Noise Control Product Manufacturers
Sound & Noise Control
Manufacturers of Sound Deadening Products & Tips
Noise is different things to different people. For example, when my son beats on his toy drum, it's noise to me but a very pleasant sound to him. Sometimes my wife considers my conversation to be noise. That's the funny thing. Certain sounds can pleasant at one time but yet noise 2 hours later.
To protect yourself from these unwanted sounds, you need to understand sound. With this understanding, blocking unwanted sounds from getting to your ears becomes somewhat easy.
Vibrations
It's been a long time since my high school physics class, 25 years to be exact. Anyway, I do seem to recall the teacher talking about sound and demonstrating tuning forks. Striking the tuning fork against a hard object, such as my head, made it vibrate. This vibration resulted in a hum. I also remember seeing a movie where they somehow got a camera inside of someone's throat. The movie showed a person's vocal chords vibrating as they talked. It wasn't a pleasant sight, as I recall.
The point is this: sound can only be created when something vibrates. If you stop vibrations, you eliminate sound.
Have Sound Will Travel
Once something is vibrating, it begins to push against the air next to it. The molecules of air then begin to push against more air molecules until the air molecules next to your ear push against your eardrum. Your eardrum then vibrates and BINGO, you brain interprets this air movement as sound.
Air is the pathway or super highway of sound and noise. If you want to stop sound or noise from getting to your ears, you need to block as many direct paths of air between the source of the sound and your ears. It's that simple.
The Energy of Sound
Did you grow up in an older home? One that had plaster walls and ceilings, solid pine or oak doors, solid wood floors? Did that old house seem to be more soundproof than your newer home which happens to be constructed of drywall, plywood, and hollow core doors?
Have you ever noticed how outdoor noise is virtually eliminated when you go inside your basement or any other structure which is constructed of concrete block or solid brick?
The reason for this phenomena is very simple. It has to do with energy and vibrations. We talked about vibrations already. Now let's talk about the energy of sound. When something vibrates, it exerts a certain force against the air around it. For example, tap a pencil against a desk. That is a small amount of vibration and energy. Now drop a book on the desk. That's even more vibration and energy. Now imagine how much vibration (energy) there is inside a diesel locomotive engine. Lots!
Bear with me, this will begin to make sense in just a few paragraphs. Take your desk outside, close your windows, and have someone go outside and tap the pencil on the desk.
More than likely, you will not hear the sound, unless your window weatherstripping is shot. Have them drop the book, maybe you might hear a dull thud. Now, have that locomotive rush past your house, not only will you hear it, you will quite possibly feel it as well. The thing is vibrating so much that it vibrates your entire house. That's why locomotives, jets, and big trucks are so noisy.
Blocking loud noises (or any noise for that matter) also depends upon how easily the vibrating air can then, in turn, make another object vibrate. In our previous example, you couldn't hear the tapping pencil outside of your house because the pencil couldn't produce enough energy to vibrate the glass in the window.
In a nut shell, that's the whole trick. Build walls, ceilings and floors that are either thick, dense and/or are very difficult to vibrate. That's why your old house was more soundproof. Plaster is much denser than drywall. It takes more energy to get plaster to vibrate.
Sound and noise can be controlled. You simply need to understand how it's produced and how it gets to your ears. This is why high quality hotels hire acoustical consultants. They understand sound. They use materials that absorb sound, block air, & minimize vibrations.
Manufacturers of Fiberglass Sound Batts
- Certainteed Corp.
P.O. Box 860
Valley Forge, Pennsylvania 19482
800-523-7844 - Georgia Pacific
P.O. Box 105605
Atlanta, Georgia 30303
800-447-2882 - Guardian Fiberglass. Inc.
1000 E. North Street
Albion, Michigan 49224
800-748-0035 - Knauf Fiber Glass
240 Elizabeth Street
Shelbyville, Indiana 46176
800-825-4434 - Owens-Corning (excellent literature source)
Fiberglass Tower
Toledo, Ohio 43659
800-GET-PINK (438-7465)
Acoustic Associations
- National Council of Acoustic Consultants
66 Morris Ave.
Suite 1A
Springfield, New Jersey 07081-1409
201-564-5859 - North American Insulation Manufacturers
44 Canal Center Plaza Suite 310
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
703-684-0084
Call or write to these associations for excellent literature concerning sound and sound control. You will be amazed at how easy it really is to control sound.
Manufacturers of Acoustical Floor Underlayments
- Environmental Flooring Products, Inc.
P.O. Box 125
2211 Lithonia Industrial Boulevard
Lithonia, Georgia 30058
800-533-2675 (CORK)
This company makes a wonderful cork underlayment that you can install beneath just about any flooring material. Cork is an excellent sound control product because it can absorb sound waves and minimize vibrations caused by foot falls. - Kinetics Noise Control, Inc.
6300 Irelan Place
P.O. Box 655
Dublin, Ohio 43017
614-889-0480
Kinetics N.C. makes a very unique underlayment. It is made using two layers of dense molded glass fibers. Between these two sheets is a rigid, but flexible, honeycombed core. The product can be used under hardwood flooring, ceramic tile, slate, marble, or just about any flooring material. - Wicander Enterprises, Inc.
P.O. Box 276
Exeter, New Hampshire 03833
800-666-2675 (CORK)
Wicander also manufacturers cork underlayment.
Soundproofing Tips for Residential Construction Existing Construction
Existing houses, condos, and apartments are the toughest challenges in sound attenuation (control). The reason is simple: the most effective way to control sound is to incorporate certain materials and building practices during construction. However, there are some things that can help.
First, determine the source of the sound. For example if the sound is originating outdoors, quite possibly you are hearing it because of an air leak. Very often, the sound is working its way around a window or door which is poorly sealed. Often, one of the first comments I hear from customers when installing replacement windows is how quiet the house becomes. Check the caulking around the window both inside and out.
Noise which travels from room to room can also be caused by air leaks. Seal the holes inside of electrical boxes (CAUTION: Be sure power is turned off!), caulk between the edge of the electrical box and the drywall or plaster, caulk any and all cracks at door trims, baseboards, beneath baseboards, etc. Try to imagine filling the room with water. Anywhere that water would leak out of the room as it were filling should be caulked.
Bedroom doors can be weather stripped, just like exterior doors. You can even go to the trouble to install an exterior door that has full weatherstripping and a bottom door sweep. This is the type of door that is used in my radio studio. It really blocks noise from getting into or out of the broadcast studio.
You can fill the cavities between studs with blown-in fiberglass insulation. This will help, to a small degree, control airborne sound that gets into a wall cavity.
A more aggressive approach would be to try to increase the density of a ceiling or wall surface. I did this very effectively on a recent job. We had to soundproof a bedroom which was above a family room. So, we installed two layers of 3/8 inch drywall on top of the existing drywall. This extra drywall was installed on special metal furring strips called acoustical channels. These were purchased at a commercial outlet that sells steel framing materials for commercial jobs. After the first layer of 3/8 inch drywall was installed, the joints and corners were taped, even though another layer (the final one) was going immediately on top. This was done to block any airborne sound. The net result was incredible. The homeowner said that the difference was like night and day. The bedroom was very quiet.
In the basement, look for and isolate any pipes or ducts that vibrate or rub against wood framing. These things can make floor joists or wall studs vibrate and act like giant tuning forks!
New Construction
If you are getting ready to build a new home, remodel, or add a room addition, you can do some small things that will go a long way to minimize noise. Some cost little or nothing, while others add just slightly to the project. The first place to begin, if it can be squeezed into the budget, is to hire an acoustical consultant. For a fee of $300 -500 you may be able to obtain some excellent advice. Trust me, you will never regret obtaining this advice. If you can't afford such services, maybe some of the following ideas will be of help.
Always caulk beneath wall plates when walls are being constructed. Critical rooms should have two wall systems. In other words, instead of a conventional rough wall being one row of 2x4 studs 3-1/2 inches in depth, you would maybe have two rows of 2x4 studs on top of a 2x6 plate. The wall depth would be 5-1/2 inches thick. Inside of this wall, would be sound batt insulation. Also, make sure that electrical boxes are caulked before the drywall goes on. Caulk every hole into the box. Caulk all holes that penetrate wall plates as well.
Consider using insulated ductwork if you have a forced air heating or cooling system. Definitely use cast iron drainage pipes for your plumbing system. Use type L copper for your supply lines. Where ever a pipe penetrates a floor joist, stud, or wall plate, wrap the pipe with a piece of rubber or strong foam. Do not attach pipes directly to framing members with U shaped clamps! Use special acoustical hangers or wrap the pipe, at the connector, with rubber.
Glue and screw the plywood subfloor to floor joists. I always screw the floor after the roof is on and just before any finish materials are applied on top of the subfloor. This is especially critical in hallways and other areas where you know you will be walking in a room.
Use acoustical underlayments (cork, acoustical honeycomb composite underlayments, etc.) under all hard surface floors (tile, slate, hardwood, vinyl flooring, etc.).
Increase the mass of as many wall an ceiling assemblies as possible. This means adding another layer of drywall in critical rooms. It will be worth it!
Use an air infiltration barrier on the outside of the house. Purchase the best, tightest fitting windows and doors that you can possibly afford.
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