Last Updated on March 29, 2021 by Admin
Most commercial buildings should have the necessary components to ensure everyone inside the building stays comfortable. There are times when outside noise would annoy the employees and staff working inside the building, decreasing their productivity. That is perfect for building owners to consider soundproofing their buildings.
Most of the time, contractors do soundproofing during the construction phase, or building owners would hire contractors in the future to add more soundproofing features. You can find several ways on how you can soundproof your building. While there are some soundproofing ways that anyone can do, it would be best to contact and hire a professional contractor to get the job done correctly.
How Does Sound Outside Sound Get Inside the Building?
Before anything else, you need to know how sounds can penetrate your commercial building’s interior. You might try soundproofing your building in the wrong places, causing you to waste tons of money and resources. You need to know that sound can pass through any surface if it’s thin or if the sound is too loud that it can penetrate the surface.
An example would be a sports car speeding by the building with a loud exhaust. People sitting near the building corners can hear the car speeding by, and the only way they could’ve heard it is if the car was too loud or there was a portion of the thin wall or had an opening such as glass windows or vents.
Usually, commercial building windows can provide efficient soundproofing because of how manufacturers designed the glass. If people hear a loud noise coming from outside, they should hear without it being too annoying. However, you can do more than adding soundproof glass windows to reduce outside noise from penetrating your building.
Using Specialty Materials
You can find that most contractors would use specialty materials that have adequate soundproofing properties to use in commercial buildings. They would usually use them instead of traditional materials that do not have enough soundproofing to prevent the loud noise from passing through.
Usually, contractors would install specialty materials during the construction process or later on when the building owners would let them. Some examples of specialty materials you should know about are:
Mineral Fiber Insulation
The first specialty material you can find in some soundproofed buildings is mineral fiber insulation. It is a special, thicker insulation type that contractors can use to enhance a room’s soundproofing levels.
The mineral fiber insulation’s density is higher than the standard fiberglass insulation, making it more effective at preventing sound transmission from one area to another. Besides improving a building’s soundproofing, it has low moisture absorption and a higher burning point, a perfect material to adhere to fire-safety codes.
Mass Loaded Vinyl Barrier
If you have flat surfaces around your building that you wanted to soundproof, you can install mass-loaded vinyl barriers. They can achieve quality soundproofing and also fire-resistant. What’s great about the material is that contractors can easily install them, so you should have an efficient sound barrier within a matter of hours, depending on how large the area they will be working on.
Contractors can either use a staple or nail gun to stick them on wooden surfaces or a multi-purpose vinyl flooring adhesive to avoid damaging the surface. You can get mass-loaded vinyl barriers if you want soundproofing that’s affordable, safe, and easy to work with.
Floor De-Couplers
Another brilliant way to achieve soundproofing is by installing floor de-couplers. What’s great about them is contractors install them underneath the floor, hence why you can achieve a “floating” floor since they create a space between the existing flooring and a new flooring level on top of it. You should hire contractors to install floor de-couplers because they are also affordable, and you can replace them easily if you want new flooring at a moment’s notice.
Cover Potential Openings
If you situate your office in an old, pre-owned commercial building, you might need to have contractors inspect rooms for potential openings that could let the noise pass through. They can usually find tiny holes around the glass window frame, doors with worn-out door stripping, or openings that maintenance personnel use to access building components.
Usually, you can cover them up using sound proof access panels to provide convenient access while also creating a sound barrier. As long as your contractor finds any opening that could let sound pass through, they should cover it up right away.
If you want everyone inside the building to stay focused on their work, don’t forget to soundproof your building.
