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Noise Control

MandMDad | Posted in General Discussion on February 6, 2007 08:30am

Hi All,

I’m new to these boards so I apologize if I’ve posted this to the wrong board, or if it has just recently been discussed to death.

I’m in the process of building the house I intend to stay in for a very long time. Our plans call for a kitchen that opens into a great room with a cathedral ceiling. I’m not a big fan of cathedral ceilings because of the noise, but my wife really wants one, so we’re compromising………..and getting a cathedral ceiling.
I’ve been doing a lot of searching and have seen things like insulation (QuietZone from Owens-Corning), soundproof foam, drywall (QuietRock). I’ve also heard about hanging tapestries on the wall.
I’m looking for some opinions from those who have experience with these or other products/methods (or combinations).

Thanks in advance.

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Replies

  1. BillBrennen | Feb 06, 2007 09:10pm | #1

    Is the noise problem you anticipate an issue of reflected noise within the great room, or of noise transmitted to adjacent rooms? I suspect the former, but many of the products you referenced are for addressing the latter.

    If you are concerned about reflected noise in the great room, then absorbers are what you need. Carpeting and a bunch of upholstered furniture are a good start. How high is the ceiling going to be? There are absorbers that can be stuck to walls and ceilings, and things that hang down in free air from above, but most of these have an industrial feel that your wife will dislike. Heavy wall tapestries are helpful.

    Then there is always the popcorn acoustic texture! (muted retching in background)

    Bill

    1. MandMDad | Feb 06, 2007 09:55pm | #2

      You're right. I'm looking to avoid the "cave" affect within the great room. Sounds like tapestries are a good start. The ceiling will be 18ft. so I'll have enough wall space to work with. We're planning to have hardwood floors, with large throw rugs. It won't do as much as w/w carpeting, but it should help.
      Yeah, I'm going to go ahead and NOT go with a popcorn ceiling. I'm starting to search around for acoustical ceiling tiles. Have you seen or worked with any that don't look like they belong in an office building?

      1. BillBrennen | Feb 07, 2007 10:36am | #4

        Hi again,You asked me,"...acoustical ceiling tiles. Have you seen or worked with any that don't look like they belong in an office building?"No, but I have not looked for them, either.For speech and walking around noise, the rugs and tapestries (and ceiling tiles) will help a lot when compared to a bare room. Big bass sound requires a different strategy. Much more is unknown in this field than is known currently. Finely perforated sheet steel held 2" off the wall makes an excellent absorber in the midrange. Who'd have thought?BillPS - Definitely check out the Green Glue site linked by another poster. That page is more about barriers than absorbers, but the site has lots of valuable information.

        1. MandMDad | Feb 07, 2007 05:19pm | #5

          Bill & Sailfish,Thanks. You've given me some great information. As Bill mentions in an earlier post, preventing an echo-y affect and preventing noise from seeping into another room, are two different problems. I've got some more research to do, but it seems that if I can "deaden" the noise using tapestries, upholstery, rugs, etc., I'll lessen the need for something like a Green Glue. Then again, if I can do both that'd pretty much solve the whole issue right off the bat. According to the price listed on the site (50 cents/sq. foot), it'd be several hundred dollars. That's pretty cheap spread out over the years I intend to be in the house.I think I'm convincing myself as I type....Thanks again,
          Kevin

          1. Reyesuela | Feb 08, 2007 10:45am | #7

            GreenGlue will NOT help much in your situation. Don't waste the money! It is meant to stop sound transmission, not for noise reduction.

  2. User avater
    Sailfish | Feb 06, 2007 10:48pm | #3

    http://www.greengluecompany.com/greenGlue-vs-ResilientChannel.php

     

    here's another method or two

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

     

    WWPD

  3. Reyesuela | Feb 08, 2007 10:42am | #6

    You're looking at the wrong products! You want the rooms to be less "live"--less REFLECTIVE. You're not actually looking to stop sound from going from one room to the next. You want to look at products that give NRC (Noise REduction Coefficient), not an STC.

    First, RUGS or CARPET. You can use a special underlayment like this:

    http://www.soundprooffoam.com/dura-barrier.html

    You can also put NRC-rated sound barriers in the wall, like this:

    http://www.soundprooffoam.com/in-the-wall-barrier.html

    Remember, though, in-the-wall solutions won'd help much with reflections off drywall. Instead, I'd hang noise-deadening panels on the walls behind pretty tapestries or paintings. Like this:

    http://www.workingwalls.com/Acoustical%20Panels.htm

    Also, you can use curtains with acoustical fabric liners.

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