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5 Tips for Building a Quiet Home
Noise,
Noise,
Noise! Garbage trucks clanking down the street,
the neighborhood dogs barking, the overzealous fireworks celebration taking place on the next
block, or teenagers driving by blasting the radio – sound familiar?
Noise reduction might not be the first thing on your mind when considering the construction of
your new home or the products contained within, but now’s your chance to lower both the external
and internal racket. And the good news is that many features that make a home quieter go hand in
hand with energy-efficiency. 
Insulation: If you’re building a block home, foam insulation pumped into the cavities of the block will improve
energy-efficiency and buffer exterior sounds. For those of you whose home will be frame (stick-built),
foam insulation is an excellent choice for noise reduction. This product is sprayed on as a liquid
and expands to fill all the nooks and crannies making it a top choice for energy savings as well.
Exterior Wall Construction:
Two of the newer and increasingly more popular forms of construction – insulated concrete forms (ICFs)
and structural insulated panel (SIPs) - offer dramatic results in both energy efficiency and sound reduction.
ICF walls are foam blocks that are stacked and filled with concrete – the LEGO’S of the building industry.
Structural insulated panels typically consist of two outer layers of structural sheathing material separated
by an insulated foam core. Although not as indestructible as ICFs, they do increase the structural integrity
of the home.
Windows: Including insulated windows (double or triple pane glass)
as part of your building envelope will also contribute to reducing exterior noise. We enjoy the
energy saving features of our insulated windows but equally
appreciate their sound buffering qualities,
especially when the neighbors let their dogs out. See last month’s ezine, Energy Saving Window Tips,
for information on selecting energy-efficient windows.
Interior Wall Insulation: Moving inside, consider interior wall
insulation for reducing the noise coming from or entering into particular rooms of your home. For
example, insulating the walls surrounding the area containing your HVAC equipment will improve the
comfort for the occupants of adjoining bedrooms. Do you work out of a home office? Perhaps reducing
sounds from the rest of the home will increase your productivity. There are several construction
features that can contribute to sound-proofing a room. Talk with your builder about his or her
recommendations for achieving your sound reduction goals.
Energy Star Appliances: As we build tighter homes, it is
increasingly important to use the bath and range hood exhaust fans to remove steam, but if
they rattle and/or sound like a train, they won’t be used. Selecting proper sized ENERGY STAR
bath fans will provide the power needed to remove moisture will very little sound. In fact,
some are so quiet that a timer switch is recommended. Otherwise it’s easy to forget to turn
them off. Panasonic and Broan both offer ENERGY STAR exhaust fans. Visit
www.Panasonic.com and
www.Broan.com for more information.
Dishwashers and refrigerators that are ENERGY STAR rated provide less whir and hum than their
non-qualified counterparts. ENERGY STAR qualified dishwashers also use much less water than
conventional models.
Is there a subject
you’d like me to
cover? Let me know
by sending an email
to
tracy@tracystips.net.
All past issues of
this ezine are in
the Ezine Archives
on our web site.
Click here for Ezine Archives !
Copyright © 2008
Tracy DeCarlo - All
Right Reserved
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