Challenge
Create a quiet living environment in 2nd floor living spaces while retaining the original rustic pine floors. A modern effective and minimal invasive sound barrier was needed when converting a south Virginia tobacco warehouse into a trendy 1st floor pub with modern 2nd floor apartments directly overhead.
I walked the upper floor when we had a very loud band in the brewery and was happy with the noise level upstairs. The band was making a racket downstairs and refused to turn down the level and I walked upstairs to see (hear) the impact it was having on the tenants and found the noise level much less than expected. So I would say that all in all it is a nice improvement on sound retention,” says Garrett Shifflet, building owner.
Solution
BLUE RIDGE FIBERBOARD evaluated and modeled the proposed construction of a suspended ceiling design to include SOUNDSTOP. The first-floor ceiling was modified to increase acoustical performance allowing for peaceful living conditions in the apartments above.
Subsequent testing confirmed a successful reduction in noise transfer. SOUNDSTOP’s performance allows for live and recorded music to be played regularly in the Tap Room without disturbing the tenants above.
Made of only high quality fiberboard, SOUNDSTOP is a cost-effective solution to airborne sound reduction while meeting national codes and building standards.
The manufacturer’s staff was very helpful during the design process as we were evaluating various acoustic assemblies. The team was concerned with sound migrating from the brewery tasting room into the apartments above. The tasting room was slated to have live music and large crowds. Additionally, the other existing historic surfaces such as the brick and wood floors tend to reverberate the sound. The SOUNDSTOP product, in conjunction with a suspended grid system, loose fill insulation and two layers of drywall, has proved to be vital in stopping sound transfer to the apartments above. Test results in the field have proved to meet the design criteria established by the manufacturer’s modeling programs,” says Jeff Bond, owner and architect at Solex Architecture.
