How to deal with loud planes overhead
Hi, flight paths have changed and I now hear planes overhead. What should I specify for my remodel to reduce the noise as much as possible? I’ll be changing the roof structure significantly so I have the opportunity to address the problem there…but the ceilings will be cathedral. Is there a certain type of roof construction, material, and insulation I should use? What about the walls? Thanks.
Replies
ICF walls (Insulated concrete forms) Or, since this is a remodel, have the wall cavities sprayed with faom (see below)
Sprayed foam in the roof cavities - Icynene, Corbond or similar.
We live 100 feet from a railroad track in an ICF house - its cuts the noise significantly, but we still have windows, so tough luck there...
Just offhand it seems like a SIP roof would be your best option, short of poured concrete. But any sort of foam insulation will help a lot. Fiberglass is much less effective as a sound absorber. (Cellulose is likely better than fiberglass, but not that much, and not usually easy to deal with in a cathedral.)
For the walls you have many options, including simply doubling/tripling up on the drywall. Be sure to use windows that have good sound characteristics.
Check with local community groups -- likely someone had looked into this and may have a "best practices" document. Also, see if there is a noise abatement program for your airport -- you may be able to get some of your noise-specific costs paid for.
Also check out these resources:
http://www.macnoise.com/pdfs/home-insulation-program/sound_mitigation_guide_final.pdf
http://www.macnoise.com/pdfs/buildersguide.pdf
My inlaws lived on a flight path to an airport and found their home to have black on it over the years from pollutants from the planes. It is my understanding that fuel can be dumped onto homes from planes in the air.
How near the airport? Commercial or military.
A co-worker is just off the side of the takeoff and landing path of the new 3rd runway at Sea-Tac. The port bought and demolished a number of houses, and installed triple pane window on others.
You may be able to get some of those design details by contacting http://www.portseattle.org/about/contact/
If you are 1 miles from the airport you will still hear planes, but normal double pane window pretty whell block that out.
If near a military airfield, all bets are off. I've felt the building move when an F-6 delta dart would cut in afterburners, close behind a couple of B-52s.
Some of the office buildings near Lambert field can be pretty loud when a flight of F-15s leave.
I build in an area that has military jet noise. We are required to attenuate the sound. Generally with regular wood framed houses, adding hat channel and sheathing the exterior with gyplap is all thats required. The windows also have a sound rating so you may want to check on thise also. The channel does a great job.
Thanks so much! I'll check into this!
From a guy who works on big jets all day..............MOVE!!!!!!!"No doubt exists that all women are crazy; it's only a question of degree." - W.C. Fields
From a guy who works on big jets all day..............MOVE!!!!!!!
Or go subterranean. The 2' of dirt on our roof muffles everything. We didn't even know it when the top 50' of a tree hit it a couple of years ago. No damage.
Even a thin green roof will work wonders.PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
Might take some long green to cover and existing house with a layer of thin green ;)
What they said about foam, plus get triple-paned sound-abatement windows. Ask around at window companies--some are made specifically for sound problems.
In the areas that won't be cathedral, I'd put foam up against the roof decking and then sound-abatement-rated fiberglass bats in the ceiling joists.
Wherever you get a chance on the walls, switch to foam, too.
Another vote for ICF's. The Rastra-type ICF's have a way to pour a roof of concrete on the 7" thick floor forms. You'd be limited to low pitches unless you use gunite, but it will be very quiet. I built a Rastra building for my workshop, and the quiet is amazing.
Of course, if you ever spend time in your yard, the option of moving has something to recommend it.
Bill
Ummmm - we all are thinking of a perfect solution, but are afraid of Homeland Security monitoring this site.
Forrest
what does scrap AL go for a pound now????Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
We had this issue awhile back when a new airport opened. Got GIS data and coordinates on the ends of the runways and our subdivision, computed the distances, and found that the aircraft were 23500' too low at our location, which was 11 miles from the nearest runway, using simple size comparisions, and photographing the aircraft, and using a $50 sound meter. Took about 3 months and several letters to the FAA, but now the approach is at the correct altitude, and we don't hear'em. We were getting some so low, that we could read the S/W logo on the vertical stabilizer. Try that before sound insulating the home.
I be honest. I live by the airport, plane go over the house. I just dont hear them no more. But the train track two miles away will wake me up.It doesn't matter who he is, just so long as he says something "we" like. RJW 1/07
Train track 1/4 mile away. Never hear it except on warm nights when I'm having trouble sleeping. (They say a tornado sounds like an approaching train -- I figure it must be a real big one when it blows the whistle then.)
Half of the harm that is done in this world is due to people who want to feel important. They don't mean to do harm but the harm does not interest them. --T.S. Eliot
Edited 1/20/2007 8:02 am by DanH
Foam absorbs sound waves so use it liberally, as in spray foam for ceiling insulation or SIP construction. New would get a recommendation of ICF blocks for walls. Foam will pay for itself in liveability comfort, and energy savings.
Mass soaks up sound so use it on the sound producing side. Type X gypsum board on the exterior of the sheathing of walls and roof gives you a measure of fire protection also. Check into whether there is a way to do this to a specification that will win you a reduction in HO insurance.
Finally, solids transmit sound so reduce that as much as possible. SIPs do that, or if you use solid framing, then do strapping or metal hat track on the inside of the ceiling/roof framing to isolate the finish ceiling from the roof framing. This makes it less likely to perform as a sound board in an amplifier.
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
Resilient channels are cheaper than type X gypsum and are even more effective. Or, you can combine them.
I used to live near Logan Airport in Boston. Massport had a noise abatement program where they installed new windows and doors. When they finally got to our house, it made a substantial difference in noise level. I don't remember brands, but window manufacturers should be able to give you sound data.