Piano Lessons - Sound Proofing Update

[factotum]

Hello again, many thanks for your support and advice. We visited the two town houses. Despite the sound proofing measures the sound meter read about 35 Db in the home of the complaining party. The sound is not loud but anoying since it is for a few hours daily. They do have a legitimate complaint. We do not agree with their actions but they felt that it was their only alternative.

The following has happened:
The City has agreed to allow the teacher to continue for another two weeks until her classes are over.
The teacher has an electric piano and will use it during this period. The sound level can be turned down.
The neighbour can not hear any sound with this new set up. However, this is not OK in the long term for the teacher.
The developer has hired a sound engineer to design a sound room. This may have to be built in the teacher's garage.
When this is completed I believe all parties will be OK.

Thanks again

Gordon

[peteboy]

I had a similar problem, after loads of research I found that the solution was quite cheap.

I got some soundproofing noise damping mats from a local soundproofing specialist http://soundproofingforum.co.uk/

I placed a mat between the back of the piano and the wall (upright piano) and some damping mats under each leg and this cut noise transmission into the building structure.

[pintwister]

Another fix is to place a few rubber door-stop wedges between the back posts of the piano and the soundboard. This will stop the soundboard from viberating properly and thus the volume is diminished considerably.

[joe]

The cheap way to mute sound is a thick pile carpet attached to the back-cloth area or soundboard of piano seems to work without getting tied up in the science of sound-proofing.

[Barrie Heaton]

Hello again, many thanks for your support and advice. We visited the two town houses. Despite the sound proofing measures the sound meter read about 35 Db in the home of the complaining party. The sound is not loud but anoying since it is for a few hours daily. They do have a legitimate complaint. We do not agree with their actions but they felt that it was their only alternative.

Then they are been over zealous The World Health Organization has suggested a standard guideline value for average outdoor noise levels of 55dB(a), applied during normal daytime and 50dB(a) for indoors, 30dB(a) for bedrooms at knight

So if the meter is reading 35db in their room when you are plying next door that is acceptable what was the reading when you were not playing. Normal conversation at 3to 5 ft can be 60-70 dB also Normal piano practice is around 60 -70dB(a)

Most recording studios have a background noise of 20 -30dB(a) and they spend shedfull of money on soundproofing



Barrie
dB(a) is general sound level
dB(b) is low frequency level

[NewAge]

Barry:[/quote] The World Health Organization has suggested a standard guideline value for average outdoor noise levels of 55dB(a), applied during normal daytime and 50dB(a) for indoors, 30dB(a) for bedrooms at knight [/quote]

King Arthur, Sir Lancelot, Sir Galahad, or Richard the Lionheart ......

[Barrie Heaton]

Barry:

knight [/quote]

King Arthur, Sir Lancelot, Sir Galahad, or Richard the Lionheart ...... [/quote]

Freudian slip..... one day sir Barrie Ya right as if


Barrie,