A Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC) is a rating for how much sound a material absorbs.
The higher the rating, the better the sound absorption. So a material with an NRC of 1 absorbs 100% of sound. In the insulation world, NRC is an important factor because along with regulating temperature, insulation should also keep your living space quiet.
Havelock Wool’s NRC of 90 and 95% beats most other insulation mediums. To be fair, there are some products with a slightly higher NRC but those tend to be designed specifically for sound absorption. As such, they fall short on other important metrics like R-Value…. not to mention moisture management, air filtration, and sustainability.
But how can you appreciate insulation with a high NRC before you put it in your walls? Fortunately, Havelock Wool has a great community of ambassadors who share their experiences with us. Check out the latest example below from @lariotsofficial and listen carefully to both what you hear and don’t hear!
That’s so sick! Great demonstration! Do you know how many bags of wool were used on this van? We are definitely planning on continuing to brag on y’all to our customers with this video!
Thanks! It was likely 3-4 bags for that van project. Keep in touch!
Are you recommending customers use rattletrap before laying the batts or have you found the wool alone is sufficient noise absorbtion in vans?
Any problems with using both? Thanks.
Not necessary to use rattletrap as the wool does a great job absorbing sound as is. The only potential issue could be with trapping moisture, per this blog post. That being said, we know that some folks have used rattletrap align with wool. Thanks!
Do you use reflectix between the wool and the paneling?
We dont see the need for Reflectix but lots of folks do use it. Our concern is that reflectix can actually trap additional moisture in the walls and prevent the wool from expanding and contracting. Thanks.
Hi, I’m thinking of using Havelock in an insulated curtain application. Will it help with noise reduction in this application as well?
Yes it should certainly help. Wool absorbs sound incredibly well. Thanks!