For projects in France
Cinema and multiplex soundproofing in France
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. Churches, salles des fetes and civic auditoriums are stone and plaster 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 you are buying, and what it fixes in France
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.
Churches, salles des fetes and civic auditoriums are stone and plaster volumes with very long decay.
Work reaching us from France is mostly apartments, hotels, restaurants, offices, studios, schools, clinics.
- Retrofit, not new build Most rooms already exist, so the build-up has to work within the depth and the finishes you already have.
- Timber floors and divided apartments Footfall and speech move between homes through the floor. Mass plus a resilient layer beats any surface treatment underneath.
- Hospitality volume Restaurants and hotels take the acoustic complaints personally, because guests write them down. Absorption goes where it will not fight the design.
- 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 France.
02 / The build-up
How the layers stack, from the structure inwards
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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 France, mechanical extract ventilation is near universal, and the extract path carries sound between flats as reliably as the wall.
Duct and plant wrap. Membrane wrapped over the duct with a decoupling layer beneath, sealed at every lap.
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Layer 2
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 France, churches, salles des fetes and civic auditoriums are stone and plaster volumes with very long decay.
Wall array. Panels placed at first reflection points rather than spread evenly. Fewer panels, better result.
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Layer 3
PET felt acoustic panels
A rigid non-woven panel pressed from 100% polyester fibre, a large part of it recycled. In France, school buildings are hard surfaced with high ceilings, and canteens are consistently the loudest rooms.
On a 25 to 50 mm air gap. The same panel on battens. The air gap moves absorption down in frequency at no extra material cost, and is the cheapest improvement available.
If you are specifying for a France project, we can give you a section, a BOQ and the honest limits of each layer. See how we support architects.
03 / In this market
The France conditions that change the answer
- Retrofit, not new build
Most rooms already exist, so the build-up has to work within the depth and the finishes you already have.
- Timber floors and divided apartments
Footfall and speech move between homes through the floor. Mass plus a resilient layer beats any surface treatment underneath.
- Hospitality volume
Restaurants and hotels take the acoustic complaints personally, because guests write them down. Absorption goes where it will not fight the design.
- Seasonal programmes
Coastal and resort work runs to a fixed opening date. We give honest dispatch and transit dates so the fit-out is not waiting on a container.
- Assembly and performance rooms
Churches, salles des fetes and civic auditoriums are stone and plaster volumes with very long decay.
04 / Room by room
What each space in a France project needs
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Screen to screen
Independent construction between auditoria, with services broken at the line. Most rooms already exist, so the build-up has to work within the depth and the finishes you already have.
- Soundproofing materials, 2100 kg per cubic metre. 2.5 mm STC 30 at 5.25 kg per sq m, 4 mm STC 34 at 8.4, 6 mm at 12.6
- Acoustic carpet and rugs, 4 mm
- PET felt acoustic panels, 4 to 24 mm
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In room response
Heavy absorption on side and rear walls so the mix is heard as intended. Footfall and speech move between homes through the floor. Mass plus a resilient layer beats any surface treatment underneath.
- Soundproofing materials, 1800 x 900 x 20 mm, 100 kg per cubic metre, NRC 0.85
- Acoustic carpet and rugs, High density polyester
- 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. Restaurants and hotels take the acoustic complaints personally, because guests write them down. Absorption goes where it will not fight the design.
- Soundproofing materials, Mass, then decoupling, then cavity absorption, then sealing
- Acoustic carpet and rugs, Felt
- PET felt acoustic panels, 2440 x 4270 mm, 2.44 x 4.27 m, 8 x 14 ft
Interior designers tend to arrive with the look already decided. We will tell you which finish gets there without losing the acoustics. See how we work with interior designers.
04 / Climate
What the France climate rules in and rules out
France is cool and damp, with long heating seasons and cold external walls, and that narrows the material list before acoustics is discussed.
Cold wall build-ups and long heating seasons mean interstitial condensation is a real risk behind any lining. PET felt is unaffected by damp air and will not feed mould where a fabric-faced mineral product would.
The failure we design against here is condensation behind linings in older, poorly insulated stock.
Consultants get the raw data, not a sales sheet. That is the whole of our side of the job, and it is set out under working with acoustic consultants.
06 / Before you buy
The six errors that cost the most
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A shared service void running across the wall line
Square metre for square metre the ceiling is the cheapest result in the room. Skipping it and buying wall panels instead is the most common way to overspend.
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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 France job
Most rooms already exist, so the build-up has to work within the depth and the finishes you already have.
05 / Supply
How material reaches a France site
| Ships from | Palwal, Haryana, India |
|---|---|
| Arrives at | Le Havre, Marseille or Antwerp, then road to site |
| Dispatch | 4 to 7 working days |
| Freight | Sea via Le Havre |
| Support | Drawings, build-ups, BOQ and material that arrives complete |
Standard items dispatch in 4 to 7 working days. Grooved and custom colours take longer, and we say so before you order.
Sea freight into Le Havre, Marseille or Antwerp, then road to site. Air freight for samples and urgent quantities.
Questions from France projects
What makes cinema and multiplex soundproofing different in France?
Churches, salles des fetes and civic auditoriums are stone and plaster volumes with very long decay. Most rooms already exist, so the build-up has to work within the depth and the finishes you already have.
Where should the budget go first on a France 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 France?
No. We manufacture in India and supply into France. 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 France site?
ships from: Palwal, Haryana, India, arrives at: Le Havre, Marseille or Antwerp, then road to site, dispatch: 4 to 7 working days. Standard items dispatch in 4 to 7 working days. Grooved and custom colours take longer, and we say so before you order.
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
A plan and a section is enough. We will come back with a build-up, a BOQ and a delivered date, and we will say so if what you are asking for will not work.