Sound control in animal shelter

[resistorman]

Hello, my brother does volunteer work at an animal shelter, and there is a severe noise problem in the dog room. He is hanging baffles from the ceiling which will help a lot, but there's a wall running down the middle of the room so the dogs can't see each other which reflects the sound right back. Please see pictures.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IreHcO ... sp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lR7_xS ... sp=sharing

Does anyone have any suggestions on what to put there to soak up the sound? It has to be waterproof, especially if it goes all the way to the floor, so open cell foam wouldn't do, I think. He's trying out some closed cell foam, but I believe that would reflect higher frequencies? Would dispersion work best for this? Thanks.

[RichardT]

I think anything attached to the dividing wall is likely to get dirty. A waterproof covering might help that, but it would prevent the air moving freely into and out of the treatment and would reduce its effectiveness. By how much, I’m not sure.

I would attach broadband absorption to the ceiling or walls. I think you’ll need quite a lot to fix the problem.

I’m no expert though - you could try talking to a supplier of acoustic panels to get their advice.

[resistorman]

I think anything attached to the dividing wall is likely to get dirty. A waterproof covering might help that, but it would prevent the air moving freely into and out of the treatment and would reduce its effectiveness. By how much, I’m not sure.

I would attach broadband absorption to the ceiling or walls. I think you’ll need quite a lot to fix the problem.

I’m no expert though - you could try talking to a supplier of acoustic panels to get their advice.

Thanks, he's had advice about the ceiling and walls and will be hanging absorption panels like they use in gyms etc. But that middle wall is big problem!

[N i g e l]

What is the floor made from, concrete ?
I can imagine its a very reverberant space.

[BWC]

From the pictures, it looks like terrazzo flooring, which I would think is about as bad as it gets for reflectivity. Maybe covering both sides of the middle half-wall with something angled so that it reflects up towards the new absorber panels and away from that floor.

What about all that exposed ductwork? Any plans for that?

[resistorman]

I look at this layout and despair. It’s as bad as all the new restaurants and clubs I can’t patronize because the audio experience is horrendous. Are acoustics not even mentioned as you learn to be an architect?

[BWC]

...Are acoustics not even mentioned as you learn to be an architect?

Unless you're specifically training to design studios, theaters, etc., then nope, I doubt there's much mention, sadly.

[Drew Stephenson]

Closed cell foam won't do anything useful I'm afraid. The air has to penetrate the material in order for any energy to be absorbed.
What's the purpose of the wall? Is it just to stop the dogs from seeing each other?

[BillB]

But that middle wall is big problem!

I was going to suggest that, subject to what it is made of, it be demolished and replaced with an absorbent panel with an open wire mesh, or maybe small timbers forming a palisade on both sides. Then I got to thinking about keeping the place clean and spotted the hose and jet wash on the wall! Any change to that divider will have to function the same as the wall in terms of water-resistance!

[resistorman]

What's the purpose of the wall? Is it just to stop the dogs from seeing each other?

Yeah, though I have to wonder if the barking bouncing back at them makes them bark more.

[resistorman]

Maybe he could get rid of the wall and hang a row of the absorbers on pulleys so they could be lifted up when washing is going on.

[Drew Stephenson]

I was thinking of getting rid of the wall and just hanging some rubber matting from a waist-high pole. If the only objective is blocking the sightline that would do the same job, be just as easy to hose down, and even provide a teensy bit of low frequency absorption.

[BWC]

Maybe he could get rid of the wall and hang a row of the absorbers on pulleys...

That sounds a bit elaborate, but doable, I guess. Free standing panels on castors is what I was thinking, or attaching proper foam and covering it securely with plastic drop cloth for cleaning the surrounding area. I'm now liking Drew's idea the best though.

[Wonks]

A variation on Drew’s idea, maybe rubber matting (with an embossed or ridged pattern on them) hanging from hooks placed along the top of the wall? (Or maybe a less protruding hanging method with a wider plank of wood on the top of the wall with hooks screwed in from below so they don’t stick out but down and inwards). Both hose-able and removable for deeper cleaning.

Certainly more absorbent than the wall itself. A 1cm gap or so will allow the mats to vibrate slightly and allow a small element of sound diffusion as well.

If you had a few mats already, you could probably test it out temporarily at one end and one side of the wall.

[Wonks]

You could ask the Rolling Stones to sponsor the sound treatment, and then rename the building the Gimme Shelter.

[tea for two]

Hello, my brother does volunteer work at an animal shelter, and there is a severe noise problem in the dog room. Please see pictures.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IreHcO ... sp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lR7_xS ... sp=sharing

Does anyone have any suggestions on what to put there to soak up the sound? It has to be waterproof

Doggie shelters are heartbreaking for me. Kudos to your brother to be able to volunteer.

Re noise : possibly the simplest though probably most expensive is to put sound absorption mirrors on the middle wall.
Benefit is the Doggies could see themselves thus hopefully not feel so by themselves, so hopefully bark less.

This could be DIY by leaving an air gap between the middle wall and mirror.

Or

There are companies doing this. They may even do it at cost, free fitting, as it's Doggie shelter.

Else as Wonky suggested enquiring whether it could be sponsored by say Rollin Stones (Gimme Shelter), Ed Sheeran (Homeless) :
famous sponsorship would draw more attention from prospective owners for these Doggies to find their forever home.

[ef37a]

When my local supermarket was having extensive work done in the car park the contractors erected heavy plastic sound barrier mat, obviously waterproof for a building site.

Another thought is glass fibre in chicken wire but it must be out of reach, dogs, as you well know will eat anything!

https://www.heras-mobile.co.uk/fencing/ ... gJ5tvD_BwE

Pretty sure that ^ was the stuff.

Dave.

[resistorman]

Thanks, everyone. He's decided to go with Astroturf loosely hung so it can be flipped up on top while the floor is being cleaned. Anything will help, I suppose.

[Wonks]

Seems a reasonable choice to me. Hope it works well.