What is a sone rating?

A Sound Transmission Class (STC) rating is a way to measure how well a building material, such as a wall, barrier or partition, reduces sound transmission from one area to another. The higher the STC rating, the better the material is at attenuating sound. A standard wall with no soundproofing has an STC rating of around 30, while a wall with good soundproofing can have an STC rating of 60 or higher. Different materials have different STC ratings, and combinations of materials can be used to increase the soundproofing of a wall. STC ratings are used in building codes to set minimum requirements for soundproofing in certain situations, such as between apartments or hotel rooms.