FAQ
Hello and welcome.
The answers provided here are offered as a guide only and no guarantees shall apply. In all cases we urge a thorough investigation of the options prior to any expenditure. But we hope that you find some useful information anyway. Please feel welcome to ask if your problem isn’t here.
Q) There is too much echo within the space.
You will need to consider installation acoustic absorbent treatment to the ceiling and or walls. This will reduce the reflections and make intelligibility of sounds much clearer.
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Q) I require official noise test measurements for a legal dispute, (i.e. excess noise across a domestic boundary) or report as part of council, EPA or OHS requirements.
You will require, (and it will be in your own best interest) to engage the services of a fully qualified acoustical consultant. You will find a list of these in the Yellow Pages under "Acoustical Consultants".
---
Q) I live in an apartment/flat and can hear my neighbours through the wall or ceiling.
It is a common misconception that installing acoustic foam or similar will stop the noise getting into or out of a space. Whilst it may attenuate some of the noise to some degree by muffling it before it escapes or after it arrives, to repel it requires something of dense mass.
Airborne noise intrusion can be treated via the installation of a sub ceiling or secondary wall mounted adjacent to the existing. It can be drywall construction and should utilise isolation mounts and acoustic insulation. Be aware that if the spaces share a common ceiling cavity that may also be a noise path and may require treatment.
---
Q) I live in an apartment/flat and can hear my neighbours walking around upstairs.
A sub ceiling to the room below, such as described above, will go some way to solving the problem but may not be entirely satisfactory depending upon other elements of the building construction.
Ideally you will require access to the apartment above where the options are to pull the existing floor up and install an impact isolation solution between the boards and the joists, or to lay an isolated or floating floor over the top.
This is a very tricky and sensitive area and provides a larger problem where the floor construction is boards and joists rather than concrete.
Please consult the relevant building authorities if you intend to lay new flooring in an apartment with downstairs neighbours to make sure that you comply with construction regulations.
---
Q) Traffic, aircraft, noisy neighbours and other external noise etc.
Windows: Double glazing of the windows facing the noise is the best solution here. Aluminium sliding windows have the best performance and are the easiest to live with.
Magnetic acrylic window systems are not so but are a great option where aluminium sliding cannot be installed.
Walls: If the walls constitute part of the problem a secondary sub wall and or ceiling as described above may be necessary.
Doors: Where the doors are suspect, replacement with solid core doors, complete with acoustic seals, to the relevant rooms is recommended.
Underfloor: If the property is on stumps, a treatment to the floor and to the area below the floor around the perimeter should be considered.
Roof: Installation of acoustic insulation into the roof cavity may also be required.
---
Q) Inter office noise.
In many offices the suspended ceilings constitute the majority of the problem as the common cavity above allows a path for sound to escape and enter other areas via the same path.
A heavy vinyl acoustic curtain suspended within the cavity from the roof above the boundary wall is a common solution.
A sub wall should be considered if there is direct transmission of sound through the existing wall structure. It should be of the nature described above.
Air-conditioning ductwork can also provide a path for noise to escape and sensitive areas should have their own dedicated units rather than be part of a general system where ever possible.
Acoustic absorbent material to the walls will not stop the sound escaping but will possibly reduce the impact and clarity in the spaces to which it escapes.
---
Q) Pool pump or air conditioning noise across a neighbouring boundary.
An enclosure is the best option. It should be of solid construction and lined with acoustic absorbent material.
Please take care in the design to allow sufficient airflow for the apparatus inside.
---
Q) We would like to convert a space to play music so we don’t upset the neighbours.
Dependant upon the sound level and the time of the activity you may need to construct a room within a room.
Consider double glazed windows, solid core doors complete with seals and isolated sub floors, walls and ceilings within the space you are considering converting. Unless you can come to some arrangement with your neighbours that they will accept some noise and then you may be able to get away with an acoustic absorbent treatment to the room.
The answers provided here are offered as a guide only and no guarantees shall apply. In all cases we urge a thorough investigation of the options prior to any expenditure. But we hope that you find some useful information anyway. Please feel welcome to ask if your problem isn’t here.
Q) There is too much echo within the space.
You will need to consider installation acoustic absorbent treatment to the ceiling and or walls. This will reduce the reflections and make intelligibility of sounds much clearer.
---
Q) I require official noise test measurements for a legal dispute, (i.e. excess noise across a domestic boundary) or report as part of council, EPA or OHS requirements.
You will require, (and it will be in your own best interest) to engage the services of a fully qualified acoustical consultant. You will find a list of these in the Yellow Pages under "Acoustical Consultants".
---
Q) I live in an apartment/flat and can hear my neighbours through the wall or ceiling.
It is a common misconception that installing acoustic foam or similar will stop the noise getting into or out of a space. Whilst it may attenuate some of the noise to some degree by muffling it before it escapes or after it arrives, to repel it requires something of dense mass.
Airborne noise intrusion can be treated via the installation of a sub ceiling or secondary wall mounted adjacent to the existing. It can be drywall construction and should utilise isolation mounts and acoustic insulation. Be aware that if the spaces share a common ceiling cavity that may also be a noise path and may require treatment.
---
Q) I live in an apartment/flat and can hear my neighbours walking around upstairs.
A sub ceiling to the room below, such as described above, will go some way to solving the problem but may not be entirely satisfactory depending upon other elements of the building construction.
Ideally you will require access to the apartment above where the options are to pull the existing floor up and install an impact isolation solution between the boards and the joists, or to lay an isolated or floating floor over the top.
This is a very tricky and sensitive area and provides a larger problem where the floor construction is boards and joists rather than concrete.
Please consult the relevant building authorities if you intend to lay new flooring in an apartment with downstairs neighbours to make sure that you comply with construction regulations.
---
Q) Traffic, aircraft, noisy neighbours and other external noise etc.
Windows: Double glazing of the windows facing the noise is the best solution here. Aluminium sliding windows have the best performance and are the easiest to live with.
Magnetic acrylic window systems are not so but are a great option where aluminium sliding cannot be installed.
Walls: If the walls constitute part of the problem a secondary sub wall and or ceiling as described above may be necessary.
Doors: Where the doors are suspect, replacement with solid core doors, complete with acoustic seals, to the relevant rooms is recommended.
Underfloor: If the property is on stumps, a treatment to the floor and to the area below the floor around the perimeter should be considered.
Roof: Installation of acoustic insulation into the roof cavity may also be required.
---
Q) Inter office noise.
In many offices the suspended ceilings constitute the majority of the problem as the common cavity above allows a path for sound to escape and enter other areas via the same path.
A heavy vinyl acoustic curtain suspended within the cavity from the roof above the boundary wall is a common solution.
A sub wall should be considered if there is direct transmission of sound through the existing wall structure. It should be of the nature described above.
Air-conditioning ductwork can also provide a path for noise to escape and sensitive areas should have their own dedicated units rather than be part of a general system where ever possible.
Acoustic absorbent material to the walls will not stop the sound escaping but will possibly reduce the impact and clarity in the spaces to which it escapes.
---
Q) Pool pump or air conditioning noise across a neighbouring boundary.
An enclosure is the best option. It should be of solid construction and lined with acoustic absorbent material.
Please take care in the design to allow sufficient airflow for the apparatus inside.
---
Q) We would like to convert a space to play music so we don’t upset the neighbours.
Dependant upon the sound level and the time of the activity you may need to construct a room within a room.
Consider double glazed windows, solid core doors complete with seals and isolated sub floors, walls and ceilings within the space you are considering converting. Unless you can come to some arrangement with your neighbours that they will accept some noise and then you may be able to get away with an acoustic absorbent treatment to the room.
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