When designing a multi-family project for noise control, there are several factors to consider. The most important questions to answer are “who are we designing the system for?” and “what are their expectations?”
The first question I answer Is the developer building these for investment, or build and resell? How long will they hold the property for? If the developer is holding onto them, then they should be concerned about maintaining long term tenants, therefore designing a system that will not risk losing tenants is key. If they are building the units to “flip” or sell off in the short term, then they might not be as interested in investing a better acoustical system.
The second question is who will occupy the units? If these are for sale condos, or Class A rentals, then we better meet the expectations of the demographic group that is buying the units. If they are on the higher end side, the occupants / owners are not going to want to tolerate much noise passing through the system, therefore you need to design for these higher expectations. Considering the use of a system outlined below, utilizing the Keene Cylent Assurance Clip would be ideal:
If the units are going to be market rate rentals and there is a concern about keeping tenants long term, then a system that can get you STC and IIC values in the mid 50’s would be ideal, from an economic perspective for the builder and for an expectations level for the tenants. The system shown below utilizes Keene’s Muffling Technology to boost sounds ratings by 3 to 5 points over our competitors:
If the units are going to be possibly low income housing, or Class B rentals, then the expectations of the occupants will not be as high, and the developer is not going to want to spend more money than is needed. However, there is always the concern of building to minimum standard code of STC and IIC values of 50. In order to achieve that the following recommendation would be appropriate:
This system still can achieve a great IIC value, due to the Muffling Technology add on to the Quiet Qurl sound mat, without breaking the budget and still allowing for good performance.
Keene Building Products, has all of the necessary products and options for all conditions to meet all needs and expectations, for both above the floor and below the ceiling for Noise Control in Multi-Family Construction. Please contact us to see how we can help you meet your expectations for your next project!
Our Recommendation:
- Quiet Qurl® Sound Control Mats with Muffling Technology
- QQ Step Soft™ - Recycled Noise Control Underlayment For Hard-Surface Flooring Noise Reduction
CONCLUSION
Adequate noise control is no longer just a pesky building code requirement. It is an amenity that we too often take for granted. Our noise control products provide you with the solutions you need for impact and airborne sound control.
For a more detailed description of how each of our products perform in different floor/ceiling assemblies to achieve proper sound attenuation, take a look at our Sound and UL Chart.