Sound Absorption for Comfortable Living
“That tiny crack that runs around your door transmits more sound than you would know”
Noise is a daily occurrence that we all endure to a certain degree from noisy kettles, screaming children, loud TVs and the deafening thud of a bass. There’s sometimes little peace in ones day. Ongoing excessive noise is not only aggravating it can actually be harmful to your ears and has a significant impact on the way our spaces work in the home.
When it comes to residential design, the acoustics, (the way in which the structural characteristics of a space relate to how well sound can be heard) although a key design feature, are rarely considered during the building process and sometimes only tackled during a renovation.
Soundwaves seep through doors, windows, ceilings and cracks, so how do you reduce unwanted sound from affecting your day to day activities?
Hard flat surfaces tend to bounce sound waves around, sometimes creating a lasting echo effect if the surfaces are parallel walls. The softer and less uniform the surface, the less opportunity sound has to bounce off. Textiles, including drapery and upholstered furniture and furnishings not only deliver a design aesthetic they also play a significant role in the absorption of sound.
However not all textiles have equal sound absorption qualities however. The level of sound absorption is dependent upon a textile’s weight, composition, and/or construction. Generally (due to the large vertical mass) drapery provides the main textile source of sound absorption however, there are several other ways to achieve this.
To decrease the level of sound in a room you need to dampen the sound waves. This can be achieved by adding surfaces that absorb the sound (or reverberation) so the sound doesn’t bounce from one thing to another.
Here are some sound absorbing ideas that you can implement fairly simply into your home:
- Acoustic panels/tiles: These come in a range of colours and fabric styles and can be designed into your interior decor. The purpose of acoustic panels is to reduce, but not entirely eliminate, resonance within the room.
- Drapery: Fabrics are an effective solution for managing sound. The more drapery folds, the more sound absorption. Hanging a curtain a small distance off the wall increases sound absorption and softening opposing walls reduces sound waves from travelling wall to wall
- Upholstered furniture: The fabrics on your upholstered furniture also help to reduce sound waves. The thicker the fabric and foam the better. Add cushions and other textiles throughout a space for ultimate sound absorption.
- Cork flooring: While it may not be fashionable of late, cork is one of the best materials for sound absorption. Made up of a honeycomb design of air-sealed cells made of the bark of the cork oak. The cells each absorb the vibrations of sound, preventing those sounds from passing through to the other side. Cork reduces sound and noise vibration by trapping it in its cell structure. It reduces the sound transmission of sound through walls and absorbs the impact of feet through the floor to the ceiling below.
- Concrete flooring: Surprisingly, lightweight porous concrete can be effective in absorbing sound (however it essentially transmits the sounds through to the next room too).
- Carpets, rugs and padding: If your floors are timber, tiles or linoleum on subfloor concrete, you may want to try rugs or carpet coupled with a sound-absorbing underlay or foam rubber backing.
- Floating hardwood: This type of flooring installation includes a gap between the subfloor and your actual floors, which effectively dampens sound.
- Fabric pendant lamps/floor lamps: Update your light shades with a textile shade, the thicker the better. Every textile in a space will help.
A combination of the techniques above, depending on your budget and skill level should help in the overall acoustics in your home. Below we have outlined a selection of fabrics from our range that offer great sound absorption qualities due to the high level of either wool content, thickness and/or construction.
Poll: Have you ever been bullied?
People associate bullying with children in schools, but it can actually stretch beyond childhood to workplaces or neighbourhoods.
This Friday is Pink Shirt Day, which began in Canada in 2007 when two students took a stand against homophobic bullying after a new student was harassed for wearing pink. People across the globe are now encouraged to wear pink on this day to take a stand against bullying and promote inclusivity.
Have you or your whānau ever experienced bullying? Share your thoughts on Pink Shirt Day below.
Type 'Not For Print' if you wish your comments to be excluded from the Conversations column of your local paper.
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79.8% Yes
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19.9% No
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0.4% Other - I'll share below
Karori Farmers Market - Every Saturday - 8am - 1pm
Join us this Saturday for the Karori Farmers Market at Campbell Corner in Karori from 9am - 1pm!
This weeks stallholders include:
- AroBake - Breads & Bakery
- Joolino Foods - Biltong, Smoked Cheese, Smoked Salts & Olives
- Alyx's Sweet Bakery - Cakes, Scones & Slices
- Chippa NZ - South American Cheese Snacks
- Farm Fresh Eggs
- Costa Nostra - Traditional Italian Pizza
- The Crunchy Munchy - International Fusion Cuisine
- And much more....
Vacancies at Volunteer Wellington
🌟Two opportunities to join our team! 🌟
➡️ Manager Member Services
This is a part time role working 25 hours per week.
In this busy and varied role, you will be managing and developing our member services programme which will include expanding the membership base, raising the profile of the volunteer sector, and developing meaningful relationships with key organisations.
Bringing experience across the NFP/Volunteer sector will be the foundation to your success. You will be experienced in managing and developing a member services programme, be proactive, truly believe in the value of volunteering and have a strong community focus.
You will be required to work all day Monday and Wednesdays with the rest of the hours to be negotiated around what works for you. Working in a small team of 8 passionate people, you will have a great level of support and assistance around you, to deliver great results.
The day-to-day responsibilities will include: leading the Member Services Programme; retaining and growing membership; developing and delivering resources; attending events and evaluating the service offerings of our organisation.
The preferred candidate will: have experience working in a NFP/NGO/Charitable organisation; have a passion for volunteering with experience or exposure to volunteer services; with strong communication skills and exceptional customer service.
If this sounds like an opportunity you would like to discuss further and you have the relevant skills and experience, we would love to hear from you. Please apply via the Forte Recruitment link below:
🌐 forterecruitment.co.nz...
➡️ Coordinator Preparation for Employment programme
Fixed term contract: 20 hours per week
Are you someone who enjoys making a difference in people's lives?
We are seeking a part time Coordinator for our successful Preparation for Employment Programme on a one year fixed term contract from 1 June 2024 to July 2025. You will work closely with people on a main Work and Income benefit and support them into volunteering as a pathway into employability. Our goal is to help remove some of the barriers to sustainable employment for our clients and we know volunteering is a great pathway towards this. You will be required to work all day Monday and Wednesdays with the rest of the hours to be negotiated around what works for you.
Primary Objectives of the role include: engaging with, and motivating our Work and Income clients to identify their strengths and overcome their barriers to employment; accurately recording information and fulfill accountability reporting criteria. Building relationships with key Work and Income staff and with our community membership is essential to develop meaningful support to the clients.
To be successful in this role you will have: motivational interviewing interviewing skills; experience with one to one mentoring; empathy and an ability to motivate and build confidence in clients; an awareness of the complexities and impacts of being out of the paid workforce. And above all patience, perseverance, and a positive attitude. If this sounds like you please apply via the seek link below:
🌐 tinyurl.com...
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