Fighting sound with sound, new modeling technique could quiet aircraft

Newly published research by a Princeton engineer suggests that understanding how air travels across the sunroof of a car may one day make jet engines less noisy. This research may ultimately lead to modifications of jet engines to make them quieter as they fly over neighborhoods. It also has important military applications.

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Joyful Noise Disrupts Neighbors

Joyful noise disrupts neighbors (The Virginian-Pilot - HamptonRoads.com/PilotOnline.com): "Joyful noise disrupts neighbors

The Virginian-Pilot
© February 23, 2006

It’s regrettable that a Chesapeake police captain had to issue a memo to his officers laying down rules that common sense or simple courtesy would make obvious: Don’t interrupt a church service to check out a nuisance complaint.

As in a loud organ, or gospel choir.

Yet officials at Holy Temple Ministry, at 740 Great Bridge Blvd. in Chesapeake, say they’ve been interrupted repeatedly over the past year by Chesapeake police because of citizen complaints about noise.

Church Elder James Brinkley Jr. said police have come inside the church during services or sat outside the church in marked cars."

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Straight.com Vancouver | Arts | Finally, architecture you can dance to

Straight.com Vancouver | Arts | Finally, architecture you can dance to: "Finally, architecture you can dance to

By shawn conner

Publish Date: 23-Feb-2006

Whether or not the DJ phenomenon has peaked, one can’t help but notice that the role of this once ancillary figure has permeated popular culture. Thanks to hip-hop, which popularized turntables as a musical instrument, and dance-club music, which elevated the disc jockey to the level of rock star, the DJ has achieved symbolic, iconic, and marketable status."

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Coping with noise in the workplace | 456 Berea Street

Coping with noise in the workplace | 456 Berea Street: "Coping with noise in the workplace

I find it really hard to concentrate on tasks that require logical thinking when there is a lot of other things going on in the same room, especially if those other things are causing a lot of noise.

Some people can focus no matter what, but I’m pretty sensitive to unwanted background noise. Unfortunately everybody does not want their workplace to be quiet – some people actually want noise and chaos. Completely absurd to me, but that’s the way it is.
Sources of noise in the office

Many offices today are really bad with regard to background noise. What is worse is that there isn’t a whole lot you can do about much of that noise (provided you don’t want it) unless you have the luxury of having a room of your own. Kind of like the old days when smoking was allowed in offices – there was no getting away from it for the non-smokers."

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Door Slamming! What to do?

Here's the scenario. You have a neighbor that is constantly slamming the door at all hours of the day and night. What kind of person slams the door? Some how, I can go through life without slamming doors, so I expect other people to do the same. However, even though I have asked my neighbor nicely to stop slamming their door, they continue. It's a mother and three boys. I will not escalate the complaint because I would rather be on friendly terms with my neighbors.

Kids and teens, they make excellent door slammers. The adult door slammer, who knows what their problem is. Take for instance my neighbor, he seems a little mental. Luckily, he is gone most of the year, so I will not confront him regarding his door slamming habits.

So, what to do! Here is a guide from Nolo Law on how to approach neighbors. It starts by first verbally talking to your neighbor all the way to suing your neighbor for nuisance. That article can be found here. Follow these steps from Nolo and never confront your neighbor when you are angry or you might end up in a bad situation like this or even worse Man Kills neighbor Over Slamming Door.

Maybe your neighbors need a little help, so here are some products that they can use:

Door Wedgee Strips
Quiet Touch Residential Door Closers

If you have any tips please make a comment.

I have decided to try to reduce the problem by soundproofing my door. I will let you know how it goes.

Breakthrough Sound and Noise Control Solutions for Commercial and Residential Structures

Supress Products Announces Breakthrough Sound and Noise Control Solutions for Commercial and Residential Structures: "Supress Products Announces Breakthrough Sound and Noise Control Solutions for Commercial and Residential Structures

SAN RAFAEL, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 7, 2005--
Innovative Solution Addresses Multi-billion Dollar Problem -- In Construction Costs, Lost Square Footage, Human Suffering and Litigation over Unacceptable Noise Levels

Supress Products, LLC today announced the nationwide availability of its Supress branded Sound-Engineered Drywall, Sound-Engineered Steel, and Sound-Engineered Wood products to address one of the largest problems in building design and construction today -- noise and sound control within commercial and residential structures. Specifically designed to meet the needs of multifamily developers, builders, and contractors, Supress products deliver unprecedented sound and noise control in an easy-to-install, easy-to-use, non-metallic, thin panel construction. Noisy structures, such as common walls, children's rooms and home theaters, can be 'suppressed' by simply adding a layer to the existing wall. In new construction, Supress panels attach directly to the wall studs or to floor joists."

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Experts Offer Sound Ideas to Make Homes Quieter

Daytona Beach News-Journal Online -- Business: "Experts offer sound ideas to make homes quieter
By VALERIE WHITNEY
Business Writer

DAYTONA BEACH -- Life near the World's Most Famous Beach can get noisy during the area's special events season.

Beachside resident Pam Woods said she and others in her Seabreeze neighborhood use earplugs, at times, to deal with noise generated during Bike Week in March and Biketoberfest in October.

Residents on the mainland, too, find themselves bombarded with the rumble of the same motorcycle engines as well as the sound coming from Daytona International Speedway during races.

But there are ways, other than just leaving the area, to lessen the impact of noise, whether it is generated by special events or a byproduct of the location, such as homes built near highways or railroad tracks."

Read More: Daytona Beach News-Journal Online -- Business

Condo's & Hardwood, Marble, Laminate and Tile Floors Do Not Mix

If you live in a condo that lacks modern soundproofing construction, you want to make sure that your upstairs neighbor does not put in hard surface flooring. When older condos were built, the use of carpet with padding and linoleum was the main material used to reduce impact noise. However, if your neighbor decides to put in hardwood, laminate, marble or tile then your in for a real headache.

So make sure your homeowners association has a ban or restrictions on installing hard surface flooring in upper units. If they do not have restrictions you might want to inform them that extra noise caused by the installation of hard surface flooring could affect the value of your unit. It could also result in health problems for the owner or tenant. Not to mention having to live with constant noise coming from above.

The basic right for quiet can mean trouble for your association, because hard surface floors create unreasonable noise for the owners below. The Association must enforce its' governing documents, which should require all units to comply with local and state building codes. In addition your Association may already having flooring restrictions or rules against nuisance.

If your association fails to enforce these rules, then you may be able to sue your neighbor or association. You may have several claims: a reduction in the value of your home and health issues related to lack of sleep or stress created by the noisy floors.

So, if the condo above you already has hard surface floors and it is noisy, then you want do a little research. Was this the type of flooring installed when the unit was new? Did they get approval from the association? Does your association have restrictions on flooring? Does the floor conform to local and state building code? If you decide to file a complaint you can have your neighbors floor tested to see if it meets the building code.

Some informative links: Footstep/Impact Noise in Apartments, Condominiums and Other Multi-Family Dwellings PDF, When Buffalo Roam in the Homeowner Association, and Hardwood Floors Incite Real Estate Riot.

Tip: If your condo has wood subflooring. Your associations Architectural Guidelines should require homeowners to tighten down the subfloor with drywall screws to reduce or eliminate squeaks and caulk all seams to reduce the transmission of airborne noise. This should be required when installing new flooring.

Gun Club Takes Range Below

"Gun club takes ranges below to quiet concerns Soundproof - The Tri-County Gun Club hopes building in a rock quarry will keep neighbors happy

Thursday, February 16, 2006
MIKE CADE

Oregon's largest shooting range is getting a face-lift that could significantly improve the club's soundproofing -- and community relations.

The Tri-County Gun Club in Sherwood is adding new underground shooting ranges that will descend the equivalent of eight stories and occupy 36 acres. The new ranges will be built into a rock quarry that is being excavated."

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If you live Japan! Rent a soundproof room from Yamaha!

In Japan you can rent a soundproof room from Yamaha it is a room within a room. If the text below looks a little funny, well it has been translated from Japanese.

"Either sound around become in the air, the quiet space which can be concentrated on preparatory study for examination
Rental period from 12 months to 36 months. After taking an examination end also return is possible, pays and is completed appropriating rental charge, also halfway purchase is possible."

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Reduce Cabinet Door NoiseI

"The new Quietex™ Bumper is a sound and vibration dampening clear bumper. This revolutionary urethane bumper was designed to significantly reduce the noise of cabinet and vanity door closings. The sound dampening materials used for this bumper, combined with the physical design, softens the remaining sound by trapping it within the bumper. It is the ideal choice for cabinet and vanity doors where sound and vibration dampening properties are desirable and long life is required. The Quietex� Bumper significantly outperformed every other bumper on the market in laboratory tests."

I think I should buy these for my upstairs neigbors who are constantly slamming their cabinet doors in the kitchen.

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Aerogel the ultimate in SoundProofing?

"Aerogel (also called 'frozen smoke' because of its hazy blue appearance), is a truly remarkable material. It is the lightest and lowest-density solid known to exist, and holds an unbelievable 15 entries in the Guinness Book of World Records, including best insulator and lowest density solid. Aerogel is composed of 99.8% air and is chemically similar to ordinary glass.

Being the world's lightest known solid, it weighs only three times that of air."

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Sugar Cane Panels for soundproofing

Sugar Cane panels for soundproofing? I am not familiar with the product shown in this video. They claim it is soundproof, which I highly doubt. It might block some sound, but soundprooof? The video does not state the manufactures of this product, therefore we are unable to see if this product has it's soundproofing properties tested in the lab. Anybody out there know the name of this product, if so, please leave a comment.

QuietSolutions: Viscoelastic Technology For Fighting Noise and Soundproofing

Serious Materials offers innovative products for soundproofing. They have QuietRock drywall in three flavors Relief QR-525 (STC 51-72), Serenity QR-530 (STC-52-74) and THX Certified Solitude QR-545 (STC 56-80). What are the advantages of QuietRock well it is easy to install, it absorbs sound and vibration, outperforms resilient channels and it can not be short circuited. When the Pratt School of Engineering did a study, they found that QuietRock outperformed mass for soundproofing. What's in the panel? Well each panel has a viscoelastic layer, this layer will convert vibration and energy to heat. This results in the reduction of noise and vibration.

My friends decided to use QuietRock in their kids playroom. The result simply put, a substantial reduction of noise coming from the playroom. So yes it works. When I talked to the QuietRock people about reducing impact/footfall noise from above, they said it would reduce the noise but there would only be a slight reduction in impact / footfall noise BUMMER! However, you can read this blog entry for tips on reducing impact / footfall noise. Soundproofing your condo / apartment ceiling

The panels seem a little expensive, over a $100 for the entry level product. But what do you get with this price. Sound isolation without sacrificing space, easy installation. Install just like regular drywall. The traditional method would be to cover a wall with heavy MLV install RC channels over the vinyl, then screw your drywall panels into these channels. So the traditional method is labor intensive plus there is a greater chance that you might install the channels wrong and you also have to worry about short circuiting wall once it is installed.

If you would like to save a few bucks, you can use Green Glue to make your own viscoelastic panels. All you need 2 pieces of drywall and one tube of Green Glue.  A tube runs about $15 bucks and 2 sheets of drywall is cheap.

UPDATE: Serious Materials has added some new panels to their line.

510	Excellent value, lowest cost, lightest weight.	1/2"	47-69	Not Rated
ES	Low cost, easy score and snap with EZ-SNAP technology.	5/8"	51-60	1 Hour Type X UL Classified
525	Optimized for wood stud construction.	5/8"	49-70	1 Hour, UL Classified
527	Optimized for steel stud construction. Can also be used with wood studs.	5/8”	48-65	1 Hour Type X UL Classified
528	Abuse-resistant. Mold-resistant. Paperless soundproof drywall, co-developed with Georgia-Pacific Gypsum.	5/8”	50-58	1 Hour, UL Classified
530	Shear rated, impact-resistant.	5/8"	52-74	1 Hour Type X UL Classified
530RF	RF and acoustic panel all in one for  SCIF applications.	5/8"	52-74	1 Hour Type X UL Classified
545	Highest performance. Superior sound isolation, even at 50 Hz.	1-3/8"	60-80	2 hours (estimated)

News of Interest "QuietRock 525 Soundproof Drywall with Score and Snap"

Quiet Solution has released a new product called QuietRock 525. It behaves like regular drywall, allowing you to score and snap. The drywall is optimized for wood stud construction and is 5/8" thick with a lab STC rating of 49 - 70.  You can read the press release here.

Soundproofing your ceiling Part II

You can find Part I here.

Part II of Soundproofing your ceiling. First some information on structure noise from the Specifications Construction Institute, Noisy Neighbors, and the Institute for Research in Construction.

1. Use Resilient Channel and Acoustical Mat (Mass Loaded Vinyl). This usually requires that you have open studs. So if you already have an existing ceiling in place this may not be your best choice. More information on this type of soundproofing can be found at the following websites: SuperSoundProofing Company, soundproofing America, Netwell Noise Control, and the New York Times.

2. Your going use Sound Clips/Isolation Mounts and in most cases they will connect to flurring channels. There are several of these types of clips on the market: Aero-Support, Super Sound Clip, and Springers and Hangers. More information on this subject can be found here: SoundProofing America, and SoundClips Vs. Resilient Channels.

3. Soundproofing an existing ceiling with mass loaded vinyl. You will want to attach
flurring strips to the existing ceiling and attach the MLV to the strips as outlined here: Mass Loaded Vinyl Installation.

4. Soundproofing an existing ceiling with mass loaded vinyl backed with foam. More info on this procedure can be found here: Decoupled Mass Loaded Vinyl for walls and ceilings.

5. The most interesting and promising method of soundproofing your ceiling is using Audio Alloy's Green Glue. Green Glue is a viscoelastic dampening material, basically it can absorb noise and vibration. See my other posts about Green Glue and download the Pratt School of eEngineering's test of QuietRock which also incorporates an viscoleastic dampening material. You can use Green Glue for existing or new ceilings. Audio Alloy says that Green Glue is excellent product for absorbing low frequency noise. Since footfall/impact noise is low frequency it seems to me this would be the product to use on your ceiling. I think that adding two layers of drywall with two layers of Green Glue would be an effective way to soundproof your ceiling and it would reduce impact/footfall noise. This method also requires less labor and is less expensive. For some additional thoughts on Green Glue go here: Green Glue SoundProofing, Green Glue Results Coming Soon, Structural Dampening for SoundProofing, and check out the Green Glue thread at AVS Forum sign-up required.

Tips for soundproofing your dorm room

Parties, youth, and roommates are the ingredients for a noisy dormitory. You are surrounded by thin walls and through those walls comes all types of noise. You are limited on what you can do to reduce the noise. However, there are a few things that you can do that just might make the noise tolerable.

Closing your windows will reduce some of the noise coming from outside.  You can seal your air vents if you have any. You a dense material and make sure they are sealed tight. If air can get through, so can noise. You could also try taping pillows to your wall or some other type of fluffy material. This will reduce a little noise and will also allow you to throw yourself against the wall. Try stuffing some towels in the crack underneath your door. This may reduce some noise, but it will be hassle when you have to open your door.

You can also gather up some courage and demand some respect from the noisemakers. Approach the offenders in a kind and courteous way and maybe the will cut the noise. Try something like, "Could you use your inside voices."

If all else fails you can always take your studying to the library or another quiet place. You can also buy yourself a nice pair of earplugs. I also find that for sleeping a night, a cheap noisy box fan placed next to your head creates plenty of noise drowning white noise.

Featured Article "The room planners: how to effectively soundproof your home"

This link will take to the article about soundproofing advice from our friends in the UK. Or you can just read my summary of the article.

1. Call some experts
2. DIY Green Glue, QuitRock, MLV, insulation....
3. Fabric, furniture, carpets...
4. Secondary walls

Conclusion! Find a better article.

How to approach a noisy neighbor

The first thing you want to do is talk to your neighbors, here is an excellent article on the subject Nolo Law Noise FAQ. To sum this article up:

1. Talk to your neighbor
2. Write a letter to your neighbor
3. Complain to your HOA if you belong to one or Landlord if you are renting.
4. Ask for mediation. Usually your city or county can help you out with mediation. If you belong to a HOA, make a request for a hearing.
5. Call the police
6. Sue your neighbor in Small Claims Court, it is cheap and you do not need a lawyer.

I found it helpful to keep a noise diary of all the noise my neighbor made. I also bought a sound meter off eBay, so I could measure the amount of noise they were making and recorded it with video while the neighbors were indulging in their noisegasms. This information can be helpful, if you have to take your neighbors to court.

I personally only made it to the letter stage, I provided the neighbor with a copy of the city ordinance, a copy of the CC and R's, a page out of my sound diary and some noise measurements. First I wrote a nice letter. The next letter was a little more forceful. They finally got the message after the third letter after threatening mediation.

Soundproofing your toilet with Insonorisation GLH Toilet Kit

Flush! If your like me and can't stand the sound of a flushing toilet or the slamming of the lid coming from above, well there just might be a solution for you. The product is called "ready-to-install for the sound insulation of cabinet "toilet bowl"


So how does this kit go about soundproofing your toilet? The kit includes a flexible self adhesive band and metal links that should fit to most types of toilet bowls. These links will prevent your bowl from making acontact with the floor. Thus sound is not transmitted to the floor because there is no contact. Now the manufactures states that in can be installed in under 15 minutes for new toilets and renovations. The cost per kit is $25 Canadian dollars. 

Now it appears the products is available in Canada, not sure about the United States. Drop me a line if you have in information. You can also resort to the running the faucet or flush at the right time trick




For more info click here: Insonorisation GLH Toilet

"The Sound of Silence" QuietRock VS. Mass Loaded Vinyl

"Our tests revealed that viscoelastic paneling is an equal if not better solution than. mass loading to soundproofing".

Download this MS Word Document, it is a study by Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University. It looks at different contruction techniques for soundproofing. It compares the use of mass to block sound versus using of viscoelastic damping material like that found in QuietRock

This is and interesting read and viscoelastic material proves to be slightly better than mass. If your interested in learning more about viscoelastic damping check out this link on Audio Alloy. They have a great product called Green Glue.

You can download this study here Index of /Acoustics Select "The Sound of Silence" from the index.