Interior Sound Transmission

Interior sound transmission is a very common problem. Noise comes from anywhere and finds a way to get through any number of structures, windows, doors, duct work, floors and ceilings to disturb you at home or in your office. Here are some of the most common interior sound transmission pathways.

Interior sound transmission-Flanking noise - The red arrows in the sketch above are direct noise, noise passing through the wall into the next room. The orange, blue, and green arrows reflect noise that can make it into the room by Interior Sound transmission through walls. We use combinations of sound barrier and sound absorption materials, combined with customized construction techniques, specific to your noise problems to reduce the sound transmission through exterior or interior walls. Our Sonic-Shield acoustic barrier materials, when added to a typical wall, can increase the STC of the wall from 33 to over 53, reducing the perceived loudness of the transmitted noise by 75%! 

Interior sound transmission through floors and ceilings – Walking on hard surfaces, such as tile or wooden floors, creates noise that can easily pass through floors and disturb occupants below in a multi-story home or office. We use combinations of sound absorbing underlayment on floors, and sound barrier and sound deadening materials on ceilings to reduce the transmission of sound through floors.

Interior Sound transmission through windows – Windows can transmit the largest amount of noise into homes and offices. Various solutions can be employed to reduce this noise, including the use of acoustic windows, sound dampening treatments in the window mullions, and acoustic caulking or acoustic films applied directly on the window, which dampens noise without having to replace the windows.

Acoustic reverberation within rooms – Highly reverberant rooms adversely affect the quality of sound within the room, negatively impacting our ability to hear speech or audio equipment, and results in a “muddy” sound. Again, we use customized sound deadening materials, some of which can be covered in decorative fabrics, that can be installed on walls or ceilings within rooms.

Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioner noise – Noise from fans in HVAC systems travels through the ducts and return vents, and may affect every room in the house or office. We have developed effective duct and fan silencers that are capable of reducing noise by 15-20 dB, a reduction of perceived loudness by 67-75%. In some cases, we will prescribe the use of acoustical plenums or acoustical wraps on the ducts to eliminate resonance or noise from duct panel vibration, as vibrations generally mean more noise!

Outdoor air conditioner (AC) evaporators – Noise from outdoor AC evaporators can often be heard by homeowners within the house or on outdoor patios. We have developed a modular sound deadening panel system, containing both sound barrier and sound absorption materials, which are capable of reducing the direct transmission of noise to the environment and minimize acoustical reflections off of nearby walls and structures.

Sonic-Shield offers a full range of soundproofing products and develops customized soundproofing solutions to solve even the most demanding noise problems. Our team of acoustic experts can help you pinpoint sources of noise and rapidly develop cost effective solutions to eliminate, block or absorb the noise.

Sonic-Shield believes that while there may be similarities, no two noise pollution problems are exactly alike. Accordingly, our soundproofing solutions reflect our ability to identify, and when necessary, develop and fabricate the appropriate soundproofing materials for your particular needs.

Whether you have a problem requiring an immediate solution or have the luxury of planning for a problem that will exist in the future, inside or outside, we would like to discuss your noise or vibration problem with you.