Anyone know of a good sound abatement/proofing material for an outdoor wall in a commercial setting?
Question:Hi everyone. I own a small store that is next to a loud dog kennell. We have a drive thru on that side and the dogs bark louder than our customers can talk so we can't hear their orders most of the time. I've decided to finally build a 12' wall between the drive-thru and the kennel. I know I can build it cheaply with 8" concrete block, but i'm not sure that would be a good sound abatement material. Does anyone know of a great material for this case? It would be even greater if the material could be transparent, because the new wall will block alot of sun. Thanks so much for your help in advance and i'm looking forward to hearing your advice.
Answers:
I think the block wall will be your best, most economical solution - not because it will necessarily absorb the sound, but it will reflect it back toward the kennel. If the light being blocked is a big concern, consider installing some inexpensive plexiglass panels or fixed vinyl windows in a row or pattern. If you happen to know a sound technician, don't be afraid to ask their advice - they might have a really good idea for which direction to reflect the sound.
Even clear acrylic material can be good sound proofing as long as there are no gaps, and that wold allow light. It would have to be designed with strong enough support for any prevalent winds (that depends on what other high walls/buildings are in your area as well as your local weather)-so you should try to get some advice from a local structural engineer.
Sound is transmitted in 2 ways: directly through the air (as in your case) and through materials that vibrate (mostly from machinery).
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