Archive for the ‘infopages’ Category

OUR RETURN POLICY.

RETURNS/ REFUNDS – Because we don’t charge for handling, packing or the shipping materials, there’s a 25% restocking charge when the product, (Books are not returnable), is returned unused, in original packing, shipping prepaid, within 30 days.

Call 760-752-3030 for more details.

From Dave and Suzy Gagniere • San Diego, Calif.
When you live downstairs from an obese insomniac with a really bad attitude, you should consider soundproofing your ceilings.
We turned to John Granahan to install the most effective possible soundproofing system in our ceilings: mass-loaded vinyl and super sound clips. John and his crew did fast, professional work and went the extra mile to accommodate our circumstances. Our condo is too small to empty two rooms at once, so he and his crew returned two extra times to complete the work on our bedroom ceilings. They demonstrated teamwork and experience in soundproofing our ceilings, and it was fascinating to watch.
This soundproofing system greatly muffles the sounds coming from the insomniac upstairs and lets us get to sleep.

From Eric Johnson • Escondido, CA
Well, let me get my 2 cents worth about John Granahan: He’s great!

I needed to soundproof a room built in my garage for a home theater. First it required figuring out what to do with the garage door, since the motor and related track were occupying space where I wanted the room to be. I thought this would be a big problem, but not for John. He solved the problem right away, and it was taken care of in two days. Next he had to learn a whole new construction technique using mass-loaded vinyl. He grasped the concepts right away and work moved forward without a hitch. Soundproofing the doors was another area that needed special, non-traditional treatment. Now I have my soundproof room and I’m a happy guy.

I’m currently working and saving money to buy the equipment I need to turn my room into a home theater, which thanks to John, should look and sound as good as a commercial theater. With the soundproofing, I will be able to listen to music and watch movies any time I want, day or night, without bothering the neighbors. And, I can pay cents on the dollar for my popcorn, and stop the movie while I go to the bathroom. How great is that!!
Thanks John!

Eric and Lisa • California
John Granahan enclosed a room and extended a sub floor at our home. We would highly recommend him for his workmanship and knowledge in his trade. He is thorough and offered meaningful aesthetic advice. He is conscientious with finishing on time and often updated us with the progress. Most important is his trustworthiness and honesty as we were comfortable allowing him to do the work while we were on vacation. We would certainly not hesitate to hire him again for other future construction projects.

From Mary E. West • Carlsbad, CA
Thank you so much for the beautiful work you did on my room addition. The completed room is just what I envisioned, and I thoroughly enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of the room and the view it provides of the garden.
Before I hired you, I had interviewed other construction firms. You were highly recommended by professionals I respect, and I felt an instant rapport with you that you would do your very best to carry out my ideas. The contract was fair and completely clear regarding committment. From the day you began construction, I knew the job was in good hands. You weren’t just a licensed contractor, you became a friend to me and to members of my family!
I appreciate your attention to detail and the conscientious way you conduct your business. It is a pleasure to recommend your company.

From Merry Neitlich of JM Associates • Irvine, CA
I have had the opportunity to work with Mr. John Granahan, principal of Granahan Construction Company on two significant projects in my home this summer.
The first project was a complete tear-down and re-build of our wood deck in our backyard. John was thorough, knowledgeable and detail-oriented during all stages of the projects from discussion through clean-up. (By the way, John is one of the few contractor’s I have worked with who cleans-up “broom clean” upon completion of each day’s work). What was particularly positive in my experience with John and the building of our deck was John’s attention to detail and spotting potential problems before they became problems. John completed the project on time and consistently showed up on time.
We engaged John for a second and more significant project–being the general contractor of the remodeling of our kitchen. John selected all of the appropriate artisans for the kitchen from the granite fabricator to cabinet installers. Everyone who worked on the project showed up on time each time. The artisans were all extraordiary professional and pleasant to work with. My entire kitchen was remodeled in 10 days from start to finish! (That has to be a world’s record!)

From Millie Warren • Long Beach, Calif.
This is a recommendation for the “Contractor from Heaven,” John Granahan of Granahan Construction Company. I have owned commercial property in Long Beach since 1976 and during that time have had the gamut of people who have worked for me and have not done the job according to the agreement and wanting more money to finish the job. At this time the contractor hired a year ago to build a balcony and change some windows has not yet got final inspection. I hired John to build a handicap bathroom from the ground up. He stayed on the job until it was finished and three weeks later we had the final inspection. After that he modified another bathroom to handicap specifications, in the same professional manner. He is honest and trustworthy, and offers suggestions to save money, time and energy. I wish I had this young man working for me a long time ago. He would have saved me a lot of lost time and money and worry.

From Patrick & Colleen Conner • Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
I thought I would take the time to write and say how much I appreciated your company’s work on our residence. There were some difficult circumstances, and I was quite impressed with the way your worked together with the various people and building officials to make things happen correctly. I alays made me feel good to know that the construction was being done right, so there would be no problems in the future. Everything was complete and approved on time. The price your quoted was the price I paid. Those two things are impressive enought by themselves. But you gave more. Advice when I needed it…and listening to what I wanted when I KNEW what I wanted. Together, we made my family’s home a much nicer place to live. I just wanted to say thanks.

From Nancy Davis, Captain in The Salvation Army • Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
I have had the priviledge to do a remodeling project for the Salvation Army with Mr. John Granahan. While I was transferred before completion of the project, I found him to be professional, conscientious, meticulous and definately committed to his projects. I have great confidence in his abilities and highly recommend him.

From Shirley Zeiner • Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
I am very pleased with the lanai extension (veranda) you and your crew did on my home. From the very begining of the project your suggestions and work with the draftsman was extremely helpful. I appreciated you always confirming with me on changes that needed to be made with building materials. Your crew worked in a professional way at all times, cleaning up at the end of each day. I would gladly refer your company to anyone I know planning a construction project.

From Chris Hashimoto of Pacific Machinery • Waipahu, Hawaii
John Granahan built a 2,400 sq. ft. of office space, conference room and tool room in an existing warehouse for Pacific Machinery. He did the rough drawing with input from myself and Don Andrews, manager. He then arranged all the necessary blueprints and permits through the proper channels from start to finish. Throughout the construction phase, there were many changes that complicated and slowed the construction, but with John’s willingness and cooperation to satisfy our needs, he completed the project in a very expeditious manner. I compliment John’s finished work. Althought it has been well over a year since the completion, our customers as well as our out of state visitors have said many good things of John’s layout and finished work. I strongly recommend Granahan Construction Company to all prospective customers.

From Ken Jones, Resident Manager of Kona Islander Inn • Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
John Granahan of Granahan Construction was one of the bidders on a full restoration of a unit that burned totally last December, and three lanais and part of the roof. He worked hand in hand with me and the insurance adjuster to come to an agreement on price which would satisfy everyone. He and his crew did a very professional job on the re-building of the unit, and even did extra work that was not included in his bid. Over the past few years, John has done many other jobs here at Kona Islander Inn, including roof repairs and recently build the frame work for our new mail boxes. I find John to be very conscientious about his work and his laborers. I have called him several different times to talk to him about the progress of the work and he responds very quickly.

Soundproofing Acoustical Curtains, Drapes & Strip Doors. Yes!

Our Noise Control Blackout Curtains and Clear Vinyl sheeting cuts sound and they are economical, too!

Home Theater Curtains? Yes!
Any room should have at least 40% of it’s total area covered with absorbent material to reduce annoying reverberation, which reduces speech intelligibility.
Acoustical Curtains (Acoustical Draperies), are useful for adding absorbency to a room that has many reflective surfaces, such as home theatres, etc.. Sound control through a doorway? Yes! Soundproofing (Blackout), drapes are a quick, effective and cheap way to improve room acoustics (hang on the walls), as well as to block sound from coming through walls, doorways, windows, patio doors, etc. Especially effective on thin walls, such as mobile homes.
A cheap way to get a good nights sleep!

We now have a good stock of used, (very good condition!), heavy-duty soundproofing pleated drapes removed from commercial soundproofing room installations. We have some various widths (Approx.) lengths to cover walls or windows in panels. They are made of a close woven vinyl or polyester/cotton blend satin fabric with a heavy plastic fabric-like backing of Therma-Foam (creating a sound trapping space). These sound control curtains normally cost many hundreds ($$$), when new. Condition is quite good, but on some, slight discolorations or spotting may be evident but some of it may be easily removed. We have some of different colors, your choice, out they go for peanut prices. Better get some before they are all gone! Lengths are a panel for covering a wall (including a window) and sold by the inch of width: (1″ = $1). We have some with more spotting/damage for cheaper prices – inquire! These spotted ones have been proven inexpensive for noisy bird rooms to reduce reverb. Pix below show darker than they really are on most browsers. All our pages are best viewed at 1024X768 on your display.

If the colors or design is not to your liking, use them as “backup” curtains behind your desired curtains.

These drapes work best if they are not stretched tight and completely extended flat to the wall Pick a width that will allow some accordion folding when fully pulled across. (Add at least a third to the width for this). For the best soundproofing effect, try to allow at least a foot of margin around the window/door opening.

Any kind of acoustical curtains can be “doubled up” where maximum soundproofing is wanted: ___—-___—-___—-___ (Top View). Hang the first layer on regular curtain rods, then the second layer on extended rods, creating another airspace between the first set of curtains and the second. Both sides of a opening can be covered this way. These are heavy curtains (12-25 Lbs Each!) and may require a pole rod. (Get rods at the hardware store! Ask for “15 year warranty” rods.)

Use double-sided tape to seal curtain edges to wall for improved results! Also to seal center overlap of two curtains where they join together. Use it left, right and center to seal vertical edges of curtains thus reducing sound migration around and through the curtain joints at the walls and center overlap. Magnetic tape can also be cut into strips and used for this purpose.

“WALK-THROUGH” VINYL CURTAIN DOORWAY BARRIERS

STRIP DOORS - Prefabricated, ready to install Vinyl Strip Doors have excellent optical clarity, permitting good visibility through doorways. Useful for dust control and noise reduction.

FLEXIBLE TEAR-RESISTANCE VINYL, AN EFFECTIVE NOISE BARRIER WITHOUT THE STIFFNESS

AND VIBRATION OF OTHER TYPES OF BARRIERS.

Mass Loaded curtains have lead-free barium metal powder or silicon in vinyl for added sound control!

See-Thru Vinyl curtains Meet California Fire Marshall Registration No F-561

Make these yourself by buying the material you need, cutting it and hanging it up. Save hundreds!

Mass Loaded Curtains (Black/Gray, can’t see through) in 4′ wide sheet

Lbs P.S.F	Thickness	Width	S.T.C	Part No	Per Foot
1	.107	48″	26	099107	$7.55

These are also used to increase noise reduction by placing over windows and doors.

See-Thru Vinyl Curtain Material (Clear) 4′ wide sheet.

Lbs P.S.F	Thickness	Width	S.T.C	Part No	Per Foot
.5	.080	48″	20	099080	$15.05
.07	.120	48″	23	099120	$23.15
1.0	.160	48″	26	099160	$30.65

Can be applied directly to clean glass to reduce sound coming through the window.  Use a solution of distilled water and a few drops of “No Tears” baby shampoo without conditioner.  Use a spray bottle to apply and a rubber squeegee to remove bubbles.  Use a lint free cloth or coffee filters to clean with the same solution you used to apply.  Do not use any cleaner with vinegar or ammonia or paper towels.

Also used for sound/dust control over openings as well as protective covering for tables, etc.

Select Mass Loaded Vinyl Opaque or Clear Vinyl material (or both!) from chart.

8″ X .080- $ 2.50 Ft  12″ X .120 – $4 Ft

Measure your doorway or window and order to the closest foot in length. For instance, if your doorway was 8′ 2″ high, you would need to order 9′ feet of material. Material can be grommeted (Get the tool at the hardware store!) or mount with some “sandwich” boards holding it at the top. The board is then mounted over the doorway using screws, nails or chain. (Or use the mounting kits at the bottom of this page).

Cut vinyl to length with snips. or sharp knife. Allow to brush against the floor for maximum sound reduction. Walk-through panels can easily be made from the 4′ wide sheet with vertical length-way slits. Or order strip material from us. Double-up or hang on both sides of the opening for maximum effectiveness.

Use the mass loaded vinyl (MLV) on walls as a backing for the noise control curtains above to increase effective sound blocking. As effective as lead sheeting!

“Clamp Type” Door mounting kits for Strip or Sheet

The bottom edges of the holding bar are rounded to reduce wear on your strips as they swing.

4′ Wide Kit……………………….$59.95

8′ Wide Kit………………………$109.95

We also have Lead! Inquire

MORE!

See-Thru Vinyl Curtain Material (Clear) 4′ wide sheet – Can be applied directly to clean glass to reduce sound coming through the window. Use a solution of distilled water and a few drops of “No Tears” baby shampoo without conditioner. Use a spray bottle to apply and a rubber squeegee to remove bubbles. Use a lint free cloth or coffee filters to clean with the same solution you used to apply. Do not use any cleaner with vinegar or ammonia or paper towels.

Also used for sound/dust control over openings as well as protective covering for tables, etc.

Select Mass Loaded Vinyl Opaque or Clear Vinyl material (or both!) from above chart.

Measure your doorway or window and order to the closest foot in length. For instance, if your doorway was 8′ 2″ high, you would need to order 9′ feet of material. Material can be grommeted (Get the tool at the hardware store!) or mount with some “sandwich” boards holding it at the top. The board is then mounted over the doorway using screws, nails or chain. (Or use the mounting kits shown).

Cut vinyl to length with snips or sharp knife. Allow to brush against the floor for maximum sound reduction. Walk-through panels can easily be made from the 4′ wide sheet with vertical length-way slits. Or order precut strip material from us. Double-up or hang on both sides of the opening for maximum effectiveness.

Use the mass loaded vinyl (MLV) on walls as a backing for the noise control curtains above to increase effective sound blocking. As effective as lead sheeting! MORE!

USE THESE SIMPLE PIN TYPE MOUNTS TO HOLD DOOR STRIPS FOR REAL QUICK ASSEMBLY

CEILING MOUNT
WALL MOUNT
STRIP INSTALLATION

The same strip mounts as a wall or ceiling mount.

CEILING MOUNT — WALL MOUNT

Natural Cotton Fiber insulation is the newest in sound control!

Get the best in both sound control and insulation! And GREEN, too!

NEW: R-30 material in the new bags! SAVE! We are the only stocking dealer in the San Diego North County area for these materials! Don’t deal with “Drop Shippers” who can cause you long delays and gouge you on shipping fees!

Natural Cotton Fiber insulation is the successful combination of 25 years of insulation experience and a revolutionary patented manufacturing process that has created a new, superior and safe product.

This easy to install Natural Cotton Fiber is made from high quality natural fibers. These fibers contain inherent qualities that provide for extremely effective sound absorption and maximum thermal performance. It DOES NOT ITCH and is very easy to handle and work with.

It contains no chemical irritants and requires no warning labels compared to other traditional products. There are no VOC concerns when using Natural Cotton Fiber, as it is safe for you and the environment.

It is also a Class-A Building Product and meets the highest ASTM testing standards for fire and smoke ratings, fungi resistance and corrosiveness.

It contains 85% post-industrial recycled natural fibers making it an ideal choice for anyone looking to use a high quality sustainable building material.

By installing our Natural Cotton Fiber, you are making both your building and the environment a safer place to live, work, and enjoy. “A “Green” building material”! We can also supply the special cutting tool and sharpener for high production installation jobs.   MORE

SOUND AND NOISE CONTROL IN THE (HOME) OFFICE.

Your office should be a place where you can work and conduct your business in peace and quiet without noise transfer in or out!  Your ability to accomplish needed tasks can be severely compromised by the distraction of annoying noise.

Such disturbing, distracting, annoying outside noise is generally caused by neighborhood noise and traffic, usually coming through the windows and/or through the doors or walls.

Sometime office noise can come from within, from others in the house/building, or inside the office when people are talking and on the phones.

Sound control can take several forms, depending on the source of the annoyance.  The solutions are usually fairly easy to accomplish once the  noise sources are found and prioritized.

Privacy in the office should start with the door: a typical interior style hollow core door will pass sound quite readily.  It’s best not to bother to soundproof such a door by applying soundproofing material to it as you will not be very successful.  It should be replaced with a solid, exterior door  the thickest you can find. Try to find “MDF” doors.  (Medium Density Fiberboard).    Make sure it’s well fitted to the frame, no gaps or crevices for sound to migrate through. It should be sealed as if it was 40 degrees below zero on one side.  If it has a gap at the bottom, use a transom seal, (a metal strip with a rubber flap mounted to it).  The new door may need insulation anyway.  Use “Super Soundproofing acoustical mat”.  Usually 1″ thick will suffice.  Cut it oversize to cover the seam of the door at the frame to help seal it.  If there’s a lot of sound still coming through, consider hanging a “Mass Loaded Curtain” (barrier) over the door and frame. How to fit a door for best soundproofing.

If you can’t replace the door, (Landlord problem? Listen, you can always keep his door someplace and rehang it when you leave),  better, you can add another door to the existing frame, opening the opposite way.  (Solid core, of course!)

Next, windows seem to be almost transparent to sound.  Sound control sound barrier solutions come with options.  Replacement of the window with a double, triple or more paned glass unit may be the answer. (50 to 90% sound reduction).  If you decide to leave in the existing window, you may be able to add an interior window to the inside frame.  (50 to 90% noise control reduction). If you must keep your window and don’t want the expense of the foregoing and if you must have light, a clear plastic may reduce the noise level adequately, so if need be,  cover the window inside and out, (both sides). (20-50%)  If light isn’t important, plugging the window with our soundproofing mat may be the answer. Other window noise reduction alternatives:  Shutters.  Window barriers.  And fences, (Another subject!)

Noise within the office:  Many think cubicles give a measure of privacy.  Not so.  They give an illusion of privacy.  They generally are not high enough nor thick enough to prevent conversation from being overheard.  Naturally, when an animated, loud conversation is going on, it can disturb the others in the office.  Office walls have the same problems as they can pass sound more easily than many think.  If there are “dropped” suspended ceilings, check to make sure at the least the walls go all the way up above and do not end at the ceiling. Such ceilings have virtually no sound reduction capability at all and those short walls make it worse.

If there are no partitions and it’s a common area room, noise can build up, causing people to raise their voices thus compounding the problem.  This can be reduced by adding absorbent mat to the wall corners/ceiling joints thereby reducing sound reflection by absorption.  Pyramids or Wedges are some types of open cell foams in common use and are available in decorator colors.

Individuals might consider using headsets to allow concentration on their work in the office.

Simply adding mass loaded barrier (MLV) to the walls will help reduce sound transfer drastically.  It can be covered with wall paneling for esthetics.

Generally, sound masking does not work well unless the sound being masked is very low.  (Adding noise helps?).

Privacy can be very  important, both for those in the office and those outside.

Another resource about soundproofing a office.

Safe Rooms- the modern bomb shelter!
Forget about duct tape and plastic wrap  for your safe room!

What is a safe room?
A safe room is one which the goal is to rid the air of any biological contaminants such as mold, cat allergens and pollen, viruses, bacteria, noise pollution and other types of environmental pollution like biological gases from a terrorist attack. A safe room can be any room in the house which is toxin free.Such a room can also be modified so as to provide radiation protection from nuclear attack, depending on the distance from ground zero.

Who needs a safe room?
Most people most of the time can tolerate some toxicity; the time to provide protection is when…
People have weak immune systems such as the young, elderly or sick.  And/or allergies that don’t respond well to drugs.
The level of toxic pollution for any reason (such as an attack), could reach such a level as to be considered dangerous to the population at large.

Info regarding a nuclear attack: Data indicates that if the blast of such an attack is survived, the radiation drops to a low level in the first 2 hours, then to a very low (almost negligible) value in the next 2 days

Building a safe room:

For soundproofing the walls and ceilings, see “Party” Walls

To build a safe room, one must bring enough uncontaminated fresh air into that room so that people will have plenty of oxygen. The answer lies in positively pressurizing a room. In order to provide occupants with a completely toxin free room, a constant flow of air needs to be drawn into the room from the outside or adjacent room through extremely high grade Hepa and/or carbon filters, so only pure air enters the room. Using the inflow duct kit for these air purifiers, bring the fresh air in safely from the outside through a duct fitted into a window or wall. When new air enters in from the outside, it filter out large particulates, then a surplus of air fills the room to capacity thereby excess air is forced  out of the room through a one-way outlet duct, because the room must be airtight.  In addition, a air purifier that destroys virus’ and bacteria (such as the  Eco-Quest), is used in the room as a secondary unit and that will continue to function should the first fail.  (Portable battery operated units are available for this purpose, too).

A standalone air conditioner might be considered, where the ionizing air purifier would be built into the ducting.

The radiation barrier is provided by lining the walls, ceiling and if needed, the floor with lead sheeting.  This is easily accomplished by using adhesive to cement the sheeting the walls or to additional drywall sheets which are then applied to the walls, ceiling, etc.  Lead tape is added to finish the sealing job.  The more lead, the better the protection.  The government protects our leaders with several inches!  We ordinary citizens usually cannot afford the kind of  protection the government provides our politicians.

Call us for more info on this. 888-942-7723 8-5 Pacific time

See these links as a resource for your Safe Room.

http://urbansurvivalkit.com/
http://www.allergybuyersclubshopping.com/safe-room.html?source=goto

Different areas of your home require different treatment to attenuate noise. Some noise is annoying when it comes in, such as through the windows or attic.  Other noise may be annoying to others both inside and out of the home. (Playing musical instruments, neighbors, street noise, etc).  For these   reasons, differing noise control treatments of the house are needed, using a variety of sound control materials and special acoustical construction techniques.  While it is far better to make the investment in soundproofing (architectural acoustical noise control), when the home is being built, rather than doing a soundproofing retrofit, it’s not impossible, just a bit more difficult.

• Soundproofing the Attic

• The soundproof apartment Add-on

• Sound-proofing a Garage

• The sound proof Music room

• Acoustical control of The basement

• Noise control through DoorsEdit

• Soundproofing Windows

• Using Interior windows

• Reducing noise from Appliances

The investment in soundproofing should be considered in the long term, over the period of years where continuous relief from noise will pay off in less stress and in getting a good nights sleep.  The costs of acoustical investment and upgrade made in this situation can be fully amortized and  thus means only  a few dollars a year. These initial costs can usually be fully recouped when the house is eventually sold and will make it much easier to sell!

SPECIFIC SOUND PROOFING / NOISE CONTROL SOLUTIONS!

Here we present acoustical information gleaned from the EPA’s book, Quieting: A Practical Guide to Noise Control”. ($15 PP) More info on this book.

We have slightly updated the noise control solutions to reflect more current thinking and to point to more modern sound proofing materials than were available then when the book was first printed.

We’ve added even more information taken from actual case histories found in Noise Control FAQ’s and our sound proofing discussion group (The “FORUM”), situations as well.

Complaint	Probable Causes	Remedies
A. “This room is noisy”	Noisy appliances, ventilation system	Reduce noise output of source: install vibration mounts; isolate source in sound insulating enclosure. Ventilation noise: reduce blower speed; install acoustic lining and flexible connectors in ducts.
	Room is excessively reverberant; if the sound of a person’s handclap persists longer than a second, the room requires acoustic treatment.	Install sound absorbing materials, e.g., carpets and pads, drapery, upholstered furniture, acoustical wall padding, ceiling. Total surface area of absorbent material should be at least one-fourth of total room surface area.
	Outdoor noise intrusion	Install window “plugs”. Install gaskets around existing windows and doors; install storm windows and doors, replace hollow core or paneled entrance doors with solid core doors.
B. “It is difficult to concentrate”	If conversation at an ordinary distance of 3-5 ft (1-1.5 m) is difficult, the ambient noise level is too high [greater than 70 dB(A)]. Excessive noise may be due to causes described above.	If the remedies outlined above do not alleviate the sound control problem, install barriers and/or a prefabricated, sound-insulated booth or field office enclosure.
C. “It’s stuffy and oppressive in here”	If there is adequate ventilation, the room may be acoustically “dead.” There is too much absorption, i.e., excessive drapery, rugs and pads and upholstered furniture.	Remove at least 50% of all sound absorbent material such as drapery, thick carpet and padding; or replace existing furnishings with lighter-weight material. Large glass framed pictures may prove effective.
D. “You can hear voices, but they are unintelligible”	The sound transmission through a partition or ductwork, and ventilation noise in the mid-frequency range.	Caulk or seal all visible cracks at ceiling and floor edges of party wall. Remove cover plates of all electrical outlets in party walls to check for back-to-back installation; in such cases pack cavities with foam mat or jute fiber wadding and seal with a resilient caulk. If additional sound attenuation is required, acoustical modification of the party wall may be necessary (see text).
E. “I hear whistling noise”	High-pitched sound usually is generated by ventilators and grilles; worn or defective washers, and valve seals in plumbing, heating and refrigerant systems. High-velocity gas flow through furnace burner jets or nozzles causes similar noises.	Set dampers at most quiet setting; place ear at grille, if noise is louder, remove grille. If noise vanishes with grille removed, reduce blower speed or install new grille with larger and more streamlined openings and deflectors. Reduce pressure in plumbing system and isolate pipes and valves from supporting wall and floor structures with resilient sleeves or collars. Replace worn or defective faucet washers or valve seals. Wrap pipes.
F. “I hear my neighbor’s TV and stereo”.	Acoustically-weak partition wall due to inadequate construction, noise leakage through cracks at floor and ceiling edges or through back-to-back electrical outlets. Neighbor’s TV set may be too close to party wall.	Use same methods as in D above. Suggest that neighbor place resilient pads under and blocking mat behind his TV and stereo sets and relocate them away from the party wall.
G. “Footstep noises from the apartment above annoy me”.	Rigid, light-frame construction of floor assembly, solid concrete floor slab covered with tile; lack of carpeting and padding.	Suggest that carpet and padding be installed on the floor above. If additional footstep isolation is desired, test both ceiling and the walls in your room with a stethoscope to determine which is radiating most noise. If noise radiation from ceiling is greater, install a gypsum board ceiling mounted on resilient hangers, place foam mat blanket in void between ceilings. In some cases, wall paneling w/foam backing mounted on resilient furring members may be required in addition.

SOUND PROOFING LIGHT AIRCRAFT (and other stuff too!) — Printable Version

Introduction

I first put these ideas down in 1990, in the form of an instruction sheet we handed out with the Super Sound Proofing mat. Over the years we’ve added more to them, mostly by feedback from users of the product and printed thousands of these little booklets.

You are invited to pass back your experiences with this and the other products that have been added to our arsenal in the fight against noise. We’ve now got acoustical foam materials to be used in Boats, Trucks and Cars as well as new materials used in Architectural applications for home movie rooms, sound studios, gyms, industrial as well as for band practice in the garage!

Our first specialty is aircraft applications as it is the most challanging! We are always available for free consulting at anytime for any application, to help you with what we know about methods and materials for soundproofing.

We provide free copies to groups and associations, just let us know how many you need.

© Copyright /1998 by Bill Nash – all rights reserved. Reprint rights granted when full credit is given.

SOUND PROOFING

LIGHT AIRCRAFT

Much has been discussed as well as written about the noisiness of aircraft – inside and out. Because of these valid concerns, sound measurements have been made that indicate that sometimes the noise levels are so high in some aircraft that damage to the hearing over the long term can and indeed does, result. Elaborate techniques now exist to drastically reduce such noise. While time and expense are important considerations, installing soundproofing is not a luxury; it is an investment in the physical well-being of the flyers in addition to a valuable upgrade of the aircraft. Information presented here is applicable to all types of planes from “puddle-jumpers” to jets. The addendum to this booklet has info regarding other vehicles as well as business, shop and office.

In a properly soundproofed airplane, the radio can be used with speaker and hand mike, instead of only the headsets. You will even enjoy better direct communications between passengers and will not have to worry about damage to your hearing. Contrary to popular belief, wearing headsets will not protect your hearing much. After being properly soundproofed, using the latest space age materials, the noise level in most aircraft will be so low you’ll probably be able to have conversations in normal tones. You’ll wonder why you ever put up with all the noise before. The quieter aircraft will seem to have gained quality and feel more solid and plusher. Such an improvement should not be considered costly.

Before we tell you how to accomplish this, we will discuss some commonly used materials for sound attenuation. Also, keep in mind that soundproofing involves two (2) concepts that require two different materials:

Sound absorption, and
Sound blocking, or barrier material.
Vibration of the airframe, penetration of sound into the cabin from the engine/prop and airflow over the airframe are three distinct effects and you need to use the proper materials to control them. We have found the ordinary “foam rubber” and fiberglass batting as supplied by the aircraft manufacturers to be virtually worthless.

“Super Soundproofing” Mat for Sound Absorption:

It is a closed cell vinyl/nitrile insulating material which will not absorb water or oil. Materials that absorb liquids are not suitable because if they get wet, they will promote corrosion and increase their weight. The mat also conserves and blocks heat because it is an insulator. It has fire retardant qualities and we have the manufacturer’s assurance that, in thicknesses over 1/8″, it meets the requirements of FAR 25.853b. Therefore, it is suitable for aircraft use.

It is available in 48″ widths in thicknesses of 1/8, 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, 3/4 and 1 inch. It may easily be cemented together to make other thicknesses.

The Noise Mat Barrier:

If one were to make a mat of sound absorbing material rather thicker and use a metal barrier inside it, it would be very effective in really stopping engine noise coming through the firewall. So if ordinary kitchen Reynolds Aluminum Foil is sandwiched between the mats, (use contact cement), most of that noise will be prevented from entering the cabin. A 2″ minimum total thickness is recommended.

Finish Cloths and Vinyls: These are available from your local automotive upholstery wholesaler in a myriad of thicknesses and colors. Most types of automotive materials meet some auto industry inflammability requirements, but perhaps not specifically those as applied to aviation. It is the duty of the installer to make sure that applicable F.A.R.s are complied with.

For aircraft applications, you would be interested in thin vinyl materials such as used for automobile headliners and durable cloths that have a thin foam backing. These can easily be drawn tight and contact cemented to the above described soundproofing mats (or metal backing panels), to produce very attractive, professionally finished surfaces. The use of contact cement in spray cans simplifies application. A heat gun (hair dryer) and some moisture will shrink out most wrinkles.

Other types of soundproofing materials.

A mention should be made here of some popular materials marketed by others. One is a white foam material that is provided in a kit, specially cut for each aircraft it is designed for…. It has contact cement on one side with a peel-off covering and comes with a diagram as to where each piece fits into the aircraft. This is a very expensive proposition because all this prep work has been done for you and you are charged accordingly. A lot of time is wasted trying to find where each piece fits. These kits can run up to $3000 per aircraft (and more) plus installation.

Another one is a lead-backed material developed for the military. It is so expensive and heavy it would not be a contender for installation in light aircraft, even airliners, even though it can sometimes be found surplus. Other materials are either not F.A.A. approved, not closed cell material or are far more costly than our proven Super Sound Proofing Mat! Check carefully before you buy!

Installation Considerations

Each aircraft has its “hot spots”. That’s certain areas where noise is the loudest. A good soundproofing job would concentrate on these places that are the noisiest by placing more material there. However, in general, the places in a light plane that admit sound most readily are the firewall, cowl forward of the windshield/instrument panel, kickpanels, sidewalls of the cabin, roof and wing-roots. But the honor of the most noisy goes to the windows! When replacing windows, use the thickest material you can.

A thorough soundproofing job would place heavier layers of materials where the sound was the loudest, near the front and lighter insulation aft. The entire cabin should receive the treatment, above, below and all around including doors.

In an aircraft that has been flying, the best time to put in this material is when the interior has been removed. Then it can be installed with a minimum of effort. However, an installation can be made piecemeal. That is, section by section, as the budget or time allows, with steadily improving results as more and more of the cabin area is insulated. Some installers might do the doors on a weekend, the firewall on another, etc. In all cases, investigate thoroughly for evidence of corrosion or other damage before applying any batting that might cover it up.

While we cannot provide explicit instructions for each and every aircraft, we can give you some general pointers to insure a good, effective job.

Installation; Soundproofing Mat
Cut your material to precise size and shape beginning with the largest area.
The material comes in different thicknesses to be cut to fit inside and to fill the formers and frames, cabin sides and ceiling. (See diagrams). We do not recommend using razor blades or knives. They will leave ragged edges. Cut it with an electric knife, the kind that is used for carving turkeys. We use a Hamilton Beach battery-powered unit. These are inexpensive home appliance models. The rechargeable feature is handy where an AC plug-in isn’t available, such as out on the aircraft ramp tiedown area. Cut material a little oversized so that it fits inside the former or frame with a push tight fit. It comes with a smooth “skin” side and a rougher side. Either side can be cemented but the smooth side is more suitable. A dab of contact cement here and there will ensure that it stays put, but it should fit well enough so that is quite tight. If the area you are covering is rather large, apply a coating of Super Sound Proofing Liquid and allow to dry first.

Use waterproof contact cement. Do not overdo the cementing because you may want to remove the material someday to look for corrosion, run wires, etc. Use judicious dabs of cement. Use a brush for this. You must put soundproofing every place where the inside of the skin is exposed, especially on the firewall and inside the upper instrument cowling and kick panel sides forward of the windshield. If it’s difficult to cut and fit the material directly because of obstructions, make a little cardboard pattern by which to cut and fit the material.

Take your time. Don’t get into a hurry. Make it fit as neatly as possible. It goes without saying the material is to be installed only on the cabin side of the firewall! If the firewall is covered with some kind of decorative mickey mouse firewall covering, or fiberglass batting, remove it. It may then be reinstalled, but it’s probably better to just leave it off.

Use the bits and pieces left over to insulate the smaller remaining spaces.
Material can be contact cemented together to make larger pieces, so not much need be wasted. Window frames and ‘U’ channels can simply be pushed full of the scraps. Leftovers can also be used in the floor access panels by gluing them on the underside of the covers, then reinstalling the panels and access covers. If you have some left over, it’s worth it to glue it to the inside of the belly access covers too. Every place sound can enter should be covered as much as possible, but installing the material everywhere inside the underside of the floor many times isn’t practical. Don’t worry, even without that, the sound reduction will be very impressive. If your plane is apart for repairs or overhaul, or an experimental under construction, a more complete job can be done. However, do not overdo the gluing job. If you do, the material can be difficult to remove if and when inspection is necessary in the future.

AN ALTERNATIVE METHOD OF INSTALLATION FOR EVEN GREATER SOUND REDUCTION

If your aircraft has ‘snap-in’ metal or fiberglass upholstery panels that are held in frames, we have had great success with the following method which uses 1/2″ or thinner mat material:

Remove all such panels. Or, if you don’t have them, make some.
Cut your mat materials a bit oversized. Then carefully cement a 1/2″ layer of material to the inside backside of the panel. Leave the edge of the soundproofing around the edge slightly loose so that it can slide over the inside flange of the mounting frame. Here, because these panels are nonstructural, and inspection won’t be necessary, a full even coating of contact cement on both the panel and mat and then assembly will ensure that the material will not come loose, ever.

2. Cut and fit thinner insulation material to the inside skin areas same as the application of the material detailed previously. Cut and fit thinner insulation material to the inside skin areas same as the application of the material detailed previously. Cut and fit thinner insulation material to the inside skin areas same as the application of the material detailed previously.

The idea here is to create a sound deadened boxed-in area with a dead-air space between the two insulation layers. This is very effective and lighter, but requires more time and effort.

The idea here is to create a sound deadened boxed-in area with a dead-air space between the two insulation layers. This is very effective and lighter, but requires more time and effort.

The idea here is to create a sound deadened boxed-in area with a dead-air space between the two insulation layers. This is very effective and lighter, but requires more time and effort.

The idea here is to create a sound deadened boxed-in area with a dead-air space between the two insulation layers. This is very effective and lighter, but requires more time and effort.

For First Time Construction

Those of you building experimentals will have good results by just using the material on the inside of the cockpit area as explained. However, in addition, if you wish to make removable upholstery panels as mentioned above, here’s how:
Using either very thin aluminum sheet (.015″ is a
good thickness), or very thin fiberglass sheet (some call it “tank Liner”), a bit thicker, cut it to the size of the area you wish to cover. Don’t try to make the area to be covered too large or make the panel with curved edges or with compound curves. The squarer, the better.
Pop rivet aluminum “T” “H” or “C” channel,

(obtainable from the Reynolds Aluminum stock rack at your favorite hardware store) to the structure of the area that your panel will be mounted. Cut, fit and trim it so that a fairly loose fit of all four sides of your panel is obtained. The channel you use must have a slot wide enough that will accept the panel and the folded over upholstery material at its edge. It must not fit so tightly that it can’t be snapped in or out of place by bowing it. If needed, an upholstery ‘snap button’ can be judiciously placed to hold it tightly.

Now, evenly glue 1/8″ or 3/16″ soundproofing mat to what is to be the front side of the panel, leaving about an even 1/2″ or 3/4″ or so, open area up to the edges. This will make a cushioned panel when covered with your automotive finish cloth or vinyl. Lay this upholstery finish covering material over your panel, using it as a pattern and cut it 2-3″ oversize. Applying a coating of “Plio-Bond” (or several coats of contact cement) to the metal or plastic then allowing it to dry, will provide a proper base for gluing material to the back edge of your panel. Lay the panel, with soundproof mat down, on the backside of the finish sheet and cement it down to the back of the panel, pulling the wrinkles on the front out gently. Do not glue to the front at all. If you start with the contact cement slightly wet, you can work out the wrinkles very easily. When dry, trim the backside material away evenly and neatly with a razor blade. Leave about 3/4″ holding it. This creates a smooth, cushioned panel that will snap into your aluminum frame very professionally, better than in factory planes! You may use thin 1/8″ foam rubber available from the upholstery shop instead of the soundproof mat. Put the soundproof mat on the back side of the panel as explained earlier or, even better, to both sides of your panel AND the inside structure for additional “Super” soundproofing.

You can simply wrap the mat with your upholstery finish sheeting, just gluing it to the back edge of the smooth backside, then gluing the panel in place. The spray on kind of contact cement is very useful here. You can spray and attach it directly to the smooth side if you wish. A little extra attention to the corners of your finish material will be worthwhile for a neat job. A glue like “GOOP” works very well for this.

Larger Aircraft such as Airliners.

Cabin walls will need to be insulated thoroughly in the manner explained above. Many times soundproofing of these types of aircraft is usually done perfunctorily by workers who have no idea what it’s all about. Without some knowledge and careful attention to detail the consequence is a soundproofing job that is not very effective.

A Special Note About Helicopters

An application of the thickest material available (we can supply it up to 2″ thick and these thicknesses may be contact cemented together for even thicker) installed between the rear cabin and engine/transmission will result in a definite, noticeable noise reduction. Most of the time this is easy to do as these areas are usually quite accessible. It may also be cemented to the inside upper bubble, seat backs and in the underside floor areas for even better results. This may not have a totally silencing effect on the flying noise, but can make conversation possible when on the ground without having to reduce power or use the intercom. The best results will be had by then cementing a layer of Reynolds Aluminum “Noise Barrier’ into the mat as was explained.

The Federal Trade Commission says that there are no existing test methods or standards devised to prove the flammability of any material. Or are there accurate indicators of the performance of cellular plastic materials under actual fire conditions. Almost any material will burn under the “right” conditions. The test procedures of F.A.R. 853.b, U.L. 94 or “Class A” are intended only as measurements of the performance of materials under specific controlled conditions. These tests generally mean the material will burn, but not support a flame, or will not support an flame but will create smoke. You can get a good idea about any material you intend to use by burning a scrap of it with a match. Materials used by aircraft manufacturer’s years ago may not even meet present day “standards.” Generally, if a person is responsible for returning a certified aircraft to service as a shop or mechanic, he should use materials that are FAA approved and follow approved procedures. If it is in the experimental category, you can use whatever you wish. For certified aircraft, a letter is included here in this booklet certifying that it meets requirements of F.A.R 25.853b(3). One may wish to place the letter in the aircraft logbook.

Sound Proofing Ratings. We haven’t provided charts and graphs here because these theoretical ratings are pretty much meaningless in the real world.

However, there are useful methods of judging the effectiveness of a soundproofing material by measuring it’s absorption and transmissibility properties.

Weight, How Far To Go

There is a weight penalty, of course. The Super Soundproofing Mat weighs from .10 pound for the 1/8″ to .7 pounds for the 1″ material. (Per sq. ft.) A roll of the popular 1/2″ X 50′ (200 sq. ft.) mat weighs about 50 Lbs. Obviously, if you put it all in your plane, that’s what the weight increase will be, less, of course whatever you pulled out. Generally it takes about 3/4 of a roll of 1/2″ mat to do a good job on an aircraft such as a Cessna 182. (about 30 Lbs).

Such weights are not much of a consideration in a heavy twin, but can mean a lot in an ultralight. Common sense counts here. If a few extra pounds of soundproofing, perhaps even combined with an attractive interior offends your pocketbook or sensibilities, perhaps an additional investment would be made in noise-canceling headsets for everyone! In such a case, your wallet will be the one undergoing a dramatic weight reduction! And you thought acoustical material was expensive! Remember, headsets will not protect your hearing in the long term. In general, even a little material is better than none. Here usually, more is better, is the rule.

MORE NOISE REDUCTION RECOMMENDATIONS

Such weights are not much of a consideration in a heavy twin, but can mean a lot in an ultralight. Common sense counts here. If a few extra pounds of soundproofing, perhaps even combined with an attractive interior offends your pocketbook or sensibilities, perhaps an additional investment would be made in noise-canceling headsets for everyone! In such a case, your wallet will be the one undergoing a dramatic weight reduction! And you thought acoustical material was expensive! Remember, headsets will not protect your hearing in the long term. In general, even a little material is better than none. Here usually, more is better, is the rule.

MORE NOISE REDUCTION RECOMMENDATIONS

The neatness and care that is taken to ensure a good, tight fit and thorough application and covering of the inside skin areas around the cabin will determine the effectiveness of your soundproofing job. There is just so much you can do as a lot of sound is still going to come in the windows. Flat acrylic sheets can be bought from a plastics wholesaler and cut to fit much cheaper than buying pre-cut windows. Those of you that are building experimentals, overhauling or rebuilding aircraft, should consider additional methods of sound reduction i.e. replacing plexiglass windows and windshields with the thickest possible material available (up to 3/8″). Our tests have shown that there is no advantage to using any thicker material. Plexiglas edges of thicker plastic window material can be trimmed down with a router to still fit in the original thinner frames and is well worth the extra trouble.

Also, a fiberglass firewall batting cover fitted on the engine side will also help quiet single engine aircraft. This can be fabricated by your upholstery shop out of heat resistant materials. Cutouts for wiring and other necessary openings through the firewall can be closed by velcro fastenings and is well worth the additional cost and effort.

Loose fitting fairings causing gaps between the wing and fuselage in high wing aircraft can generate lots of wind noise. This must be stopped. An easy way to do this is by using a caulking gun filled with white weatherproof silicone caulk. (Use clear if your paint in that area is not white!) For best results, apply it wet while the fuselage/wing joining cover is off. Clean up with water. First tucking soundproofing mat firmly between the wing/root and the fuselage will really help. This is usually not a problem in low wing planes, but should be investigated.

A noisy door because of a gap in its frame can mean the seal needs replacement or if the door cannot be made to fit properly, (try some very careful bending!), perhaps even a inflatable door seal. There are dealers for inflatable door seal kits for many types of aircraft and such kits can be adapted to most others.

Super Sound Proofing Liquid!

This is a lightweight insulating material designed to add mass to metal surfaces thereby reducing reverberant sound. Several coats can be built up to suit sound proofing need. It also acts as a sound absorption/barrier where mat cannot be applied. Use it in tailcones, under flooring panels, on firewalls and in corners mat cannot go. Brush on, available in half-pints, pints, quarts and gallons.

Super Sound Proofing Flooring!

By popular demand, we are now making our flooring mat available. We’ve combined a tough, wear resistant vinyl surface with a layer of closed cell foam to cushion and isolate noise and vibration. It is designed for floorboards and firewalls in vehicles, including aircraft. Thickness is about 1/4″ and quite lightweight. It comes in 54″ widths by the running foot.

In any event, we’re here to help you with any questions.

Addendum to “Soundproofing the Light Aircraft” For Boats, RVs and Cars

The principles and applications described in the foregoing for aircraft are completely applicable to other vehicles and even homes and offices. Absorption and blocking of noise are the principles of most importance. How this is accomplished is a measure of the effectiveness of the soundproofing job. First, we will discuss some specifics of soundproofing certain kinds of vehicles and the specialties of noise reduction in the business, shop, home or office.

The principles and applications described in the foregoing for aircraft are completely applicable to other vehicles and even homes and offices. Absorption and blocking of noise are the principles of most importance. How this is accomplished is a measure of the effectiveness of the soundproofing job. First, we will discuss some specifics of soundproofing certain kinds of vehicles and the specialties of noise reduction in the business, shop, home or office.

Autos/Trucks
In this application the two principle sound producing items are road noise and engine noise. These are dealt with somewhat differently. However, in most cases the method of absorption is used. The engine compartment usually has pretty good noise blocking capabilities, so lining the compartment inside and out (where practical) will do an excellent job. The hood is a particularly important place to start. Factory material is usually not anywhere near adequate to do an acceptable soundproofing job. The hood must be removed and thoroughly cleaned before applying soundproofing!

Road noise can be controlled by placing soundproofing mat on the firewall and Flooring Mat on the floorboards, good coverage is essential. Mat can be cut into squares and heated with a heat gun to help it conform to unusual shapes. Some pretty expensive mat is available from some auto paint wholesalers called Dynamat. Contact cement will hold it permanently in place. (Be sure its waterproof cement!). The walls and roof should receive the treatment if practicable. Our Super Soundproofing Mat is better for this as it comes in one piece instead of 12″ squares. Voids (open) areas can be closed up with expanding foam that is sold in cans. This will cut down on an echoing effect. Be sure to do the trunk area as it will tend to resonate like a drum into the passenger compartment from road noise. (Volvos are notorious for this.) “Cadillac” quality comes from lots of soundproofing material and attention to details of covering every square inch with material. Long distance truckers can really benefit from soundproofing their cabs and sleepers and heavy equipment operators will find fatigue greatly reduced as their noisy environment is quieted! Again, a side benefit is the reduction of heat and cold.

Boats
Most noise is generated by the engine and carefully covering the engine compartment with soundproofing mat will do a marvelous job of sound reduction. Soundproofing the engine room walls and ceiling are most important in larger boats (ships), and hanging mats often can often be very effective. More about that in the next section!

Other: Businesses, Shop, Home or Office

Businesses can really benefit by reducing noise pollution. Not only will workers, who spend long hours in the same place every day, but customers (maybe more importantly!) will really appreciate a quieter environment. Generally, annoying noise in these areas is caused by machines or people. In an office or business, hard reflective surfaces tend to severely accentuate noise. This is one reason why rugs make a room quieter. Here, soundproofing mat can be placed in strips of one or two feet high and run along the top of walls and even attached to ceilings for impressive noise reduction. These sound absorption runners do a very effective job, the more the better!! In noisy areas such as a shop, hanging barriers are made by attaching soundproofing mat to plywood squares (both sides!), and suspending them between the offensive noise producing machine and the receiver of the noise. This works wonders. These barriers may be either permanent or temporary. If temporary, they may be moved out of the way with some sort of wheels, hinge, cable or hook arrangement. Temporary ones on casters are useful or suppressing grinding machines or other loud noises that occur at different places around the shop. (Or, for band practice in the garage!) Hanging squares are also effective in high noise areas such as machinery rooms, pizza parlors, game rooms, halls, etc. They need not be long or large enough to be very noticeable. Hang them from the ceiling in rows (at least one foot tall), and notice how the quiet develops! We have acoustical foam wedges, pyramids and for max sound control, anechoic wedges in blocks and squares.

Contact us direct for help in other noise control situations, such as architectural acoustics. We provide free consultation!

SUPER SOUNDPROOFING CO

P.O. Box 985

Vista, CA 92085

Tel: (760) 752-3030

Fax: (760) 749-6384

E-mail: sales@soundproofing.org

Businesses can really benefit by reducing noise pollution. Not only will workers, who spend long hours in the same place every day, but customers (maybe more importantly!) will really appreciate a quieter environment. Generally, annoying noise in these areas is caused by machines or people. In an office or business, hard reflective surfaces tend to severely accentuate noise. This is one reason why rugs make a room quieter. Here, soundproofing mat can be placed in strips of one or two feet high and run along the top of walls and even attached to ceilings for impressive noise reduction. These sound absorption runners do a very effective job, the more the better!! In noisy areas such as a shop, hanging barriers are made by attaching soundproofing mat to plywood squares (both sides!), and suspending them between the offensive noise producing machine and the receiver of the noise. This works wonders. These barriers may be either permanent or temporary. If temporary, they may be moved out of the way with some sort of wheels, hinge, cable or hook arrangement. Temporary ones on casters are useful or suppressing grinding machines or other loud noises that occur at different places around the shop. (Or, for band practice in the garage!) Hanging squares are also effective in high noise areas such as machinery rooms, pizza parlors, game rooms, halls, etc. They need not be long or large enough to be very noticeable. Hang them from the ceiling in rows (at least one foot tall), and notice how the quiet develops! We have acoustical foam wedges, pyramids and for max sound control, anechoic wedges in blocks and squares.

Contact us direct for help in other noise control situations, such as architectural acoustics. We provide free consultation!

In this application the two principle sound producing items are road noise and engine noise. These are dealt with somewhat differently. However, in most cases the method of absorption is used. The engine compartment usually has pretty good noise blocking capabilities, so lining the compartment inside and out (where practical) will do an excellent job. The hood is a particularly important place to start. Factory material is usually not anywhere near adequate to do an acceptable soundproofing job. The hood must be removed and thoroughly cleaned before applying soundproofing!

Road noise can be controlled by placing soundproofing mat on the firewall and Flooring Mat on the floorboards, good coverage is essential. Mat can be cut into squares and heated with a heat gun to help it conform to unusual shapes. Some pretty expensive mat is available from some auto paint wholesalers called Dynamat. Contact cement will hold it permanently in place. (Be sure its waterproof cement!). The walls and roof should receive the treatment if practicable. Our Super Soundproofing Mat is better for this as it comes in one piece instead of 12″ squares. Voids (open) areas can be closed up with expanding foam that is sold in cans. This will cut down on an echoing effect. Be sure to do the trunk area as it will tend to resonate like a drum into the passenger compartment from road noise. (Volvos are notorious for this.) “Cadillac” quality comes from lots of soundproofing material and attention to details of covering every square inch with material. Long distance truckers can really benefit from soundproofing their cabs and sleepers and heavy equipment operators will find fatigue greatly reduced as their noisy environment is quieted! Again, a side benefit is the reduction of heat and cold.

Boats
Most noise is generated by the engine and carefully covering the engine compartment with soundproofing mat will do a marvelous job of sound reduction. Soundproofing the engine room walls and ceiling are most important in larger boats (ships), and hanging mats often can often be very effective. More about that in the next section!

Other: Businesses, Shop, Home or Office

Businesses can really benefit by reducing noise pollution. Not only will workers, who spend long hours in the same place every day, but customers (maybe more importantly!) will really appreciate a quieter environment. Generally, annoying noise in these areas is caused by machines or people. In an office or business, hard reflective surfaces tend to severely accentuate noise. This is one reason why rugs make a room quieter. Here, soundproofing mat can be placed in strips of one or two feet high and run along the top of walls and even attached to ceilings for impressive noise reduction. These sound absorption runners do a very effective job, the more the better!! In noisy areas such as a shop, hanging barriers are made by attaching soundproofing mat to plywood squares (both sides!), and suspending them between the offensive noise producing machine and the receiver of the noise. This works wonders. These barriers may be either permanent or temporary. If temporary, they may be moved out of the way with some sort of wheels, hinge, cable or hook arrangement. Temporary ones on casters are useful or suppressing grinding machines or other loud noises that occur at different places around the shop. (Or, for band practice in the garage!) Hanging squares are also effective in high noise areas such as machinery rooms, pizza parlors, game rooms, halls, etc. They need not be long or large enough to be very noticeable. Hang them from the ceiling in rows (at least one foot tall), and notice how the quiet develops! We have acoustical foam wedges, pyramids and for max sound control, anechoic wedges in blocks and squares.

Contact us direct for help in other noise control situations, such as architectural acoustics. We provide free consultation!

To The Pilot, Mechanic or Installer!!

Most of the materials mentioned are available

from a variety of sources, your common

hardware store has some of the items. The

SUPER SOUNDPROOFING MAT

is only available from us and:

AIRCRAFT SPRUCE & SPECIALTY

225 Airport Circle 91720

P.O. Box 4000 91718

Corona, CA. U.S.A.

1-800-824-1930 or (951) 372 9555

As mill distributors of this material, we don’t sell direct in small quantities, just in half or full rolls, for other quantities, please order from the above, they stock most sizes.

Questions? Certs? We are happy to offer recommendations, advice, assistance and free samples, or a hard copy of this booklet. Just call or write us.

Logbook Certification letter:+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

SUPER SOUNDPROOFING CO

P.O. BOX 985

Vista, CA 92084

(760) 752-3030

September 3, 2005

RE: FAA CERTIFICATION OF “SUPER SOUNDPROOFING” MATERIAL

To Whom it may Concern:

This letter provides information regarding Super Soundproofing Material for which we are the mill distributors. This letter is to certify the material has FAA approval.

Our Super Soundproofing Material, is a vinyl-nitrile closed cell expanded foam. It has been tested by an FAA approved laboratory that has determined the material, in thicknesses over 1/8th inch meets, or exceeds, the flammability test criteria that is contained in FAR 25.853(b). Results are available on request.

This material, in all thicknesses, meets various portions of U.L. Lab criteria regarding different qualities and parts of D.O.T. “Proposed Guidelines for Flammability and Smoke Emission Specifications.”

In addition, the material meets MIL Spec. MIL-P-15280-H Form S. regardless of its thickness.

I herewith certify the above is true and correct.

William Nash

This letter provides information regarding Super Soundproofing Material for which we are the mill distributors. This letter is to certify the material has FAA approval.

Our Super Soundproofing Material, is a vinyl-nitrile closed cell expanded foam. It has been tested by an FAA approved laboratory that has determined the material, in thicknesses over 1/8th inch meets, or exceeds, the flammability test criteria that is contained in FAR 25.853(b). Results are available on request.

This material, in all thicknesses, meets various portions of U.L. Lab criteria regarding different qualities and parts of D.O.T. “Proposed Guidelines for Flammability and Smoke Emission Specifications.”

In addition, the material meets MIL Spec. MIL-P-15280-H Form S. regardless of its thickness.

I herewith certify the above is true and correct.

William Nash

General Manager

How to soundproof your door

About Controlling Sound and Reducing Noise Passing through Doors.

After dealing with the window, sound control efforts in a room should go to the door: a typical interior style hollow core door will pass sound quite readily. (An STC of much less than 20- this means conversation can easily be heard). It should be replaced with a solid, exterior door, the thickest you can find. “MDF” (Medium Density Fiberboard) doors are cheap and have good sound blocking qualities. Make sure it’s well fitted to the frame, no gaps or crevices for sound to migrate through. If there is, use closed cell tape, (not from the hardware store). The door should be sealed off as if it was 40 degrees below zero on one side. If it has a gap over 1/4″ at the bottom, use a door sweep seal, (a metal strip with a rubber flap) mounted to it, available from us. (As shown here). Set it to just brush the floor.

Your new door may still need sound insulation. Use 1/8″ MLV with 1/4″ closed cell foam ($14.63 per lineal ft). bonded to it. Then cover with “Super Soundproofing acoustical mat”. Usually 1″ thick will suffice. Cut it a bit oversize to cover the seam of the door at the frame to help seal it. You can use the mat with the adhesive backing if you want to re-use it or remove it later.

A typical door 3′ X 8′ is 36 sq. ft. so 8′ of the 4′ 6″ wide MLV will cover it. 9′ of the 4′X1″ foam will be needed. If there’s a lot of sound still coming through, consider hanging a “Mass Loaded Curtain” (barrier) or a acoustical curtain over the door and frame.

You could use gaskets that are ordinary thermal sealing gasketing foam strips from the hardware store, but far better results can be had if you use our “Super Soundproofing 1/8″ Thick Self-Adhesive Tape” (Black), because it is a closed cell material, will seal better and is much more durable. We also have a better looking gray tape in widths of 1/4″, 3/8″ & 1/2″ for door sealing white frames. Apply strips on top of each other to build up and close wide gaps.

Think you can’t replace the door with your door, Landlord problem? You can always put his door aside and rehang it when you leave. Better, create an “Airlock door system” by leaving his door in place and adding another door to the frame, opening the opposite way. (Solid core, of course!)

TIP: Remove the molding from around (use care to not split it!), the door and check the gap between the frame of the door and the rough framing. Usually you’ll find there is nothing there! Many times this empty space of the door frame has no insulation at all, just covered by two pieces of wood molding. Pack the area with our Super Soundproofing Mat (you can order just a few feet, we have no minimums), or use our caulk, and cover the gap with our lead tape, then replace the molding. This tip applies to windows too! (Do not use expandable foam as for thermal insulation. It will be worse than the airgap).

Sliding doors have little or no acoustical qualities at all and are best replaced with one that has, or if not possible, covered with a hanging sound barrier such as curtains, etc. If it’s a glass patio door, you could cover part of it with soundproofing mat and make a holding panel with mat attached to it to cover the door that moves when it’s shut. Another option is to add another patio door with a new frame. This double door will block a lot of sound by trapping air between the door panels. Commercially available soundproofing sliding glass doors can be had here.

Open doorways? Curtains hung across open doorframes usually don’t perform well acoustically, but do some sound blocking if they are heavy and fitted well to the frame. If clear plastic and cut into strips for egress, the strips need to be overlapped about 50%. If using clear plastic, use the heaviest you can, we have it in up to .160 thicknesses. Acoustical curtains perform about the same. If possible, consider hanging curtains on BOTH sides of the doorway for greatly improved sound reduction. This is because the dead air trapped there works for you. Such curtain installations should touch the floor. Use double-sided tape to attach the curtains to the wall at the edges to help seal the curtain.

Garage doors are another problem, especially bad if they are segmented doors. (Panels that are hinged). Such doors may prove difficult to deal with because of the gaps created by the hinging. However, our “Super Soundproofing Mat” glued to the inside may flex enough to work O.K. Use as thick of material as you can. It will also help to use a barrier like “Super Soundproofing Flooring” (MLV) to cover the entire door area including the walls to outside. (More on this on the web page about soundproofing a garage).

Some notes about our “Door Sweep” (transom seal): (The part that should seal the door bottom against sound and that fits on the bottom of the door). A transom seal is usually available from the hardware store that fits on the floor across the doorway. Use this kind too, if you have a huge gap. Try to get one with a rubber flap. (Mechanical ones are expensive and will eventually fail).

We received a lot of questions about what kind to use and how to install them, so we now make available the correct type of seal that will not only help seal out sound but improve the doors thermal rating. A seal is essential to properly soundproof a door. Our soundproofing seal is a rubber loop, cut to your size, modified by us with sealed ends for added performance in creating a dead air space in the loop. We’ll cut this to an exact fit for the width of your door if you’ll give us the measurement of the width of the door. You will also receive the proper screws to mount it to your door, depending on whether it’s metal or wood. Only a screwdriver and a few minutes is needed to install this very much needed attachment to block sound from coming underneath your door.