The Quiet Guy

We’ve all been there—whether it’s running late to work, trying to get out in front of the afternoon rush, or even replacing a few words in a text message with an emoji just to save some time. Taking shortcuts is part of our everyday life.

Construction can relate to this shortcut culture—maybe more than any other trade. With jobs, timing and collectively billions of dollars on the line, speed is key. So, why wouldn’t we take a shortcut at every available opportunity? The advantages of shortcuts are sometimes too tempting to ignore. Unfortunately, the repercussions of them often set us back further than it would if we stayed on the specified path. 

Look no further to noise control systems for a real-life view of how shortcuts can lead us down the wrong path. In this blog, we take a look at examples of Situations, Shortcuts, Risks, and Solutions.

QUESTION— What do "Soundproofing" and "Social Distancing" have in common?

ANSWER— A lot more than you might think.

There’s no better reminder of how loud your neighbors can be than when you’re stuck inside during a government-sanctioned quarantine.

Bowling balls, elephants, the cast of “Stomp” — when you live below another apartment, it can seem like your neighbors are intentionally wreaking havoc on your sleep schedule. Chances are what’s causing the movements of those above you to sound like a conga line full of giants is poor sound attenuation.

Luckily, #TheQuietGuy is here to offer an explanation for why your neighbor’s dog sounds like it’s on your conference call with you, as well as the solutions available to ensure silence and solidarity in this time of social seclusion.

In folklore, silver bullets were the only means for killing werewolves and other spooky creatures. They became a staple as the only thing left in the tracks of the Lone Ranger after riding into town to miraculously thwart evil and save the day. 

Today, we use the term 'silver bullet' to refer to an action which cuts through complexity and provides an immediate solution to a problem. The allusion is to a miraculous fix, otherwise portrayed as 'waving a magic wand'. 

Following up on our second live presentations from IBS 2020, our latest blog from #TheQuietGuy explains why our muffling technology has proven itself to be the #SilverBullet of the acoustics industry.

Understanding how to better attenuate sound in multi-family buildings can go a long way towards repeat renters.  Paying close attention to details is critical to the success of creating a quiet environment.

Once you have a better understanding of how sound travels through walls and barriers, you can begin applying that knowledge with methods for improving sound control...

In the second part of our two-part blog on building a better sound trap, we offer a solution for improving sound control by creating resilient channels.

Understanding how to better attenuate sound in multi-family buildings can go a long way towards repeat renters.  Paying close attention to details is critical to the success of creating a quiet environment.

Before improving sound control, it is important to understand how various types of sound travel through walls, floors, etc.  This comes down to two things...

In the first of our two-part blog on building a better sound trap, we break down the Mass Law & Mass Spring Mass and their effects on multi-family buildings. 

Sound Control numbers and terms are not rocket science, but sometimes they seem to be exactly that. Besides STC and IIC, there are numerous other acronyms that abound, which can get confusing. 

It is important for architects, building designers, and developers to understand what these numbers mean. When comparing different products in an assembly, understanding the numbers will help you determine where the systems are deficient. 

In heavy industrial and manufacturing environments, as well as in farms, cafeterias, permanent hearing loss is the main health concern. On a typical, day-to-day basis, annoyance, stress and interference with speech communication are among the most common issues resulting from unwanted noise. 

And so the question remains, "How can this noise be managed?"