Posts Tagged soundproofing
Quiet that fan… Ceiling Fan – With Vib-X
Posted by Acoustics First in DIY, HOW TO, Product Applications, Products on December 10, 2013
Airflow is good. Circulating stagnant air has many health benefits, but what do you do when that ceiling fan is just making too much noise?
To start, check all the normal suspects; is it balanced, cleaned, level, blah blah blah… You’ve probably already checked these anyway. It’s an older fan, the motor hums, because older fans hum. If it’s vibrating through the structure, there may be something you can do to isolate that extra vibration – and at least keep the other occupants happy.
When most people think of Vib-X pads, they think of a musical function; Isolate your speakers, isolate an amplifier, isolate a (insert name of miscellaneous musical gear here)… but there are some really useful everyday functions for this wonderful material. Like keeping that fan from vibrating the entire house!
Isolate that ceiling fan with Vib-X!
The simple install may involve a contractor, or at least some one who knows electricity, so you don’t electrocute yourself… but after shutting off the power to the fan, it’s pretty quick. Take down the fan and find the box. Disconnect the box. Cut some Vib-X to separate the box from the wood. Cut some Vib-X squares to use as washers. Remount the box using the diagram, a couple fender washers, maybe a couple optional grommets if you desire – then re-install the fan.
Ceiling fans are usually mounted to an electrical junction box in the ceiling, which is usually just screwed to a ceiling joist or some simple wooden frame. By using the Vib-X to isolate the electrical box from the wood, the vibrations do not directly transfer from the fan into the structure of the house, turning that old, vibrating ceiling fan – into a breath of fresh air.
Simple. Thought so. Don’t forget to balance, level, and clean that ceiling fan while you’re doing all this. Turn that power back on and enjoy the breeze.
DIY: StratiQuilt™ Room Treatment
Posted by Acoustics First in Absorption, Animal Shelters, Articles, Broadcast Facilities, Construction Sites, DIY, Home Entertainment, Home Theater, HOW TO, Music Rehearsal Spaces, Music Tracking Room, Product Applications, Products, Recording Facilities, Recording Studio, Sound proofing, Studio Control Room, Vocal Booth, Voice Over on June 6, 2013
There are some situations where people are looking for a more temporary (yet still durable and effective) room treatment. Maybe you have a garage, or a practice space, or a place where you are looking for a usable solution that isn’t a permanent installation. Here is a great (not to mention tax deductible) treatment that can address many of the isolation and absorption issues of a space, while remaining durable (Washable), and easy to remove and reuse.
Stuff you need:
- Enough StratiQuilt™ Double-Faced Barrier Blanket to cover all of the wall and ceiling surfaces of the room you need to treat.
- 2”x4” lumber for the edges (Used to attach the barrier to the walls and maintaining an air gap.)
- Short Lag bolts and Washers
- Misc. hardware to attach 2”x4” lumber to walls.
Here’s what you do.
Attach the 2”x4” lumber to the walls with enough spacing to line up the grommets on two overlapped edges of the StratiQuilt™ blankets – if you have purchased the roll, the finished edges are 4 feet wide. Leave enough room to overlap the edges and bolt the quilts to the 2”x4” lumber as shown in the diagram above. Continue around the room, overlapping the edges of the StratiQuilt™ blankets to seal off the room. The blankets can be left loose over doors to allow for entry and egress while maintaining a good acoustic seal.
If desired, continue the process across the ceiling to “lock in” the room acoustics. This treatment may be considered by some to be a little on the “dead” side (High Absorption); however, The benefits of the treatment far outweigh this issue, which can be compensated for by adding a few acoustically reflective surfaces to the room (Drum Kit, Amplifiers, Racks, Diffusers, etc.)
Why use this system?
Other than it being very simple to install, take down and move with minor modifications to the structure, it performs a few vital acoustic tasks – all with one product. The StratiQuilt™ design is two layers of quilted acoustic fiberglass with a layer of BlockAid® barrier in the middle. The BlockAid® help the soundproofing of the room by it’s STC of 29, which will add significant isolation to the room. Mounting on the 2”x4” lumber is not just done for ease – adding the air gap behind the barrier increases both its STC and NRC allowing it to work as a limp mass barrier/absorber. The material absorbs on both sides (being double-faced), forcing in-room reflections to be attenuated immensely through the many layers of material it must pass through.
And on a final note, this economical start-up solution has the benefit of not being a “Building Material” for tax purposes, allowing for its immediate deduction as an expense.
Record your garage band without sounding like you’re in a garage, Try StratiQuilt™.
This simple DIY project is provided as a way for our customers to learn better ways to use our products and get more value out of the products they buy. If you are looking for more ways to use the products you have, look to Acoustics First for Ideas. http://www.acousticsfirst.com
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Acoustics First Corporation supplies acoustical panels and soundproofing materials to control sound and eliminate noise in commercial, residential, government, and institutional applications worldwide. Products include the patented Art Diffusor®, sound absorbers, noise barriers, acoustical fabrics and accessories. Acoustics First® products are sold for O.E.M applications, direct, and through dealers. For more information on acoustical materials and their application, please visit www.AcousticsFirst.com or call Toll Free 1-888-765-2900 (US & Canada).
Acoustics First releases video on Vibration Isolation
Posted by Acoustics First in HOW TO, Press Release, Product Applications, Sound proofing, Video on February 1, 2013
Acoustics First has conjured up yet another video demonstration. As the fourth in a series designed to help explain common acoustic principles, this video briefly reveals what is necessary to provide vibration isolation.
Vibration isolation can quickly prove to be obtuse and relatively difficult to understand. Common problems like footfall from upstairs neighbors, industrial noise from machinery and HVAC equipment or isolating speakers and scientific devices can require completely different approaches. Most often, an on site assessment should be completed by a qualified engineering professional to determine an appropriate acoustic solution. In many cases the solution will require a modification to the structure and implement more than a single strategy.
This simple vibration demonstration challenges to provide a basic understanding of how acoustical materials may be used to prevent the spread of mechanical noise and vibration through existing structures like walls, floors and ceilings.
In this acoustic demonstration, a surface mounted piezo transducer connected to an analog meter will register levels of sound vibrations transmitted to the table. A vibrating device placed directly on the surface will transmit sound vibrations and resonate loudly throughout the table. These vibrations will register on the analog meter. By inserting isolation materials between the device and the surface, the mechanical sound transmission is reduced and sound no longer registers on the meter.
VIBRATION ISOLATION DEMONSTRATION: Controlling Mechanical Sound Transmission
CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON: VIBRATION CONTROL PRODUCTS
Acoustics First Sound Diffusion Demonstration Video
Posted by Acoustics First in Diffusion, HOW TO, Press Release, Product Applications, Products, Video on November 6, 2012
Acoustics First has just released another in a series of videos to help explain acoustical principles using simple, easy to understand video demonstrations. This latest demonstration tackles the mystery of acoustic sound diffusion. Using an array of ping pong balls to represent sound visually, this video simply demonstrates what occurs when sound strikes the surface of an acoustic diffuser. First, you will see what happens when sound hits a flat reflective surface with no acoustical treatment. 
The balls all bounce at the same time and in the same direction. This represents what happens to the sound when it hits a flat reflective surface like a wall. Then you see what happens when sound hits an acoustic sound diffuser. You will immediately notice the energy of the wave of balls is scattered in all different directions as well as deflected at different time intervals. Diffusers, disperse or scatter the sound like crowd control, preserving the sound to maintain sound clarity without destructive interference. This is the basic principle behind acoustic sound diffusion.
Click here to view the demonstration: DIFFUSING / SCATTERING SOUND: Sound Diffusion Explained
DIFFUSING / SCATTERING SOUND: Sound Diffusion Explained from Acoustics First on Vimeo.
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Acoustics First Corporation supplies acoustical panels and soundproofing materials to control sound and eliminate noise in commercial, residential, government, and institutional applications, worldwide. Products include the patented Art Diffusor®, sound absorbers, noise barriers, acoustical fabrics and accessories. Acoustics First® products are sold for O.E.M applications, direct, and through dealers. For more information on acoustical materials and their application, please visit www.AcousticsFirst.com or call Toll Free 1-888-765-2900 (US & Canada).
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Acoustic Solutions for Industrial Noise Control (Blocking and reducing industrial sound)
Posted by Acoustics First in Articles, Construction Sites, Government, HOW TO, Industrial Facilities, Manufacturing, Multipurpose Rooms, Product Applications, Products on October 9, 2012
Industrial facilities include a wide range of applications like manufacturing, processing plants, construction sites and more. The typical sound problem in most industrial applications is the need to lower the overall level of sound or lower the decibel level of specific machinery. Machinery can include punch presses, printing equipment, crushers, grinders, air tools, drills, jack hammers, pumps, etc. The noise generated by these machines not only fatigue operators but may not meet OSHA safety requirements or other local noise ordinances.
To lower the sound level of these machines, the best course of action is to create a sound proof enclosure around the source of the noise. This will eliminate noise and prevent sound from permeating into the rest of the facility or neighboring areas. There are many ways to accomplish this, however, most methods will require some type of massive and/or dense material and possibly the addition of a fluffy absorptive material.
To create sound proof enclosures, you may wish to consider using a combination of the following materials:
BlockAid Sound Barrier is a mass loaded vinyl used in composite structures to add mass and aid to increase the STC (Sound Transmission Loss) of a system. This material weighs one pound per square foot, ships on rolls and can be easily cut with a utility knife.
Alternatively, like in the image at the top of the page, a machine or enclosure can be lined with a composite foam. This material has a layer of the vinyl sound barrier floating between two layers of acoustical foam. This material combines a layer of massive/dense material (vinyl sound barrier) to block sound with two layers of absorptive acoustical foam. Suspending the barrier as a limp mass between the two layers of acoustical foam decouple it from the existing surface of the enclosure, improving its effectiveness.
In addition, StratiQuilt Blankets can be installed on-site around machinery to reduce the mechanical noises. These quilted fiberglass blankets can be manufactured with or without a barrier septum and available with grommets for hanging. Optional outdoor coverings can be quoted when the material requires UV protection.
Subsequently, Cloudscape ceiling baffles can be installed in large open areas and metal buildings with engineered truss systems to reduce overall reverberation and sound pressure levels (SPL) within the room.
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Acoustics First Corporation supplies acoustical panels and soundproofing materials to control sound and eliminate noise in commercial, residential, government, institutional applications worldwide. Products include the patented Art Diffusor®, sound absorbers, noise barriers, acoustical fabrics and accessories. Acoustics First® products are sold for O.E.M applications, direct, and through dealers. For more information on acoustical materials and their application, please visit www.AcousticsFirst.com or call Toll Free 1-888-765-2900 (US & Canada).
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