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…)

Not all rubber underlayments are created equal

In 2007, our company went from being Dodge-Regupol, Inc. to Ecore International, LLC. Today in 2014, we are still facing many challenges related to this change. Ecore Acoustics, in particular, has been trying to clear up the confusion in the marketplace related to the QT brand of sound control underlayments. Prior to 2007, we (Dodge-Regupol) were the only company manufacturing this form of recycled rubber acoustic underlayments. In 2007, the one brand spawned 2 more competing brands. So today, those in the market for a recycled rubber underlayment will probably have to make a decision between 3 brands, all of which seem very similar: Ecore, Regupol, and Pliteq. I’ve discussed this with many acoustical consultants around the country, and for the most part, they agree that QT, GenieMat, and Regupol Impacta are equivalent products. While we can’t make any claims related to the Regupol or Pliteq brands of underlayments, we can provide information about what sets Ecore QT apart from the others to help you make a more educated decision. Similarities: Composition: recycled rubber Color: black + various color specks Thickness: various options Application: may be used under a wide variety of floor finishes to reduce impact sound transmission What’s unique about Ecore QT? Manufacturing: – Ecore QT is Made in America Certified.  +Read more about this here+. – Ecore continues to manufacture solely out of it’s Lancaster and York facilities in Pennsylvania- just as it did when it was known as Dodge-Regupol.  Our cleaning and processing of the rubber does (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…)

On Sound Machines Posing a Hearing Risk

As a new mother who also happens to be an acoustician, the recent report of infant sleep machines being a hearing risk caught my attention.  How couldn’t it?  Not only did my mother-in-law send the article to me, but even my fellow acousticians were posting it and commenting about it via various social media platforms.  Aside from sensationalizing an issue that is clearly a case of extremes, the report (read the NY Times article here) brings up an important social topic in general: excessive sound.  This is becoming a hot topic, especially for those who work in architectural or environmental acoustics.  Not only can infant sound machines exceed OSHA limits, but so can the daily sounds that we adults expose ourselves to- headphones, traffic, movie theaters, cars or motorcycles with modified exhausts, concerts, bars and restaurants in which excessively loud atmospheres appear to be the trend these days, etc.  Except where intentional (motorcycle exhausts, e.g.), there are usually design flaws to blame.  This means that the problem could have been avoided, but in this business the acoustics of a design are almost never as important as the aesthetics. This is where an old saying takes on a new meaning: out of sight, out of mind.  Is it possible that  we rely so much on the visual that we’ve come to neglect the aural?  Do we, as a society, simply undervalue our ears and the gift of hearing? Back to the article for now, why use sleep machines?  Besides the obvious (more…)