(NAPSA)—After settling into a construction,” says Ash, “you can eliminate unwanted sounds by up to 85 percent.” Owens Corning developed a suite of noise control products, the QuietZone Solutions, which can work in tandem to create a more comfortable home environment. Before beginning construction of a new home, Wang recom- new home, most homeowners look forward to the quiet time they’ll spend leisurely reading the paper in the sunny breakfast nook while the aroma of coffee teases them from the kitchen. What they don’t anticipate is the dishwasher clanging loudly as the breakfast dishes are cleaned or the disruption from the slow creak of the neighbor’s garage dooras it opens. The decision to build a new home is both a financial and emotional investment, likely to be one of the most expensive of yourlife. mends consumers, builders and The layout and location ofa home can affect the amount of environmental noise. architects utilize the following four-point checklist to reduce the risk of noise pollution in the home: 1. When choosing a lot for your “While people working from the home can avoid soundsof a typical new home, be attentive to commu- be overlooking one important factor—noise pollution. According to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration, noise is considered any unwanted sound. While jet planes may come to mind, aggravating noise in the home could be as simple as the heavy footfall of someone rushing down a flight of stairs or a television blaring in the family room. A other disruptive noises, such as the neighbor’s dog barkingor a cooling your proximity to traffic and the routine of the neighborhood. 2. Consider the floor plan from a noise perspective. For instance, you wouldn’t want the clicking of a keyboard in a homeoffice to wake up a sleeping child or spouse Corning, a world leader in building materials systems and composite solutions, found that noise nuisance is a problem for 78 percent of homeownersandis high on the list of reasons why people changetheir residences. Noise and Your Home noise above 80 to 85 dB, such as an alarm clock from two feet away As consumers, architects and builders begin to consider the size of the bedrooms, openfloor plans and the kitchen layout, they may recent survey conducted by Owens occupational environment,” she says, “they may be dealing with system automatically kicking on.” Noise and Your Health While noise is viewed as bothersome, governmentofficials categorize it as a growing health concern. According to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Guidelines for Community Noise, noise is an increasing public health problem. The WHO says or certain home appliances, may increase aggressive behavior and can cause hearing impairment after just one hour. WHOalso says noise can lead to other health issues, such as increases in community noise. sleep disturbances and heartrelated problems. Noise and the Solution Portia Ash, business manager for residential noise control at Owens Corning, says it is important for consumers and profession- cializes in architectural acoustics, noise. According to Dr. Lily Wang, the need for residential noise control—the act of effectively managing noise within the home environment—is growing due to the popularity of open floor plans and Wang, a professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln who spesays there are concerns regarding productivity for those wholive and work out of the home. als to stay current on available solutions to reduce residential “By specifically using particular building products created to reduce noise transmission during nity noise surrounding the area during both daytime and nighttime hours. Make sure you're aware of in a nearby bedroom. 3. Make sure there are no appliances situated on the opposite side of a main living or sleeping space wall. It may fit well with your layout, but the noise could prevent you from relaxing in the family room or bedroom. 4. Consider whether your home can grow with yourlifestyle. If you or your spouse will be retir- ing in the near future, do your plans acoustically fit your poten- tial routine? “A home can be visually appealing, but if these factors are overlooked, consumers’ enjoyment of the space will be disrupted by noise pollution,” says Wang. “The residential noise control category has been overlooked for decades. As the numberof noise polluters increases, it’s time our awareness also rises.” Additional information is avail- able at www.owenscorning.com.
