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90 • DECEMBER 2011 • WORLD FENCE NEWS Unique soundproofing material gives apartment dwellers relief from noisy restaurant exhaust fan Residents of a small Massachu- setts apartment building set just three feet from the high decibel exhaust fan of a neighboring restaurant are sleep- ing easier, thanks to a newly con- structed sound barrier utilizing Acoustifence noise abatement material that cut the noise in half. After discussing soundproofing options with Steve Hibbens, an acoustical consultant at Acoustiblok, Inc. in Tampa, Fla., Provincetown. Mass. building contractor Deborah Paine, who happens to reside in the af- fected apartment building, collabo- rated with the building's owner and the owner of Sal's Place Restaurant to de- sign and build a noise barrier enclosure around the fan. Using pressure treated wood to create a support structure for the Acoustifence soundproofing material, Paine built a nine-foot-tall structure, with a hinged door to provide access for maintenance of the fan, and an ex- Ten ways to reduce fuel costs continued from page 84 to cutting fuel costs. This information will help your drivers and managers optimize routes with better planning. Mapping software and GPS will eliminate thousands of unnecessary miles per week. Less time on the road means less fuel consumed, less wear on vehicles, decreased expenditures and overall increased productivity, plus lower toxic emissions! Jack Lee is president and CEO of 4Refuel Inc., The Leader in Fuel Man- agement. If you have any questions or comments about this article, Lee can be reached at 604-513-0386 or on line: AskthefuelExpert@4refuel.com. haust port at the top of the unit facing the street to provide unrestricted air flow. The 1600 CFM industrial exhaust fan was installed midsummer, when Massachusetts was already experienc- ing record-breaking temperatures ex- ceeding 97 degrees. Measuring 75 decibels, the fan was so loud that apartment residents had to close their windows, despite the scorching weather, just to get relief from the noise and greasy air blasting directly at their apartments from the fan. Paine, owner of Deborah Paine, Inc., a design/build firm in neighbor- ing Truro, Mass., says she has de- signed and installed soundproofing in previous projects over the years. She decided to use Acoustifence, a product of the Acoustiblok Corporation, for the first time with this project. "We have purchased noise attenu- ation material from another company in the past, but they're phenomenally expensive and it turns out that the Acoustifence is a better quality mate- rial and more resilient than what we had purchased from the other company in the past," she said. The results, Paine says, are better than they had hoped for. "We can open our windows, and we can sleep at night," Paine said of the 50 percent to 60 percent noise re- duction provided by the single layer Acoustifence noise barrier. Paine used a decibel reader to cap- ture before and after noise levels, which measured 72 decibels to 75 decibels before the Acoustifence noise barrier was put in place, and 62 deci- bels after. "We're still aware of it, and we are considering adding a layer of Quiet- Fiber to the area immediately sur- rounding the fan to cut the sound even more, but we're very happy with the 12 decibel to 15 decibel reduction we have already." Translated in terms of perceived is so disruptive to the peace and quiet of close neighbors. Ms. Paine thought this project out carefully and thor- oughly in order to create a solution that would benefit all three stories of this apartment building, all of which were exposed to the exasperating fan noise." Originally developed as a noise barrier on loud offshore oil rigs, Acoustifence is a simple and econom- ical first-step noise abatement solution for both residential and commercial usage. It is a 1/8-inch thick unique sound deadening material measuring 6 feet high by 30 feet long with black an- odized brass eyelets along the top and bottom edge for easy attachment to any existing fence or structure. For more information on Acous- tifence, visit www.acoustiblok.com, call 813-980-1400, or e-mail sales@acoustiblok.com. sound, a 12 decibel reduction cuts the noise level by 56.4 percent, and a 15 decibel reduction cuts noise by 64.64 percent. "This is a creative and effective application for Acoustifence, which ordinarily can be hung on an existing fence," said Lahnie Johnson, president of Acoustiblok, Inc. "Acoustifence is a perfect choice for this type of industrial noise, which Keep up with the adventures of Pete and Jake each month in World Fence News Local contractor Deborah P haust fan, a this three-stor ar ound the e noise was atten u of the neighboring apar y noise barrier bo (Acoustif x ated at all three stories tment b ine b making sure e u x ilt nce photos) u ilding.