Tag: noise control

Perimeter Isolation Strips: What Are They & How Do You Install Them?

Click Here to Go Straight to the Installation How-To If you’ve ever been in the market for an acoustic underlayment, you’ve probably been reminded to use perimeter isolation strips in conjunction with the mat. And you probably didn’t. It’s okay, you’re not alone.  I’ve come across so many people- from amateur DIY-ers to professional contractors- who don’t think this extra step is necessary or worth the additional cost or effort.  On the contrary, for just a little bit of extra effort and for an additional $0.25 or so per linear foot, you will be safeguarding the effectiveness of your investment in acoustical insulation.  Here’s why you need perimeter isolation strips: Acoustics Question: What’s the speed of sound in air?Answer: 1130 feet per second. That’s fast, right?  But what’s faster is the speed of sound in common building materials!  Once sound gets into the structure of your building, it will be traveling 10-15 times faster than it does through air.  Take a second to consider how fast that is.  When you are having a face-to-face conversation, how would you describe how quickly you hear them?  The word immediately comes to mind for me.  So, if immediate can be used to describe something traveling at 1130 feet per second, what does something traveling at 16,000 feet per second mean?  If you’re in the business of multifamily homes, high turnover, complaints, and even lawsuits might come to mind.  All this is just to show you that structure-borne sound transmission can be incredibly difficult to contain.  So in this case the old adage rings true: (more…)

{Case Study} The Slate in Omaha, Nebraska

Founded in 1988, the NuStyle Development Corporation (NDC) has undoubtedly transformed and revamped the Omaha, Neb. built environment. Today, just over a quarter century later, the NDC is fully owned and operated by Todd Heistand and his wife, Mary. The NDC is most recognized for its impressive refurbishing of seemingly dilapidated properties in downtown Omaha. Throughout the years, Hesitand and their developers have compiled quite the portfolio of renovated buildings, restoring the historic value of the city and attracting commercial attention to the area. The efforts of the NDC have not gone unnoticed by the city of Omaha. In 2013, Heistand’s company was awarded the Omaha by Design’s Laurels Award, which is presented annually to “the organization or business that has made significant contributions to the creation of great public spaces in the metro.” Amongst the many remarkable buildings restored by the NDC is The Slate on N. 19th Street, featuring 117 units and costing developers $13,035,115 to renovate. In addition to the building’s aesthetically pleasing and rustic living spaces, The Slate also provides its tenants with several amenities, including a rooftop deck, a community area, and a fitness center. NuStyle developers approached ECORE International, a company that transforms reclaimed waste into unique performance surfacing, to suggest flooring options for the fitness center in The Slate. They wanted a flooring system that would prevent weight room noise from traveling to rooms below the fitness area. Choosing to start with a more conservative approach, the developers decided to use approximately 1,300 square-feet of 5-millimeter (mm) QT Sound Control Underlayment (scu), ECORE’s original recycled rubber underlayment, in The Slate’s fitness center. The floor system features a loosely bound shoe thread mat with (more…)