds mass to a partition, floor or duct without adding depth. In Cuba, split units and generator sets where available, with plant close to occupied rooms.
Duct and plant wrap. Membrane wrapped over the duct with a decoupling layer beneath, sealed at every lap.
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Layer 2
Soundproofing materials
The blocking side of the range taken together: mass loaded vinyl, resilient layers, cavity absorption and the build-ups they belong in. In Cuba, theatres, church buildings and cultural centres are masonry volumes with very long decay.
Floating floor. Resilient layer and deck, to break impact energy before it reaches the structure.
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Layer 3
Acoustic panels
The full absorber range rather than one product: plain PET felt, printed felt, grooved panels and fabric finishes, chosen by how the room is used and how it has to look. In Cuba, classrooms are hard and naturally ventilated with high ceilings and open circulation.
Mixed finish. Plain felt where it is out of eye line, printed or grooved where it is seen.
If you are specifying for a Cuba project, we can give you a section, a BOQ and the honest limits of each layer. See how we support architects.
03 / On the ground
What decides the build-up in Cuba
- Paperwork is part of the lead time
Import formalities take real time here. We prepare the documentation package before shipping rather than after, and we quote the full window.
- Heritage buildings under restoration
Tall rooms with hard plaster and timber floors, where the structure stays and everything has to be done internally and shallow.
- Salt air and humidity
PET felt does not absorb moisture, rot or feed mould, which matters on a Caribbean coast where mineral products fail quickly.
- Theatres and assembly halls
Large historic rooms where speech intelligibility fails long before anyone calls the room echoey.
- Assembly and performance rooms
Theatres, church buildings and cultural centres are masonry volumes with very long decay.
04 / Room by room
What each space in a Cuba project needs
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Screen to screen
Independent construction between auditoria, with services broken at the line. Import formalities take real time here. We prepare the documentation package before shipping rather than after, and we quote the full window.
- SoundBlanket mass loaded vinyl, 2100 kg per cubic metre
- Soundproofing materials, 1800 x 900 x 20 mm, 100 kg per cubic metre, NRC 0.85
- PET felt acoustic panels, 4 to 24 mm
-
In room response
Heavy absorption on side and rear walls so the mix is heard as intended. Tall rooms with hard plaster and timber floors, where the structure stays and everything has to be done internally and shallow.
- SoundBlanket mass loaded vinyl, STC 30, 5.25 kg per sq m
- Soundproofing materials, Mass, then decoupling, then cavity absorption, then sealing
- PET felt acoustic panels, 1220 x 2440 mm standard, 4 x 8 ft
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Plant and projection
Equipment noise into the auditorium, treated at source. PET felt does not absorb moisture, rot or feed mould, which matters on a Caribbean coast where mineral products fail quickly.
- SoundBlanket mass loaded vinyl, STC 34, 8.4 kg per sq m
- Soundproofing materials, ASTM E90 for the barrier, ASTM C423 for the absorber
- PET felt acoustic panels, 2440 x 4270 mm, 2.44 x 4.27 m, 8 x 14 ft
Designers get colour, pattern and CNC options with the absorption figure attached to each. See how we work with interior designers.
04 / Climate and durability
What the Cuba climate rules in and rules out
Cuba is hot summers, mild winters and a distinct wet season, and that narrows the material list before acoustics is discussed.
PET felt handles the wet months without absorbing moisture or feeding mould. Timber and wood wool want a ventilated cavity and a stable indoor RH.
The failure we design against here is wet-season humidity behind linings.
Where a consultant is already engaged on a Cuba project, we supply to their specification and send the test reports rather than describing them. More on working with acoustic consultants.
06 / Worth knowing
What we watch go wrong on jobs like this
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A shared service void running across the wall line
A treated wall under a bare hard ceiling gives you a fraction of the reduction you paid for, and the room still sounds wrong.
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Treating the auditorium to fix bleed from the next screen
It sounds like a small detail until the room is finished and the complaint arrives.
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Doors and lobbies specified late and undersized
Soundproofing fails at the gaps, not the materials. One unsealed service penetration can undo a correctly built wall.
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Treating it as a generic Cuba job
Import formalities take real time here. We prepare the documentation package before shipping rather than after, and we quote the full window.
05 / Getting it there
How material reaches a Cuba site
| Ships from | Palwal, Haryana, India |
|---|---|
| Arrives at | Mariel, then road to site |
| Dispatch | 4 to 7 working days |
| Freight | Sea via Mariel |
| Support | Drawings, build-ups, BOQ and material that arrives complete |
Standard items dispatch in 4 to 7 working days. The sea leg from India is long, so plan the full door to door window into the programme. We give real dates, not optimistic ones.
Sea freight into Mariel, then road to site. Air freight for samples where it is practical.
Questions from Cuba projects
What makes cinema and multiplex soundproofing different in Cuba?
Theatres, church buildings and cultural centres are masonry volumes with very long decay. Import formalities take real time here. We prepare the documentation package before shipping rather than after, and we quote the full window.
Where should the budget go first on a Cuba project?
Screen to screen. Independent construction between auditoria, with services broken at the line. In room response. Heavy absorption on side and rear walls so the mix is heard as intended.
Do you have an office or installation team in Cuba?
No. We manufacture in India and supply into Cuba. We give you drawings, build-ups, a BOQ and material that arrives complete, and we will tell you plainly when a job needs a local contractor we cannot be.
How does material get to a Cuba site?
ships from: Palwal, Haryana, India, arrives at: Mariel, then road to site, dispatch: 4 to 7 working days. Standard items dispatch in 4 to 7 working days. The sea leg from India is long, so plan the full door to door window into the programme. We give real dates, not optimistic ones.
What goes wrong most often on this kind of project?
A shared service void running across the wall line. Treating the auditorium to fix bleed from the next screen.
What do you need from us to quote?
A plan, a section through the critical partition or ceiling, and what the room is for. From that we can give a build-up and a BOQ rather than a price per square foot.
Next step
Drawings in, BOQ and a delivered date out
We quote from drawings, not from a square foot rate. Send a plan and the section through the critical wall or ceiling and you will get something you can actually build from.