Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - 23

LEARNING CORNER

Don't Disrupt
the Peace

How to curb the audible
chaos in your clients'
kitchens & baths

ABOVE Hard kitchen surfaces,

appliances and activities can
make for a noisy environment,
but they can be quieted
through the use of acoustic
materials. Photo credit: Christa
Grover

WHEN MOST PEOPLE THINK ABOUT acoustics in
the home, the first room that comes to mind is a
home theater.This is the place where having highquality audio is key to the enjoyment of movies,
music and other sources of entertainment, so it
makes sense to tackle the acoustical imperfections.
But proper acoustics is just as important for
other areas of a home, namely the kitchen. Have
you ever tried to carry on a conversation in a
nearby dining room when someone is loading
the dishwasher or slinging pots and pans? Do
you find yourself shouting to be heard over the
din? Or maybe you've experienced difficulty hearing the dialogue of a movie in the adjacent great
room while the ice maker or oven exhaust fan
is running? Kitchen appliances and utensils all
make noise; there's no way around that. But there
are ways you can quiet the chaos through the addition of acoustical materials. Same goes for the
bathroom.The sounds of running whirlpool tubs,
showers and toilets that transfer to other areas of a
house can be minimized through proper acoustical design.

DECOUPLE BATHROOM PLUMBING

SOFTEN KITCHEN SURFACES

Exacerbating the effect of a noisy kitchen are its
hard surfaces. Per the law of physics, when sound
travels and hits a hard, non-absorptive material
like a granite countertop, marble flooring or stainless-steel appliance, it bounces off harshly, hits
another surface and another and another. Called

"reverberation,"all of this bouncing around amplifies the sound, making your
kitchen seem even noisier. Again, there's no way to avoid hard surfaces in a
kitchen; however, there are ways to "soften"up the space without compromising its functionality or design.
Given the limited space available on kitchen walls, the best place to treat it
acoustically is on the ceiling. A special acoustic plaster ceiling can be installed
in lieu of standard drywall. This specially engineered solution looks like
drywall but is softer to absorb rather than reflect sound. Acoustical plaster is
easier to set during construction or a major remodel, making it a significant
investment in time and money should you add it later.
Fortunately, there are simpler, less-expensive updates to consider for owners
of existing homes. Heavy yet stylish doors with tight seals can help contain
noises in a kitchen from adjacent spaces, as can facing the kitchen cabinets
with elegant microperforated wood panels. Similar perforated wood or
stretched-membrane panels, which are both moisture resistant and easy
to clean, can be intentionally designed for areas of a kitchen ceiling, as well.

By STEVE HAAS, CEO
and principal consultant,
SH Acoustics

As the hub of the home, noisy kitchens are extremely common, and based on
their open design, the noise can easily float into other areas. But let's not forget
about the bathroom. Set apart and closed off from the main living areas in the
house, bathroom noise from a hairdryer or electric toothbrush is fairly contained and may be minimized with the addition of a solid, well-sealed door.
But just wait until the whirlpool jets kick in, the toilet flushes or the shower
starts. Occupants in rooms located above or adjacent to the bathroom can get
a real earful. No one likes to wake to the sound of water rushing through the
plumbing or a toilet flushing at the crack of dawn. Nor do most people want
the whirlpool tub rattling the rafters during an epic movie. These problems
usually stem from how a house has been framed and finished with drywall
and other materials. Any plumbing or mechanical equipment that touches
the floor, ceiling or wall studs can cause the framework to vibrate, which
creates audible noise.
In an existing home, the solution isn't as easy, requiring a partial teardown
of wall and ceiling areas containing pipes to "decouple" the pipes from the
studs.The decoupling process involves the use of special rubber isolators and
other means to keep the pipes from making hard contact with the framing
or other parts of the wall or ceiling. Wrapping the pipes in flexible barrier
material also helps muffle the noise.
All the suggestions offered are significantly less costly and laborious when
handled during the design or at least while constructing a home. That's why
it's important that a qualified residential acoustician collaborates with the
architect and kitchen and bath designers from the get-go.


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5/5/20 12:20 PM



Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020

Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020
Contents
Editor’s Note
NKBA Note
Happenings
Better Business
Trends
Skill Set
Research Roundup
Learning Corner
Hot Topic
Special Section
Solutions
Tech Savvy
Universal Design
What’s Hot
What’s Cool
Luxury home redesign takes advantage of the gorgeous views
Atlanta penthouse takes on Manhattan style with plenty of custom elements
Favorites
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - Intro
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - Cover2
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - 1
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - Contents
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - 3
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - 4
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - 5
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - Editor’s Note
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - 7
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - NKBA Note
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - 9
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - Happenings
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - 11
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - Better Business
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - 13
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - 14
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - 15
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - Trends
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - 17
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - 18
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - Skill Set
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - Research Roundup
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - 21
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - 22
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - Learning Corner
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - Hot Topic
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - 25
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - Special Section
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - 27
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - Solutions
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - 29
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - Tech Savvy
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - 31
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - Universal Design
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - 33
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - What’s Hot
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - 35
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - What’s Cool
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - 37
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - Luxury home redesign takes advantage of the gorgeous views
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - 39
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - 40
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - 41
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - Atlanta penthouse takes on Manhattan style with plenty of custom elements
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - 43
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - 44
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - 45
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - 46
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - 47
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - Favorites
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - Cover3
Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - Cover4
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