Noise that Enters your Home: Understanding What it Takes to Fix Intrusive Noise - Softcover

This book will help you either because you have a noise problem at home that you want to solve, or you want to deal with a noise problem on behalf of someone else. It will help you to understand how to deal with unwanted noise in your home and what it may involve. I have been dealing with the subject for a long time (over 30 years!) and I am concerned that many people’s expectations are either unrealistic, or they are being misled by ‘experts’ or by trades people who have less knowledge of the subject than they might claim. There is a lot of information available out there, especially on the internet and on YouTube. Some is very good, but some is misleading. I believe that if I can provide you with background knowledge about the subject, you will be better equipped to deal with your problem, to negotiate with traders, to spot the devious answers, to appreciate honest appraisals – and you won’t have unrealistic expectations of a solution. There is no such thing as ‘sound proofing,’ nor perfect silence in the practical world in which we live. If you invite a builder to undertake remedial work for you, or if you wish to do it yourself, it is an advantage to have a better understanding of what is likely to be involved. A sound knowledge (yes, it’s a pun) of this subject will likely save you money or, at the very least, will save you wasting money. The first three chapters are designed to give you an overall understanding of the subject very quickly. Chapter 1 introduces what we mean by Sound or Noise, Decibels and Frequency and how we perceive noise by its Loudness. Chapter 2 summarizes the three ways of reducing noise by Reflection, Absorption and Transmission, and describes Sound Transmission Class (STC) that is so important for understanding how noise reducing materials perform. Chapter 3 shows the many (sometimes unexpected) routes through which noise enters a home. Chapter 4 deals with Walls and Cavity Walls. It describes how these can be improved to reduce noise from neighbors. Chapter 5 outlines the extra and very important Details that must not be overlooked in a bid to improve the walls. Chapter 6 describes improvements to Ceilings to reduce annoying noise from above your room or home. Chapter 7 describes Windows, Chapter 8 describes Doors, which may require attention. Chapter 9 deals with noise from the external Air Conditioning Unit that sits outside the house. It does not deal with noise of air conditioning inside the house. Chapter 10 describes some of the extra precautions necessary if Aircraft Noise is a problem, and provides reference material for the reader to pursue this subject further, if necessary. Chapter 11 provides a handy summary of the noise control information and advice provided in the previous chapters. Chapter 12 is a list of references that have been helpful in writing this book and which will point the reader in the right direction for dealing with aircraft noise. Then you can dip into the chapters that are particularly relevant to your circumstances when you need them. The Tables in Chapter 11 provide a summary of the key details discussed from Chapter 4 onwards.