Lowering the noise level in homes has been a trend in both residential and commercial buildings for a number of years.  Sometimes it’s to enable people to comfortably live close to noisy environments such as in inner cities, next to freeways or even airports.  Other times it’s to lower the noise levels within structures by lowering the sound levels in appliances such as washers, dryers, dish washers and refrigerators.  And then there is the quest to lower sound transmission between rooms so we don’t hear every bathroom flush, discussion or television program from other rooms in our quest for solitude.

As most noise levels are not as regulated in the US as they are in Europe, most of our sound control efforts have been driven by manufacturer’s and builders as a means to differentiate themselves and provide a unique benefit.  Unfortunately most of these efforts have now become a confusing commodity much like the green and energy saving efforts that are now basically meaningless as everyone claims them with no way for consumers to evaluate their performance.  This is also caused by manufacturers only thinking of their products when it takes a system approach to be successful.  A well insulated house with poor windows won’t save much energy.  A single quiet appliance won’t do much to reduce the sound levels within a structure.

The other factor driving the quest for better sound control is manufacturers who see this as an easy way to dramatically increase their sales.  For years insulation manufacturers such as Owens Corning see this a way to literally double the amount the amount of insulation in every house, even though the addition of insulation to interior walls actually does very little to lower sound levels.

The fact that three new books have recently been written about noise in our lives shows that the interest is still there.  Perhaps if everyone took a step back and read these enlightening books, they would better see what noise really represents to people which would give them a fresh perspective on the why of noise rather than just the what.  It may be as simple as a new definition of the benefits of sound control instead of the features.  Sounds like sales 101 to me..