Wood Wool or PET Felt? An Acoustic Guide for Architects

As Nyquista Acoustic Design, we work with both of these materials on a daily basis - we offer Wooden Fiber panels made from wood wool and the EcoLine series made from PET felt. We understand their potential and specifics, which is why we share objective knowledge to turn your vision into a functional reality.

Summary of Options: Which material is right for you?

Before we delve into the details, here's a quick overview to help guide your decision:

Opt for wood wool (our Wooden Fiber panels) if your priorities are:

• Natural aesthetics and biophilic design: The warm, organic texture blends perfectly with wood, concrete, and greenery.

• Highest fire safety: Natural class A2-s1,d0 or B-s1,d0 without chemical additives, crucial in facilities with heightened requirements (schools, hospitals).

• Mechanical durability: Exceptional impact resistance, ideal for high traffic areas (corridors, gymnasiums).

• Healthy microclimate: Natural ability to regulate humidity in the room.

Opt for PET felt (our EcoLine series) when the key factors are:

• Unlimited design freedom: A wide range of colors, ease of cutting into any shapes, and creating 3D forms.

• Lightweight and easy installation: The low weight of the panels significantly simplifies and speeds up installation, reducing labor costs.

• Maximum acoustic performance: The highest sound absorption coefficients (class A), especially in the form of lightweight baffles and ceiling clouds.

• Ecology in the spirit of the circular economy: The material is at least 60% recycled and is itself 100% recyclable.

Comparison of Key Parameters

Details Duel: What does this mean for your project?

1. Aesthetics and Design

Wood wool is a tribute to nature. Its irregular, fibrous structure brings depth and authenticity to interiors. At Nyquista, we offer Wooden Fiber panels in both natural shades and painted in any color, allowing you to maintain an organic character while fully aligning with your project's palette.
PET felt, on the other hand, is a blank canvas for your creativity. It enables the creation of bold color compositions, precise geometric patterns, or organic, three-dimensional forms. Our EcoLine series harnesses this potential, allowing you to realize the most daring visions – from minimalist panels to complex artistic installations.

2. Acoustic Performance

Both materials offer excellent sound absorption (class A in many configurations), effectively reducing echo and improving speech intelligibility. Wood wool, due to its mass and structure, performs well with sound across a wide range of frequencies. Despite its smaller thickness, PET felt achieves remarkable results, and its lightness makes it an unrivaled material for creating suspended elements (baffles, clouds) that work with sound from both sides, maximizing efficiency.

3. Fire Safety

This is where the key difference lies. Wood wool owes its fire resistance to the mineral binding agent (cement) that surrounds each fiber. It is an inherent, not acquired, characteristic. PET felt, being a polyester material, achieves a high fire class rating (B-s1,d0) through the use of safe, certified flame retardants. For most commercial projects, both solutions more than meet the standards. However, in facilities with the highest safety requirements, the natural non-combustibility of wood wool can be a decisive factor.

4. Ecology: Two Paths to Sustainability

By choosing wood wool, you opt for a renewable material sourced from responsibly managed forests, with an exceptionally low carbon footprint. By choosing PET felt, you actively participate in the circular economy, giving a second life to plastic waste. Both paths lead to green building and will allow you to earn valuable points in LEED or BREEAM certifications.

Conclusion: A Partner in Realizing Your Vision

The final choice between wood wool and PET felt is not a matter of one material being superior to the other, but rather matching their unique advantages to the priorities of your project.

• For a project that aims to emanate natural warmth, durability, and uncompromising safety, the ideal solution will be Wooden Fiber panels.

• When your vision incorporates design courage, color, lightness of form, and ecological innovation, the best answer is the EcoLine series made from PET felt.

At Nyquista Acoustic Design, we not only deliver products. We provide knowledge and experience to help you make an informed choice that perfectly complements your vision.

Contact us to discuss the details of your project and receive material samples.