Noise Basics

Sound is created when something vibrates.  These vibrations create sound waves, which travel through the air.  Sound waves move outward from a point of origin just as ripples of water move outward from the point at which a pebble enters a pond.

The sound waves reach our ears and may be perceived as beautiful and desirable, or as unwanted. It is this unwanted sound which people normally refer to as noise. Unwanted sound or noise interferes with our normal day-to-day activities such as sleeping, talking with family or friends, or listening to television or radio.

Residential sound insulation refers to acoustical treatments that reduce noise inside a home. The specific noise that the Sound Solutions Program is concerned with is aircraft noise. The aircraft noise level in a home is determined by 1) the point of origin, or source, and when the noise is generated by the aircraft (i.e. during over flight, reverse-thrust for landing, or during takeoff); and 2) the construction of the home and how well the walls, roof, doors and windows block noise from traveling from the outside of the home to the inside of the home.

Because sound travels through the air and follows the path of least resistance, the points of entry into a home for sound are the same as those for air. The major paths for noise through the home’s exterior are windows, doors, and roof vents. Sound insulation blocks these pathways of air, which are leaking air into the home. If you think of the walls of a home like the walls of an aquarium, you would begin first by plugging all the leaks.