Soundproofing and Chickens

On a recent trip to Hawaii, I had to ask myself, is this really paradise? The island of Kauai suffers from a chicken problem, there everywhere. The chickens are the result of Hurricane Iniki that broke open lots of chicken coops on the island in 1992. These chickens are confused and start crowing way before the sun every rises.

We were staying in a condo with no glass windows, all we had were shutters. This lack of any soundproofing made my first nights sleep difficult. So the next day I picked up some earplugs and slept peacefully for the rest of the vacation. So I found it amusing when I came across this amusing article about a neighborhood chicken who was disturbing the neighbors.

"CHARLIE the cockerel went from being in the soup to flavour of the month this week as he was given a free soundproof chicken shed.

He also received the backing of several neighbours who branded a campaign to silence him “petty”.

The rowdy rooster’s owner, Ozzie Williamson, had been ordered by Ettrick and Lauderdale District Court to build a lightproof shed to stop Charlie waking at dawn and disturbing neighbours.

But Ozzie was saved the trouble when he received a call from Hawick-based Porters Porches, who offered to build Charlie a chicken shed complete with soundproofing – for free. "

Here are the specs on this soundproofing chicken coop. The shed has high-density foam insulation and 28mm glass panels to dampen the noise, plus a comfy roost inside.

You can read the full article here.

Tags: soundproofing, chicken, Hawaii, Kauai

QuietRock Soundproofing Drywall Featured on The Carey Brothers

The Carey Brothers are home improvement specialists and authors of Cost-Effective Home Upgrades. They also write a monthly column for The Family Handyman. They are doing an on-air educational series about quiet. They just did a segment discussing QuietRock Acoustical Drywall for soundproofing.

To play it in your browser, click here.

To automatically subscribe in iTunes: iTunes Podcast

Tags: quietrock, soundproofing, acoustical drywall, On The House, Carey Bros, Carey Brothers

Control Bar and Night Club Noise with Soundproofing

I came across the article from NetWell Noise Control on how to reduce the noise of your Bar or Night Club with soundproofing. Let's face it, these places can be noisy and you do not want to upset your neighbors. If there are enough complaints, your business can be shut down. Read

Tags: soundproofing, soundproof, bar, night club

Soundproofing with Dave is Currently Undergoing Some Changes

Hello readers, the blog layout is currently undergoing some changes, so things may be messy for awhile. Unfortunately, Blogger does not have a way to test your new layout before it goes live.

Thanks for stopping by,
Dave

AnandTech: Soundprofing The Room Part II

The AnandTech blog has posted Part II in a series of blog posts on soundproofing a home theater. They are now hanging the drywall and using two sheets of drywall with Green Glue for soundproofing. Read More

Press Release: San Francisco Bay Area Maker of Soundproof Windows Moves to Nevada

Reno, NV (PRWEB) January 22, 2008 -- The much anticipated move to Reno, Nevada, has finally happened for the previously California-based company, Soundproof Windows. After many years in the San Francisco Bay Area, the decision to relocate was made more attractive due to lower costs and the business-friendly climate in Nevada. Since the majority of the business is nationwide and not just in California, this move made even more sense.

"We have increased our warehouse space by 50%, purchased a fleet of Dodge Sprinters, hired more people, and see this as a huge opportunity to increase our production capacity yet again," said Soundproof Windows' president, Randy Brown. "We are excited to be in this thriving Nevada community and have already offered soundproofing solutions to one of the retirement homes along the main highway in Carson," Brown added.

All of the management personnel from the old Fremont facility relocated; locally, Soundproof Windows also hired Don Handlin to be their Plant Manager upon opening shop near the Reno-Tahoe International Airport, bringing over 30 years of industry-related experience to the company. "He is a great addition to our team," Brown said of the Nevada native.

While Reno is the new hub of operations for Soundproof Windows, installation and sales centers continue to be maintained throughout California, Texas, Florida and the east coast, with nationwide availability.

Recent customers include several large hotels and apartment complexes in the southwest as well as US government agencies, such as the military and Homeland Security. While continuing to serve residential customers, Soundproof Windows plans to increase their focus on commercial and government projects with this relocation to expanded facilities.

Find out more about Soundproof Windows and soundproofing in general at http://www.soundproofwindows.com. The site also includes sample installations and customer comments. Or contact them directly, toll-free at 877-GET-QUIET (438-7843), 4763 Aircenter Circle, Reno, Nevada.

About Soundproof Windows:
Since 1998, Soundproof Windows has been a nationwide manufacturer of quality soundproofing windows and sliding glass doors for noise abatement, providing an alternative or enhancement to standard window replacement in residential as well as commercial applications. Their soundproofing windows and sliding glass doors reduce noise levels by 75% or more and are fully functional with excellent insulation qualities.

Soundproofing & Sex

Here is a poor woman from the UK that that can not sleep at night. Her neighbors have sex 7 days a week and all night long. She writes in to the Daily Record asking for their help. They suggest either talking to the neighbor or ear plugs.

Since soundproofing would be the last resort because of the expense involved, I would suggest that she try a white noise machine or a loud fan. I myself use air filter which creates a steady flow of white noise. It does mask most noise, giving me a peaceful nights sleep. Another option are earplugs, it may take a few nights getting used to them, but they will work. I find the Hearos earplugs the most comfortable.

If your interested in more information about earplugs, check out this article The Sound of Silence: Sussing Out the Ear-Plug Market.

SoundStop Fiberboard

Soundproofing with SoundStop Fiberboard, is an affordable sound deadening product, that can a achieve an STC of 42 when installed behind drywall.

5 Tips to Being a Good Neighbor in Your Condo or Apartment

These tips may seem obvious, but the world is full of clueless people. So, I have a rental above me and really did not have any serious issues with footfall/impact noise till the new tenants moved in. They walk so hard sometimes the vibration travels across the ceiling down the walls and to the floor. The ceiling also acts like a drum sending a shockwave of air through the condo.

1. Do not walk like you are marching in the Rose Parade. Relax, walk softly and loose the shoes. See this guide on How to Walk Softly

2. Do not slam your doors when inside or when leaving your condo or apartment. It only takes a few more seconds to close the door quietly and your neighbors will appreciate it. If you do not care about your neighbors, then you should care about your well being, you may just end up dead. Police: Man Angry About Slamming Door Killed Neighbor.

3. Do not slam your kitchen cabinets. The cabinets are attached to the wall, so when you slam it, it sends that noise and vibration everywhere. Consider this hardware for keeping those cabinets quiet. Kitchens that Hinge on Luxury

4. Turn down the bass, it travels easily through walls and floors. Keep your speakers away from your party walls. If your condo or apartment has poor soundproofing, do not even think of hooking up the subwoofer.

5. If you have kids, consider a unit on the bottom floor.

Home Theater Build

Follow along as Anand Lal Shimpi of AnandTech.com builds his home theater. At this stage they are down to the studs with RSIC clips. You can read about "TheaterBlog: Hush Little Baby, Soundproofing the Room Part I" here. The information here can also be applied to soundproofing your home.

Soundproof Your Windows

In this video from Expert Village, Greg explains that you can soundproof your windows by putting up another window behind your existing one. There is some controversy over the spacing between windows, but I have read that 3 inches is what you want to shoot for.

Click here for more on "Installing a Double Window in a Recording Studio"

Soundproofing Your Man Cave with Green Glue

Urban Dictionary's definition of Man Cave is:

"A room, space, corner or area of a dwelling that is specifically reserved for a male person to be in a solitary condition, away from the rest of the household in order to work, play, involve himself in certain hobbies, activities without interuption. This area is usually decorated by the male that uses it without interferance from any female influence."

It could be a bar, game room, theater, lounge and it is only limited by your imagination. TheLedger.com has an article about these Man Caves. Note that this article is very sparse on soundproofing information, it simply mentions that Green Glue is sometimes used in soundpoofing these Caves. I like to point out that people are using Green Glue for soundproofing and getting results.

I had a Man Cave once, sigh! Here is a link to the article Retreats for the Males in Your Household.