Acoustic Cameras Used to Catch Criminals

A gunshot goes off in the night. By the time the responding officer arrives, it may be difficult for the reporting parties to recall which direction it came from.

In areas with a high amount of gunfire, cities are installing acoustic gunshot detection systems. These sensors not only identify the difference between a gunshot and a car backfiring but then send information back to a sophisticated mapping system which triangulates where the potential suspect may be. This confirmation of gunfire and the immediate determination of the location allow deputies to quickly respond to shootings with a much greater level of confidence.

In some cities these acoustic gunshot detection systems are married with video surveillance; thus, a video camera can immediately zoom in on a location where gunfire has been detected, display the suspect information, and record events taking place immediately after the shot was fired. This information is then fed into a command center, located at the station. The command center contains video monitors for the video surveillance system and has the ability to download recorded video onto a DVD or CD to be used later as evidence.

Manufacturers of gunshot detection systems expect the technology to increase the ability of the police to get to the scene of random gunfire quickly, increase the number of people arrested for firing weapons, and reduce the detrimental effects (injuries, fear, disinvestment) of shots being fired in urban settings. Community advocates of gunshot detection systems believe the technology can deter would-be shooters and improve the quality of life in their neighborhoods.

Some cities are on installing the units in high crime areas. One would not know they were passing an acoustic sensor as many of them are hidden in assemblages that resemble birdhouses and heating vents and are enclosed in weatherproof containers approximately 1 cubic foot in size.

The technology of the sensors and cameras along with Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) system or Mobile ALPR, which consists of three cameras mounted adjacent to a radio car’s emergency light bar which automatically scans nearby license plates to determine if a vehicle is wanted or stolen, can greatly deter crime. ALPR systems can scan up to 8,000 license plates during the course of a single shift. Fixed ALPR systems are mounted primarily atop intersection signal poles and parking lots. These fixed systems scan each vehicle as it passes through the intersection and notify the concerned station when a stolen or wanted vehicle is detected.

As with all new technology, it can evolve and be used for other purposes. For those who are battling street sounds and not just crime, it is possible such systems could help track noisy offenders who exceed the legal noise level at night, giving everybody at least a decent nights sleep.

Mark Rustad is President of NetWell Noise Control, based in Minneapolis, MN. Founded in 1991, NetWell is a leading supplier of ceiling tiles, acoustic products, sound proofing treatments, and online acoustical consulting services. NetWell’s sound management skills are packaged into the industry’s premier website. For more information, please visit eSoundproof.com. Discover first hand why so much of NetWell’s business stems from the referrals and repeat orders they receive from satisfied clients around the world.

Car Alarms and Noise Pollution

You finally get to sleep and then it happens, somebody car alarm goes off. Do you look? Most likely you don’t because car alarms go off for many reasons and not because they are alerting anyone to theft.

For this reason, groups are trying to ban the use of car alarms. Liu's bill, which was introduced in 2002 with nine co-sponsors, would ban the sale and installation of audible car alarms in New York City. Moskowitz's bill, introduced in April with fifteen co-sponsors, would go further, banning the sale, installation, and use of the alarms. Moskowitz also proposes a mechanism for citizens to report annoying alarms to the police, prompting a warning letter to the car owner.

Would the discontinuation of car alarms lead to more thefts? Unlikely. According to the Highway Highway Loss Data Institute, in 1997, while new vehicle immobilizers cut theft rates in half, the study concludes that cars with alarms "show no overall reduction in theft losses" compared to cars without alarms. The alarms just don't work.

There are two main reasons that car alarms don't work. First, people know that the vast majority of blaring car alarms are false alarms, set off by passing trucks, electrical malfunctions, or nothing at all. So no one responds to them -- often, not even the car owners themselves. A recent survey by the Progressive Insurance Company found that fewer than one percent of respondents would call the cops upon hearing a car alarm.

Second, alarms are very easy to disable. About 80 percent of stolen cars are taken by professional car thieves, and they know how to deactivate an alarm in just a few seconds, according to police and criminologists.

What do car alarms provide? Noise pollution and health problems.
According to a recent Cornell University study, they found that traffic noise alone raises blood pressure, increases stress hormones, and leads to "learned helplessness" in schoolchildren. Many traffic sounds contribute to the problem, but car alarms, unpredictable and often exceeding 125 decibels, can be especially harmful.

How can you prevent auto theft if you disable your car alarm? There are many other types of anti-theft devices available such as the vehicle immobilizer, tracking systems or silent pagers. Whatever you choose, it will certainly quiet down the streets at night in contrast to the loud beeping of the car alarm that does nothing but annoy the neighbors and possibly truly protect your vehicle.


Mark Rustad is President of NetWell Noise Control, based in Minneapolis, MN. Founded in 1991, NetWell is a leading supplier of ceiling tiles, acoustic products, sound proofing treatments, and online acoustical consulting services. NetWell’s sound management skills are packaged into the industry’s premier website. For more information, please visit eSoundproof.com. Discover first hand why so much of NetWell’s business stems from the referrals and repeat orders they receive from satisfied clients around the world.

How to Handle Noisy Neighbors

Everybody has probably had them, noisy neighbors that is. Just as you are going to sleep they are starting the party. Or maybe they just have a loud dog or are just plain inconsiderate. The good news is that you have options in dealing with this situation beyond having to confront the person or put up with it.

1. CHECK YOUR LOCAL ORDINANCES

Get a copy of your local noise laws. Most cities and counties have ordinances that control the times, types and loudness of noise. For example, many local ordinances prohibit unreasonable vehicle noise (like honking the car horn early every morning for a carpool) or dogs barking all night long every night. Noisy neighbors are in for a warning or even a fine. You can look up your local ordinance at city hall, a public law library or the public library. Make at least two copies of it, one for your neighbor and one for yourself.

2. WARN YOUR NEIGHBOR IN WRITING

If things don't improve, ask your neighbor to tone it down. If this doesn’t work, put it in writing. Don't make threats, but state that if the situation doesn't improve you'll be forced to notify the authorities. Enclose a copy of the noise ordinance. Keep a copy of your letter; you'll need it if, as a last resort, you later sue your neighbor.

3. SUGGEST MEDIATION

Most cities offer free or low-cost mediation services, which means they provide an impartial mediator who will sit down with you and your neighbor and try to help you resolve your differences.

Just call the mediation service; someone there will contact the neighbor and suggest mediation. (These people are very good at convincing others to give mediation a chance.)

4. CALL THE POLICE

If you have done all of the above and your neighbor has responded by turning up the volume, now is the time to call the police (or the Animal Control officer if the problem is a barking dog). Try to get the police to come while the noise is occurring.

Of course, you can call the police on a noisy neighbor the first time the music gets too loud for your taste. But the police will be more sympathetic to your situation if they see that you have tried to solve the problem on your own.

If you are somebody who doesn’t want confrontation, here are some other tips to help you survive the noise:

1. Use white noise: White noise such as a fan or something that produces an even sound will help distract your attention from the noise and often help you go to sleep.

2. Soundproof your home. There are many professionals who can help you soundproof your home in a way that is efficient and effective.

3. Use earplugs. This may be your last resort before approaching your neighbor but for many people it works.


Mark Rustad is President of NetWell Noise Control, based in Minneapolis, MN. Founded in 1991, NetWell is a leading supplier of ceiling tiles, acoustic products, sound proofing treatments, and online acoustical consulting services. NetWell’s sound management skills are packaged into the industry’s premier website. For more information, please visit eSoundproof.com. Discover first hand why so much of NetWell’s business stems from the referrals and repeat orders they receive from satisfied clients around the world.

Keeping It Quiet, Tips for Buying Your Next Home

You are in the market to buy a new home. There is so much to consider, price, location, size and even the details such as carpeting, wood flooring, the number of bathrooms. One thing buyers often forget to consider when searching out their dream home is to make sure that humble abode is quiet and peaceful.

Determining whether a neighborhood or home is going to be quiet at night or even weekends can be difficult at first. Ways to help you determine the noise level is to be sure and drive around the area you like with the windows down.

If you run across railroad tracks, you better figure out how close they are to your prospective home. Make sure you are near the house when a train goes by, so you can get the full effect. While trains and plains are obvious sources of noise, you also need to consider more subtle situations.

Many homebuyers look at houses early on Saturday and Sundays. This makes sense since you have to work for a living, but it can result in some nasty surprises. The characteristics of a neighborhood on weekends are entirely different than during week days. Make absolutely sure you check out the property during both time periods. To guard against “partying” neighbors, make sure you check the area during evenings as well.

Examine your home’s proximity to a freeway or industrial center. If you are somebody with non-standard work hours, just simply looking at a home with the bedroom in the correct placement is important.

Spend some time inside of the home with the doors and windows shut to see how much sound is coming in. Some homes have better insulation than others. Dual-pane windows also help cut out some of the outside noise.

There are remedies that can be made to your home if you already purchased it and have discovered it is noisy. By consulting a professional rather than trying to do-it-yourself to no avail, you will find yourself with a quieter home and a better night’s sleep.

Mark Rustad is President of NetWell Noise Control, based in Minneapolis, MN. Founded in 1991, NetWell is a leading supplier of ceiling tiles, acoustic products, sound proofing treatments, and online acoustical consulting services. NetWell’s sound management skills are packaged into the industry’s premier website. For more information, please visit eSoundproof.com. Discover first hand why so much of NetWell’s business stems from the referrals and repeat orders they receive from satisfied clients around the world.

Renting and noisy neighbors

Noise can be a nuisance and worse of all it stalks us in our own homes, thanks to the neighbors. About 100 million Americans share walls with strangers, many in acoustical slums. In U.S. Census Bureau surveys, people consistently rate noise ahead of crime, traffic and other social ills as a primary reason they want to move.

Noise can be beyond frustrating. All this thumping, rock and roll and screaming that barges uninvited into our bedrooms is a known stressor. Noise also makes us ineffective and cranky, raises our blood pressure and robs us of decent sleep.

And now for the bad news: Much of what we've been doing to block the noise doesn't work. If you have tried carpet on the wall, blankets, corkboard or egg cartons, you have probably realized by now, they don’t work. While these materials do line makeshift music studios, they are meant to absorb sound already in the room, therefore improving the quality. Exterior noise still gets in. It just bounces around for a bit less time.

If the noise is enough to bother you, it will still bother you after stapling egg cartons to your ceiling. Even some products advertised as cure-alls on the Internet are far from it. Worse, some construction contractors, unversed in the complex details of soundproofing, have been known to choose or install ineffective soundproofing products, leaving the client with a bill but no relief.

But don't give up hope for peace just yet. It is possible to engage in a little "acoustical self-defense, so long as you understand how sound travels, can identify the source of the problem and know to hunt for the right combination of products.

To start, you need to understand how sound works. Sound is a vibration: the quiver of a violin string under a bow; the rattle of vocal cords; the impact of a shoe against the floor. The vibration excites molecules -- in air, liquid or solid -- that in turn excite the molecules beside them, and so on, forming a radiating wave of pressure. This pressure wave, received as sound, continues until it naturally dissipates or until it is:

• Blocked. This requires mass -- very high-density materials -- to act as a barrier. Lead works; foam doesn't.
• Absorbed. Uses insulation materials to absorb vibrations that would otherwise bounce around -- and echo -- in an air cavity like a drum.
• Dampened. Uses chemically engineered paste or strips to transform the energy of sound into heat.
• Isolated. Uses nonconductive materials, in wall clips or pads, to isolate the transmission of vibrations between objects.

There are several additional tactics you can use immediately:

Use white noise: That is, a consistent, rhythmic hum might help mask light sound and divert your attention. You can find machines or CDs, or try fans or water fountains.

Isolate the problem. Bass, that low boom from your neighbor's stereo, takes a lot of energy to produce. These low-frequency sound waves are especially hard to combat since they travel far and wide, bending easily around objects. It's why foghorns use them, and why when thunder is distant you hear only its low rumble.
Try to block the sound's path by putting special "isolation pads" or "noise-vibration pads" under your bedposts. Ask your neighbor if you can put pads under his TV, treadmill or washing machine to better attack the problem at the source.

If the noise is really bad sometimes the landlord will get involved because he realizes he can't get top dollar with these noise issues.

Know your rights: Learn about sound ratings required for buildings in your area before talking to the landlord or building association. The information will better arm you for coverage of upgrades. If needed, a real-estate lawyer might help you recover costs or get out of a lease.

What you should not do is:

• Knock under the influence (of anger): Yes, it's hard to wait, but it will serve your needs better if you can work calmly and pragmatically with your neighbor. Plus, these things can escalate.
• Save police for a last resort: Even nice people turn not so nice after you call the cops. It might fix a big event, but it could further amplify day-to-day noise problems.
• Avoid another bad situation: If you must move, don't rush. Take time to visit potential apartments at different times of day to evaluate their noise levels. You can find additional tips for quiet-apartment hunting here.

Mark Rustad is President of NetWell Noise Control, based in Minneapolis, MN. Founded in 1991, NetWell is a leading supplier of ceiling tiles, acoustic products, sound proofing treatments, and online acoustical consulting services. NetWell’s sound management skills are packaged into the industry’s premier website. For more information, please visit eSoundproof.com. Discover first hand why so much of NetWell’s business stems from the referrals and repeat orders they receive from satisfied clients around the world.

Noise Management in City and Urban Planning

Growing cities means growing noise. This is especially true in mixed-use urban environments that often contain commercial premises (entertainment, retail, office, hospitality or light manufacturing) sited close to residential uses such as apartments.

The need for local authorities to adopt sound land use planning is a growing practice.

Noise can be thought of as unwanted sound and can vary greatly in volume. Noise can cause annoyance, speech interference, affect performance and concentration, mental health and disturb sleep.

Difficulties often arise where noise-sensitive land uses (such as residential activities) move into or close to established commercial areas or major infrastructural assets such as ports or airports. This is often referred to as ‘reverse sensitivity’ for an explanation of reverse sensitivity and relevant case law).

One technique for dealing with the issue of reverse sensitivity is to ensure people are fully informed of the environment which they are proposing to move into.

Another consideration of factors planners are observing for mixed-use areas include:

* Time of day: There is less tolerance of noise by residents when it occurs at night. Therefore district plan noise limits are typically lower for night.
* Level of sound: Sound levels can range from loud (exceeding the normally occurring or existing background sound level by 10 dBA or more) through to relatively low level with bass or beat components. District plan provisions should allow for some noise to be emitted, but only up to allowable limits measured at the residential location (often around 45-55 dBA).
* Type of sound: Some sounds have a special audible character that can cause additional annoyance.
* Location of premises: Commercial and industrial areas located close to residential sites will often have more noise issues than those occupying sites well within commercial or industrial zones (further from residential sites). District plan noise provisions usually allow higher levels of noise (day and night) within commercial and industrial zones. Distance, and the placement of barriers between the source of the noise and those receiving, are mitigating factors but the ability to use these can be limited in mixed-use environments. Where residential activities locate in established commercial or industrial areas it is more practical for the new residential use to insulate itself from noise than it is for existing commercial uses to comply with acceptable residential noise levels.
* Body corporate and private undertakings: Complaints can arise where noise-sensitive residences are located in the same premises as a noise-making commercial activity. Clauses within leases or body corporate constraints covering noise nuisance often place such complaints beyond the scope of territorial authority action. However, many territorial authorities successfully deal with these matters in the same way as if the parties were located within separate buildings.

Managing noise in the city usually starts at its source. For new noise generating activities, control can be achieved by incorporating appropriate buffer distances. However, as buffer distances are often not practical in inner-city areas where differing land uses tend to be located in close proximity, measures such as the use of noise barriers or insulation may present a more realistic management method.

Barriers may include such features as:

* solid walls or fences to stop or deflect sound
* bunds
* other non-noise sensitive structures
* topography (locating activities in depressions or behind hills for example).

Barriers to control noise emission or to reduce noise received can be effective, but the effects of reflected sound need to be considered within the design and orientation of barriers. Factors such as orientation and materials used in the construction of barriers should be considered. Acoustic consultants can provide detailed guidance to match the specifics of individual sites.

Vegetation is not considered a good sound barrier as it will not block noise emissions unless plantations are very dense. Within inner-city mixed-use environments there are few opportunities to provide planting capable of mitigating noise.

Noise control is most effectively achieved on smaller sites by paying particular attention to design before constructing any buildings. The layout of premises…the location and orientation of openings, loading bays, doors, windows, and car parks…and on-site vehicle circulation patterns are all important for good noise control.

The use of noise management plans may be incorporated into a district plan through permitted activity standards associated with particular (usually known) land uses, or their formulation and compliance with them made a condition on a resource consent. Some district plans actually specify that a noise guidance plan must be prepared to comply with rules.

Other considerations within such districts include:
* Providing indoor living spaces in mixed-use areas with a reasonable standard of acoustic protection is emerging as an effective method of addressing reverse sensitivity.
* Specifying the standard required for acoustic insulation (for example the materials to be used, or the level of sound reduction to be achieved).

As the world’s population grows and cities become denser, the necessity of noise ordinances and the consideration of soundproofing residential areas is becoming a must.

About the Author: Mark Rustad is President of NetWell Noise Control, based in Minneapolis, MN. Founded in 1991, NetWell is a leading supplier of acoustic products, soundproofing treatments, and online acoustical consulting services. NetWell’s sound management skills are packaged into the industry’s premier website. Discover first hand why so much of NetWell’s business stems from the referrals and repeat orders they receive from satisfied clients around the world.

Noise and Its Affect On Your Health

Noise is a nuisance; there is no doubt about it. But more than that, it can cause health problems. For this reason, many are working at reducing the amount of noise in our everyday environment by creating new laws and regulations.

How does noise affect our health? The first and most noticeable affects are hearing loss. Hearing loss is easy to connect with noise because it is observable and measurable.

Hearing loss is often gradual and the first awareness of the damage unfortunately comes once it has started. One first notices hearing loss when they are unable to hear particular words during conversation and then speech on a telephone. Unfortunately, this recognition comes too late to recover what is lost. By then, the ability to hear the high frequency sounds of, for example, a flute or piccolo or even the soft rustling of leaves will have been permanently diminished. As hearing damage continues, it can become quite significant and handicapping. And there is no cure. Hearing aids do not restore noise-damaged hearing, although they can be of limited help to some people.

People with partial deafness from exposure to noise do not necessarily live in a quieter world. The many sounds still audible to them are distorted in loudness, pitch, apparent location, or clarity. Consonants of speech, especially high frequency sounds such as "s" and "ch," are often lost or indistinguishable from other sounds. Speech frequently seems garbled, sounding as if the speaker has his or her "head in a barrel." When exposed to a very loud noise, people with partial hearing loss may experience discomfort and pain. They also frequently suffer from tinnitus -irritating ringing or roaring in the head.

There is even further pain the hard-of-hearing person faces: the emotional anguish caused, perhaps Unintentionally, by friends and associates who become less willing to be partners in conversation or companions in other activities.


Noise also affects our bodies subconsciously. In readiness for dangerous and harmful situations, our bodies make automatic and unconscious responses to sudden or loud sounds. Of course, most noise in our modern society does not signify such danger. However, our bodies still react as if these sounds were always a threat or warning.

In effect, the body shifts gears. Blood pressure rises, heart rate and breathing speed up, muscles tense, hormones are released into the bloodstream, and perspiration appears. These changes occur even during sleep.

The idea that people get used to noise is a myth. Even when we think we have become accustomed to noise, biological changes still take place inside us, preparing us for physical activity if necessary.

Noise does not have to be loud to bring on these responses. Noise below the levels usually associated with hearing damage can cause regular and predictable changes in the body.

In studies dating back to the 1930s, researchers noted that noise developed marked digestive changes which were thought to lead to ulcers. Cases of ulcers in certain noisy industries have been found to be up to five times as numerous as what normally would be expected.

Similar research has identified more clearly the contribution of noise to other physical disorders. A five-year study of two manufacturing firms in the United States found that workers in noisy plant areas showed greater numbers of diagnosed medical problems, including respiratory ailments, than did workers in quieter areas of the plants.

From a study done with animals, researchers concluded that noise may be a risk factor in lowering people's resistance to disease and infection.

To prevent aggravation of existing disease, doctors and health researchers agree that there is an absolute requirement for rest and relaxation at regular intervals to maintain adequate mental and physical health.

Sleep is a restorative time of life, and a good night's sleep is probably crucial to good health. But everyday experience suggests that noise interferes with our sleep - in a number of ways. Noise can make it difficult to fall asleep, it can wake us, and it can cause shifts from deeper to lighter sleep stages. If the noise interference with sleep becomes a chronic problem, it may take its toll on health.

Human response to noise before and during sleep varies widely among age groups. The elderly and the sick are particularly sensitive to disruptive noise. Compared to young people, the elderly are more easily awakened by noise and, once awake, have more difficulty returning to sleep. As a group, the elderly require special protection from the noises that interfere with their sleep.

Other age groups seem to be less affected by noise at bedtime and while asleep. But their apparent adjustment may simply be the result of failing to remember having awakened during the night. Sleep researchers have observed that their subjects often forget and underestimate the number of times they awaken during sleep. It may be that loud noises during the night continue to wake or rouse us when we sleep, but that as we become familiar with the sounds, we return to sleep more rapidly.


The most obvious price we pay for living in an overly noisy world is the annoyance we frequently experience. Perhaps because annoyance is so commonplace, we tend to take our daily doses of it for granted - not realizing that the irritability that sometimes surfaces can be a symptom of potentially more serious distress inside us. When noise becomes sufficiently loud or unpredictable, or if the stress imposed is great enough, our initial annoyance can become transformed into more extreme emotional responses and behavior. When this happens, our tempers flare and we may "fly off the handle" at the slightest provocation.

Indeed, noise can strain relations between individuals, cause people to be less tolerant of frustration and ambiguity, and make people less willing to help others. Although no one would say that noise by itself brings on mental illness, there is evidence that noise-related stress can aggravate already existing emotional disorders.

Is noise a problem? It seems it is one we often don’t recognize. Fortunately it is also one that can be remedied with the proper treatment of your home or work place with soundproofing. As for recreation, maybe a trip out into the country will be the ticket there.

Mark Rustad is President of NetWell Noise Control, based in Minneapolis, MN. Founded in 1991, NetWell is a leading supplier of ceiling tiles, acoustic products, sound proofing treatments, and online acoustical consulting services. NetWell’s sound management skills are packaged into the industry’s premier website. For more information, please visit eSoundproof.com. Discover first hand why so much of NetWell’s business stems from the referrals and repeat orders they receive from satisfied clients around the world.

Call Centers and Sound

If you have worked in a call center, you know how noisy it can get with numerous operators and telephones. If you are on the other end of the phone with somebody at a call center, it also can be quite frustrating with all of the background sound. There are solutions for those who own or operate call centers that will help provide low background noise for operators so they can work at peak efficiency. Such solutions would be a professional soundproofing treatment.

In soundproofing, there are two distinct treatment options that can clean your room acoustically and help protect the phone operators from one another's voices in a call center design. No it doesn’t mean putting rugs on the ceiling or egg crates on the walls. Even though some say such quick fixes work, they don’t.

For a professional treatment that does work, the first line of order would be to install a sound masking system designed to raise the level of background noise and protect each operator by disguising one another's voices. This form of background noise is soothing, not irritating, much like the sound of airflow from a low running fan. By raising the background noise, individual voice reflections become less distinctive, affording better protection for a room filled with phone bank operators.

The alternative treatment is to attack the background noise, capture it and convert it out of the room. This is accomplished through the installation of a set of sound panels designed to be anchored to the perimeter walls around the room and as backdrop insets within the cubicle desks. This treatment lowers the amount of sound reflection in the room, cleaning out the background noise, and delivering less voice reflection from one operator to the next.

What are the results? Any sound isolation or containment treatment will deliver a stronger acoustic break between operators. Results will vary depending on several options including the size, shape and surface texture of the room. Those opting for absorption panels can reasonably expect to absorb up to 85% of human voice reflections, delivering cleaner acoustics in the room with less background noise interfering with the phone work. The sound masking system will manufacture greater oral privacy by disguising human voice conversations and produce the targeted background decibel level of 45 dBa.

In the end, your operators can hear the people they are trying to communicate with and focus on their call without being distracted by the operator next to them. This in turn leads to better communication and results for all.


Mark Rustad is President of NetWell Noise Control, based in Minneapolis, MN. Founded in 1991, NetWell is a leading supplier of ceiling tiles, acoustic products, sound proofing treatments, and online acoustical consulting services. NetWell’s sound management skills are packaged into the industry’s premier website. For more information, please visit eSoundproof.com. Discover first hand why so much of NetWell’s business stems from the referrals and repeat orders they receive from satisfied clients around the world.

COMMON SOUNDPROOFING MYTHS

Peace and quiet is something we value as we are constantly barraged with the sounds around us. When we are home, the last thing we want is to hear the noisy neighbor, the children upstairs playing their guitar or traffic on the street.

Understanding how sound works and ways people have tried soundproofing their homes to no avail, will help you understand that with a professional, you can be on your way to making your home a place of more serenity.

In order to effectively reduce or eliminate the noise in your home, you must first understand the difference between sound absorption and sound reduction. Each of these two types of soundproofing utilizes its own techniques for handling unwanted noise that stems from inside or outside the home.

Sound absorption involves changing the character of the sound waves by ridding a room of the echoing that’s intrinsic to its design, rather than addressing noise that penetrates your home from the outdoors. Sound reduction is a way of blocking sound so that it doesn’t get into or out of a room.

People over time have come up with many creative solutions to reduce the sound in their home. To help you identify these solutions that ‘don’t’ work, and to save you money and time, see the following:

• Eggcrate" cardboard egg holders. You have no idea the number of people who tell us their trials and tribulations to find quantities of it, buy it and install it only to find it does little or no soundproofing! Some have told us that some sound transmissions seems to be somewhat enhanced!
• Foam rubber of the common sort, such as that of which rubber mattresses are made. While this has some possibilities, other disadvantages are durability and the cost isn't all that much different than "made for soundproofing" products when so much more of it is needed to be the equivalent of professional materials. Most important, foam rubber is highly flammable in contrast to professional safe products.
• Rubber Floor Mats. One would think a rubber material would be good for sound proofing and perhaps it is if properly used, but simply laying it on the floor will do little against noise coming in (or going out). Rubber and Neoprene are in the same class here.
• Old mattresses nailed to the walls. This technique has it's followers, but unless butted well together with no spaces, caulked edges, and only if you are willing to put up with the possible odor, mold and moisture they have or can accumulate, not to mention unwanted rodent critter type "guests" that may take up residence - are they a possibility.
• Cellulose, the material that is pumped into walls. While it's not useless, it's not very effective.
• Carpet - Old or New. Doesn't make much difference, it will all deteriorate and begin to stink. The newer will take longer, that's all. Same problems as with the mattress as explained above and carpet will increase the acoustic absorbency of a room, but do little in the way of soundproofing.
• Common fiberglass insulation makes a great thermal insulator, but not a very good acoustical insulator.
• Plywood panels/ particleboard are not good for soundproofing as wood transfers sound very well.
• Hay bales make fine soundproofing units, but are rather temporary, subject to fire and vandalism and obviously for outdoor use.

Mark Rustad is President of NetWell Noise Control, based in Minneapolis, MN. Founded in 1991, NetWell is a leading supplier of ceiling tiles, acoustic products, sound proofing treatments, and online acoustical consulting services. NetWell’s sound management skills are packaged into the industry’s premier website. For more information, please visit eSoundproof.com. Discover first hand why so much of NetWell’s business stems from the referrals and repeat orders they receive from satisfied clients around the world.

Soundproofing Your Bedroom

There is nothing more stressing than to be woken up in the middle of the night from sound or to not even get a good night’s sleep. Soundproofing your bedroom from either other rooms in your home, outside sounds, or, if you are in an apartment, your neighbors, can help you get a better nights rest and lower your stress level.

The goal in soundproofing a room correctly is to block the transmission of sound from bleeding through a common wall. Ultimately you want to impair the wall's ability to conduct vibration. This is accomplished by adding two components to your wall assembly. The first is density, the second is disconnection. The combination of these two ingredients will help force the collapse of your sound wave inside your wall, and can trigger up to a 90% drop in sound transmission.

Your treatment will depend on your starting point, but a treatment can reasonably trigger a 10-12 dB drop in noise levels bleeding through a common wall. Much of the success of a sound isolation wall will depend on the quality of the installation, the disconnected framing techniques, and the number of holes in your wall surface that will impair your noise reduction efforts.

Open air holes in a wall are called "flanking" paths and will serve to deteriorate results. Flanking paths include switch plates, electrical outlets, supply vents, return vents, light canisters, pipes, windows, doors, and a host of other possible paths that cannot block noise bleed. For soundproofing common walls, using a product such as dB-Bloc minimizes the flanking paths and can trigger up to a 90% drop in noise bleeding through.

Another way to soundproof is through combating the bleed of noise through the ceiling. This offers greater sound isolation and privacy between rooms that share this common surface. Ceiling tile treatments are designed to capture unwelcome sound reflections in the room.

A good sound barrier ceiling treatment can deliver up to a 90% reduction in plenum noise, foot noise or noise bleeding into or out of your room through the ceiling. A sound absorption ceiling treatment can restore your room to good quality sound by collapsing your reverberations times down to under 2.0 seconds.

Another consideration is your floors. Deadening noise that transmits through a common floor/ceiling assembly system is accomplished by either raising the floor up above or lowering the ceiling down below, lining with a soundproofing substrate, and applying the finished surface. This creates a disconnection that forces transmitting sound waves to collapse structurally and protects the adjoining space from noise.

Floor underlayment treatments target the reduction of foot noise and squeaking floors for stronger floor sound control

Last are windows. Soundproof Windows are acoustical windows designed to affix directly over your existing window treatment to help block noise and produce a soundproof window. These sound insulation windows serve as a sound barrier for soundproofing a window against street traffic noise, loud neighbors, barking dogs, as well as protecting neighbors from garage bands, home theaters, drum rooms and music room noise. These are attractive acoustic windows that will anchor directly in front of your existing windows to combat sound transmission. These are not replacement windows, they are acoustic windows that are applied over your existing windows. Soundproof Windows are available in many color options or can be custom painted for a decorative window soundproofing treatment.

So if you aren’t getting a good night’s sleep or are even a light sleeper, soundproofing your bedroom will certainly be worth the investment

Mark Rustad is President of NetWell Noise Control, based in Minneapolis, MN. Founded in 1991, NetWell is a leading supplier of ceiling tiles, acoustic products, sound proofing treatments, and online acoustical consulting services. NetWell’s sound management skills are packaged into the industry’s premier website. For more information, please visit eSoundproof.com. Discover first hand why so much of NetWell’s business stems from the referrals and repeat orders they receive from satisfied clients around the world.

Soundproofing Your Animal Kennel

If you own a kennel or manage an animal shelter you know how loud it can get inside. This is not only a nuisance for the occupants such as the employees, but it also can be a nuisance for those who may live within earshot of you. Since it is nearly impossible to eliminate the sound of barking dogs and other such animal noise, reducing noise level by making all of your walls, ceilings, floors and other structures less reflective is the next best solution.

With a kennel, you often may have outside areas to soundproof as well such as dog runs. Similar fixes do apply that are mentioned below.

To control sound levels within the animal shelter itself, you can install a set of acoustic sound panels, ceiling tiles or VET baffles. These fixes are designed to interrupt the reflections of the barking dogs, capture and absorb their energy, and deliver slower reverberation times within the kennel room

Treating your walls will help block the transmission of sound bleeding through a common wall. Your ultimate goal is to impair the wall's ability to conduct vibration. This is accomplished by adding two components to your wall assembly; the first is density, the second is disconnection. The combination of these two ingredients will help force the collapse of your sound wave inside your wall, and can trigger up to a 90% drop in sound transmission.

By following these isolation techniques, a 10-12 dB drop can be triggered. For treating the acoustics within the room, controlled reverberation times will drop background noise and the corresponding decibel level exposure in the room. Remember, the treatment for soundproofing a kennel makes the room less loud, not the dogs. They'll still bark, it just won't sound as loud.

You can also treat the ceiling. There are two goals with sound proofing a ceiling. The first is to combat the bleed of noise through the ceiling for greater sound isolation and privacy between rooms that share this common surface. The second is to improve the room's acoustics with ceiling tile treatments designed to capture unwelcome sound reflections in the room.

A good sound barrier ceiling treatment can deliver up to a 90% reduction in plenum noise, foot noise or noise bleeding into or out of your room through the ceiling. A sound absorption ceiling treatment can restore your room to good quality sound by collapsing your reverberations times down to under 2.0 seconds.

With a little research and even professional consultation if necessary, you can reduce the sound in your animal facility significantly. Your employees and neighbors will appreciate it greatly.

Mark Rustad is President of NetWell Noise Control, based in Minneapolis, MN. Founded in 1991, NetWell is a leading supplier of ceiling tiles, acoustic products, sound proofing treatments, and online acoustical consulting services. NetWell’s sound management skills are packaged into the industry’s premier website. For more information, please visit eSoundproof.com. Discover first hand why so much of NetWell’s business stems from the referrals and repeat orders they receive from satisfied clients around the world.

Soundproofing A Multipurpose Room

A multipurpose room, such as a gymnasium or meeting hall is often subjected to a high volume of noise. Because of the size, this general-purpose room is often a magnet for unwanted sound reflections. Finding a way to cut down on the reverberation while complying with building and fire codes takes careful consideration.

Controlling the reverberation time in a multi purpose room should result in background noise that subsides while normal conversational tones return to the room. With a soundproofed multipurpose room, acoustics should be perfect for speech clarity, blending harmonic musical tones, and making the room comfortable for large groups of people..

One way to address the issue is through the installation of a series of wall or ceiling mounted acoustical panels or wall coverings that results in the reflecting sounds produced within the room collapsing reverberation time.

Your ultimate goal isn't to deaden your room, or even dampen it really, but simply to control the sound being produced within it. What you should try to aim for is a room that will accurately portray the spoken word, maintain the quality of musical tones and disperse sound throughout the room.

One example of how a multipurpose room was designed to do just this would be the Bound Brook High School, a building that needed to deliver good acoustics to every seat in the facility.

With the installation of NetWell Fabric Panels applied to the back and sidewalls of the facility, the sound waves reflected around the room and the panels captured and converted the unwanted energy, delivering a reverb time of under 2.0 seconds. As a result, the original sounds produced became clearer as the background noise died off. The acoustics in the room are now under control, delivering quality speech and music evenly throughout the room.

The sound treatment for the multipurpose room is dependent on the design of the room and the need. Other sound treatments that can and have been used in multipurpose rooms include: Suspended Ceiling Clouds, which can convert the sound energy into kinetic energy and deliver a controlled sound environment back into the room; QBS Blankets that trap energy and noise; VET Baffles, Pyramids Plus Foam panels made from class A fire rated melamine foam; Strike Panels, Wedge Foam Panels, dB-Block, NetLag and FabricBloc Panels.

There is no one ‘cure all’ fix for improving acoustics in your multipurpose room, but if you want a space that can be used for nearly any event you have space for, making sure the sound is of utmost quality will be well worth the investment.

Mark Rustad is President of NetWell Noise Control, based in Minneapolis, MN. Founded in 1991, NetWell is a leading supplier of ceiling tiles, acoustic products, soundproofing treatments, and online acoustical consulting services. NetWell’s sound management skills are packaged into the industry’s premier website. For more information, please visit www.eSoundproof.com. Discover first hand why so much of NetWell’s business stems from the referrals and repeat orders they receive from satisfied clients around the world.