WHY WOOL?
ACOUSTIC PERFORMANCE IS OUR PRIMARY FOCUS
Wool is recommended by acousticians for its high absorption coefficients across a wide range of frequencies. acouStaCorp 100% wool (DFR, 550 gsm) was developed to be dense and dimensionally stable for the best performance and the long life of our products.
We commissioned independent accredited laboratory testing in accordance with ASTM standard C423.
Test reports with full range of frequencies can be provided upon request.
Suppliers of theatrical fabrics, who have long offered velour for acoustic drapes, are now publishing absorption coefficients that are misleading if applied to acoustic banners. Those coefficients refer to fullness up to 100% however, acoustic banners are flat.
The following comparison between wool & velour is based on laboratory testing.
acouStac® banner widths are achieved by cutting the wool along the length of the bolt (railroaded). The appearance of the wool is consistent from any viewpoint. Using directional fabrics, such as velour with nap, are not ideal in this configuration. The nap in a horizontal orientation creates a dark appearance in one direction, and a light appearance in the opposite direction. The nap will also get ‘bristled’ markings.
Wool does not fray, or need to be hemmed. Our banners have clean cut, un-hemmed side edges, giving a smooth appearance. Velour and many other fabrics fray and have to be hemmed or lock stitched along the side edge.
DFR Wool (durably flame retardant), does not require re-treatment for flame resistance. FR velour & other fabrics will require re-treatment.
Wool has a rich matte finish, without the sheen of synthetic fabrics. We can custom color our wool to match or coordinate with other fabric selections to create beautiful and unique interior spaces at no additional charge. Lab dip swatches provided for approval. Color card or swatches gladly provided upon request.
acouStaCorp 100% wool (DFR, 550 gsm) has been tested for strength and durability and has been reliably used on banners as tall as 40 feet. There is no known data on velour to assure that it is structural enough to support the weight of taller banners, or provide an adequate service life without tearing or deterioration. We do not support the use of velour in our warranty.
COEFFICIENT COMPARISON
Wool: 29oz/yd (29 oz per yard is based on 64” wide goods)
Velour: 25oz/yd – KM Fabric (25 oz per yard is based on 54” wide goods)
acouStac® with two parallel fabric layers spaced 3” apart with 11” segment heighT
SPECIMEN HUNG PARALLEL TO A WALL:
| Distance From Wall | 250Hz | 800Hz | NRC | SAA | |
| Wool | 6″ | 0.72 | 1.00 | 0.95 | 0.92 |
| Wool | 15″ | 0.78 | 1.00 | 0.95 | 0.94 |
| Velour | 6″ | 0.54 | 0.95 | 0.85 | 0.82 |
| Velour | 15″ | 0.42 | 1.05 | 0.85 | 0.87 |
SPECIMEN HUNG IN THE MIDDLE OF A ROOM:
| 250Hz | 800Hz | NRC | SAA | |
| Wool | 0.83 | 1.32 | 1.20 | 1.18 |
| Velour | 0.53 | 1.39 | 1.15 | 1.11 |
SPECIMEN HUNG PARALLEL TO A WALL:
| Distance From Back Of Wall To Enclosure | 250Hz | 800Hz | NRC | SAA | |
| Wool | 6″ | 0.99 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.98 |
| Wool | 15″ | 1.00 | 0.97 | 0.95 | 0.96 |
| Velour | 6″ | 0.77 | 0.92 | 0.85 | 0.83 |
| Velour | 15″ | 0.60 | 0.92 | 0.80 | 0.80 |