When deciding what STC rating you should specify; use the following chart to in light your decision:
| STC | PRIVACY AFFORDED |
| 25 | Normal speech easily understood |
| 30 | Normal speech audible, but unintelligible |
| 35 | Loud speech understood |
| 40 | Loud speech audible, but unintelligible |
| 45 | Loud speech barely audible |
| 50 | Shouting barely audible |
| 55 | Shouting not audible |
U.S. Dept. of Commerce / National Bureau of Standards
STC OF FAMILIAR CONSTRUCTIONS
Here are some STC from typical building items and materials, to give you an idea how an operable partition compares.
| STC | CONSTRUCTION |
| 18 | Hollow-metal door |
| 22 | Solid wood door |
| 26 | 1/4" plate glass |
| 32 | 1/2" plate glass |
| 38 | 1/2" drywall on wood studs, both sides |
| 42 | 5/8" drywall on steel studs, both sides |
| 46 | 8" hollow concrete block |
| 50 | Double 5/8" drywall on steel studs, insulated |
| 53 | 12" poured solid concrete wall |