Posts Tagged ‘acoustical caulk’

Soundproofing a Pool Pump

Monday, June 15th, 2009

Summer is right around the corner and that means dozens of you will be opening your pools if you haven’t done so already. On those warm summer nights we love sleeping with the windows open to enjoy the breeze but then something dreadful happens. The pool pump turns on.

Most pool pumps, regardless of whether they’re attached to filters, waterfalls, swim jets or anything else, are going to make noise. The standard pump has vibration pads attached to the feet but once they’re installed on a concrete surface there’s no telling how much noise the pumps will make.

A common solution to this problem is the building of a soundproof box to cover the pump equipment. You will, of course, need to build the box out of soundproof materials, including mass loaded vinyl, and you’ll want to use acoustical caulk to ensure there are absolutely no gaps in the box.

Trust us when we say that covering your pool pumps is the way to go. It’s cheaper than soundproofing your entire home and, to be honest, your neighbors will appreciate your efforts as well!

Soundproofing Mistakes – Dark Paint

Monday, June 8th, 2009

A while back we stumbled upon an article where a woman admitted that she had used dark paint on the walls in the room she wanted to soundproof. She truly believed that the darker the paint the better the chances of sound being absorbed and/or not being able to pass through the walls. I wish I had been the salesperson selling her paint that day – he probably made a pretty penny.

Apparently this is a pretty common misconception when it comes to soundproofing, so let’s take the time to clarify this point right now. The color of the paint you put on your walls will have absolutely no impact – zip, zero, zilch – on the amount of sound that enters the room.

You’ll need to instead focus on installing insulation, applying acoustical caulk, or taking some other type of soundproofing measure. Don’t get drawn in by the hype and – most important – save your money so that you can buy a color of paint you might actually enjoy looking at every day!