margaritaxtreme

While there are many different types of materials to use and different ways to make acoustic panels, the following demonstrates one possible way to make them.

For making a 2 foot by 4 foot panel, one of the most common sizes, you will need to gather the following materials: 2′ by 4′ quarter inch luan underlayment or plywood, two 8 foot 1×2 furring strips, your acoustic material, and one yard of fabric.

Start by cutting one furring strip in half at 48″, and make 2 cuts of the other furring strip at 22.5.” Home Depot or Lowe’s can usually do this for you at no charge. Using a nail gun, attach the furring strips to the edges of the plywood with narrow crown staples. Then use a nail gun to nail the ends of the furring strips together with brad nails. This will make your frame, and the corners should be square assuming your plywood is square.

Next, you will need to cut your acoustic material with a box cutter. The inside dimensions of the frame will be about 46.5″ by 22.5″, so you will need to cut about 1.5″ of acoustic material off of 2 of the Ceiling Rafts sides. Then lay out your yard of fabric, and place the frame filled with acoustic material face down centered in the middle of the fabric. While there is not a clear definition of what makes a fabric ‘acoustically transparent’, as a general rule of thumb, if you can easily blow through the fabric, then it is considered acoustically transparent.

Using a staple gun, staple the fabric on the back of one of the sides. Then, pull the fabric so it is tight, and staple the opposing side to the back of the panel. Then, use a pair of scissors to cut the excess fabric from each of the 4 corners. Fold one of the corners so it makes a nice smooth edge, and staple the fabric to the back of the acoustic panel. Repeat for the other 3 corners. Then, use a staple gun to staple the remaining fabric on the other two sides. You are then finished! You should have a nice looking acoustical panel.