By Monte Leeper
Q.
I own a Morton Ranch in Franklin Square and would like to sound-proof a two- car garage, or make one of my three bedrooms sound-proof. I have a problem with noise caused by airplane traffic flying in and out of JFK. I hope you can give me some advice, which will be much appreciated.
A.
Obviously you must be very frustrated by the noise, since you wrote twice and did not feel you got a response fast enough. Fast and for nothing.
All business should cost you this much. If you had to pay for the advice, would you have been less demanding? Of course not!
To sound-proof a room, the sound waves must be hindered or stopped. Waves that get through are considered as "transmission waves." I start my answer this way because it is important to understand the basics of what happens when sound is transmitted, so that you can understand what must be done to minimize it. Sound must be stopped from bouncing around or traveling through the air or other materials.
Sound waves begin with vibration that is transferred by bouncing from molecule to molecule. By altering the path it takes, or trapping the waves, they interfere with each other, bumping back and forth, and attenuate, or die out. Air pockets in materials provide the best sound-deadening. Foam works in this way, forming multitudes of air chambers that collect the sound waves and cause them to interfere with themselves.
The simple methods include finishing interior surfaces with materials that will trap sound waves and break them up, such as carpet, special wall coverings, special paint, cork board and similar sound-trapping panels.
For more effective sound-proofing, use polystyrene boards or "Homasote" board on or in the walls and then finish in a textured fabric. Inside the walls, you can also use sound-batt fiberglass insulation.
Remember, the vibration will still transfer through the floor, wall, and ceiling studs, joists, and rafter supports. A layer of "homosote" board on the floor under the carpet padding will deaden much of the sound. The most effective way to stop the vibration is by creating a complete separation between the structure and the inside materials. This requires construction of double walls and "floating" ceilings and floors, separated by special metal channels and "Homosote" board or "Enkamat" in between. The channels have a "z" shape and stand out from the existing walls by about 3/4-inch to 1 1/2 inches.
But after all that, you will still need to add gaskets to the doors to eliminate air gaps and sound travel under and around doors. The door itself, if not covered with similar sound-blocking, will still vibrate. There are doors on the market that are listed as sound-proof, but they are very expensive. Weyerhaeuser Company makes one that is effective, but starts at $1,200, not including hardware, and must be special-ordered. Windows may require sound shutters, also made the same way as the door, but you have to decide how far to go with this project.
To save a lot of time and money, get a Walkman, complete with multi-frequency headphones, and use the money to take a great vacation or buy more property.
Thank you for your question.
Readers are encouraged to send questions to: HERALD Homes, 379 Central Avenue, Lawrence, N.Y. 11559
Attn: Monte Leeper, Architect.
