If you manage or own a multi-family dwelling, you can count on noise being a top complaint from your tenants. It’s not easy living so close to one another – especially with paper thin walls and neighbors with differing schedules.

Soundproofing rental units can make a world of difference for tenants who will be more comfortable, happier, and stay longer!

There are, however, a few steps you can take to help your tenants hear less from their neighboring units.

1. Think about the floors.

Sure, carpet is quieter than tile or hardwood – but how appealing is a FULLY carpeted apartment? In 2013… not very. An acoustical underlayment that has an IIC rating, meaning it absorbs impact noise before it can travel through the floor to the ceiling below, will greatly reduce or eliminate the sound of footsteps that tenants can hear from their upstairs neighbors. If you find an underlayment with an both an IIC and an STC rating, this means it will not only reduce footfall noise transmission, but block some airborne noise like speech, music, and televisions as well.

2. Think about the walls.

Just like floors, airborne noise can also make its way through the walls separating units. The most effective soundproofing techniques for walls include Mass Loaded Vinyl, which is installed during construction or when the wall is open, and attached to the studs – or creating a ‘floating wall’ or ‘room within a room’ by installing resilient isolation clips and a new layer of drywall, mechanically isolated from the previous layer. You can even do both for superior results.

*Pro tip: if your walls are already finished and closed up, you can also use a damping compound like Green Glue and an additional layer of drywall.

3. Think about the doors.

Remember the 1% Rule: A 1% opening will allow up to 50% of sound to pass through a wall, door, barrier, etc. So more often than not, if tenants are hearing their neighbors, it may be coming through gaps around openings like doors and windows. Using a well-fitting, solid core door is always a good start, but if more sound attenuation is needed, an Acoustical Door Seal Kit can be attached around the existing door to make it airtight – and soundproof.

4. Think about the cost.

While you may have foreseen the necessity and benefit of soundproofing rental units, not everyone will want to, or need to, invest in all of the above soundproofing techniques. Think about what noise issues specifically your tenants are bringing to your attention, and how that noise is being transmitted between units. Addressing only the true problem areas will save you a lot of time and cash.

Need help identifying the source of your noise transmission? Give us a call for a free acoustical consultation. One of our knowledgeable Architectural Sales Reps would love to talk you through your noise issue and any possible solutions: 800 782 5742

Summer is almost here, and everyone you know is anxious to head for the nearest body of water. Many of you avid swimmers have probably already been practicing your butterfly and breast strokes… at your local indoor pool.

Besides the lack of sunshine, one drawback to using an indoor pool is the noise level. In months where the indoor pool is the place to be – crowded with classes and vocal children – it can be nearly impossible to hear someone speaking to you from three feet away, or to understand announcements from lifeguards and pool staff over the reverberation of sounds.

The reason sound is so intense, and speech intelligibility so poor, is because rooms containing indoor pools are almost always all hard surfaces. The water, walls, floor and ceiling are likely tile or block, which are the most impervious to water damage, but also give sound waves no place to dissipate.

The key to solving these noise issues is adding sound absorbing materials to the walls and ceilings to offset all of the reverberant surfaces. There are a number of acoustical treatments you can use to reduce indoor swimming pool noise, and the ones listed below are also tolerant to moisture and can be installed to block walls and ceiling scaffolding.

 

Acoustical Baffles and Clouds

These ceiling treatments are made of sound absorbent foam with an HPC waterproof coating and are easily suspended from scaffolding – absorbing sound waves that tend to build up in high ceilings.

 

Sonex™ Foam Baffles

             

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whisperwave™ Baffles and Clouds

 

 

Rondo Acoustical Baffles

             

 

AlphaEnviro™ PVC Baffles

 

Acoustical Banners

Banners are PVC or Ripstop wrapped acoustical products that offer the most sound absorbent surface area, and are easily cleanable.

 

AlphaFlex™ PVC Banners

 

Acoustical Wall Panels and Ceiling Tiles

Waterproof PVC encapsulated acoustical treatment as well as acoustical foam can also be installed surface mounted on walls or ceilings.

 

Sonex™ Wall and Ceiling Tiles

 

 

Phonstop Recycled Glass Wall and Ceiling Panels

 

AlphaEnviro PVC Wall Panels

Feel free to call in with any questions on these products or applications, or for a free acoustical consultation for your indoor pool!
800 782 5742

info@acousticalsolutions.com

AcousticalSolutions.com

“Many of the most cutting-edge, design conscious restaurants are introducing a new level of noise to today’s already voluble restaurant scene. The new noisemakers: Restaurants housed in cavernous spaces with wood floors, linen-free tables, high ceilings and lots of windows—all of which cause sound to ricochet around what are essentially hard-surfaced echo chambers” – The Wall Street Journal (Pass the Salt… and the Megaphone)

Due to the design preferences of millenials, eateries are sleeker, and louder, than ever. Acoustical Solutions recently helped restaurant owner Kevin Healy with reducing noise in his restaurants – without compromising their stunning, modern designs.

After fully renovating the lower level of an 1890s brick building for the opening of his second eatery, Healy wanted to avoid the heartache of customer noise complaints he had experienced at his first business.

Kevin Healy’s first restaurant, The Boathouse at Rocketts Landing, is a popular destination for events like wedding receptions and parties. With a luxurious windowed dining room overlooking the James River, The Boathouse has operated for over five years, with only one recurring complaint among new patrons – the noise level.

After trying a few acoustical treatments from another company with less than desirable results, Healy worked with Acoustical Solutions and his designer Helen Reed to develop a treatment that would effectively reduce noise in his restaurant without adding more distracting acoustical treatments.

Around the same time, Healy was renovating another building in preparation of his new restaurant, Casa Del Barco.

“There are no soft surfaces in this entire restaurant,” said Reed, “Kevin knew from the beginning, based on what happened at the Boathouse, that Casa Del Barco would need acoustical treatment”.

---

Treatment Provided

The Boathouse at Rocketts Landing already had metal waves with acoustical batting behind, “But the results were not what we hoped”, said Reed, and noise complaints continued.

Acoustical Solutions developed a plan for an absorbent stretch wall and installed the treatment above the bar and open kitchen.

As for Casa Del Barco, the treatments available were more plentiful since they could be conceived at the design process instead of being retrofitted into an existing design.

“I didn’t even know we could print on acoustical panels until I spoke with [Acoustical Solutions],” said Reed, “I think the panels in Casa Del Barco look great”.

For Casa Del Barco, Acoustical Solutions created large AcoustiArt Acoustical Panels printed with a mix of the restaurant’s color scheme and logo, for a branded acoustical ceiling treatment. AcoustiArt Panels are especially well suited for reducing noise in restaurants because they serve dual purposes as artwork and as acoustical wall or ceiling treatments.

---

Quantitive Results

Since the installations of acoustical treatment, noise complaints have ceased at The Boathouse, and noise issues were completely avoided at Casa Del Barco.

“We haven’t had received any complaints about noise issues at Casa Del Barco,” said Healy, “it worked!”