There is new interest by the public in soundproofing. As more people work from home, they cause more noise during the daytime, when other people working from home can hear it and be disturbed. Selecting a soundproofing contractor can be difficult.
New awareness of soundproofing
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This public demand for soundproofing is why there are soundproofing contractors, and more newspaper articles cover this topic. The most recent example is an article by Laura Hensley in National Post. An older article, also in National Post, covered similar points.
The articles should have covered one crucial point: how to get soundproofing done correctly and how to find a soundproofing contractor. Many contractors are offering to install soundproofing. Unfortunately, most of them do not fully understand the client’s needs, and often, the customers are not happy with the results of their work. Here is an example of botched jobs that I have come across. Here is another example.
Some contractors have the experience to do an excellent job in run-of-the-mill typical situations. However, it is difficult for a homeowner to distinguish between good and bad contractors because all of them are good talkers and sound convincing. It is also tricky for a homeowner to know if his situation is typical or includes some complex, less common problems. Some issues are only discovered after the construction starts.
An example of an unusual old wall assembly is in this picture. This wall has wood pieces wedged between studs, making the soundproofing more difficult. If a soundproofing consultant is involved in the project, he can do a site visit and make immediate recommendations on how to deal with this problem.
Should you take a contractor's advice?
A free contractor's quote is not a substitute for engineering advice. Some contractors offer to test your soundproofing level or noise level. Their test is useless because they do not use accurate instruments, do not know how to do the testing properly, and do not follow engineering standards for testing. The contractor may even act illegally because to provide consulting services in Ontario, the consultant must be a professional engineer authorized by the Professional Engineers Ontario to provide consulting services.
Get your soundproofing contractor through a soundproofing consultant.
Rather than taking soundproofing advice from a smooth-talking contractor with no detailed acoustics knowledge, hire an expert. Guidance by a professional engineer specializing in building acoustics is not expensive in the context of the entire soundproofing project. The expert will provide you with several options and explain their differences. Then, you can choose the approach that meets your need and budget. In most cases, he will also refer a soundproofing contractor with experience in your project.
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