Sounds and Silence

By LYNN O’DELL

June 14, 1997 12 AM PT

SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

Deeply embedded in the sofa for a rare daytime snooze, you’re drifting off to Dreamland when a blast of noise jolts you awake:

“AAARRRRRR, AARRRRRRR!”

You mutter an epithet for “leaf blower” and pad off to close the window. The sound from the leaf blower diminishes, but now the window glass rattles in vibration.

You need:

a) a new home;

b) a hand grenade;

c) noise control.

The world has become a noisy place. We live close together and drive more cars. We use more appliances, hire more high-tech gardeners and fight our own little sound wars.

c) Noise control is the answer.

Take Gerard Dubish of Orange Park Acres, for example. When the Dubish family moved to a home off Santiago Canyon Road six years ago, the neighborhood had a rural feeling. Cars traveled a sedate 35 mph on the two-lane road, which was lined with eucalyptus trees and open land.

Now, the road has been widened to four lanes, and cars zip by at 50 mph. New homes have been built across the road and the wall that surrounds them bounces traffic noise back to Dubish’s house across the street.

The eucalyptus trees are gone.

But Dubish battled back. He accepted the noise control recommendations included in a city-county noise impact study on the road widening project.

He installed “sound-rated” windows (double panes with a layer of air in between) and added new solid core doors, central air conditioning and attic insulation. Then he built exterior block walls.

The price tag? About $15,000.

The result? “It’s like night and day,” a satisfied Dubish said.

Noise problems don’t have to be as complex as Dubish’s. Perhaps your noise nemesis is a dishwasher that’s so loud no one can hear the TV. Maybe your neighbor plays music too loud, you live next door to an aspiring rock star or a dog stuck on “bark.”

Perhaps the situation is worse--your neighbor is a commercial airport.

Whatever the noise problem, there is something you can do. We asked interior designers, an acoustical engineer, a remodeling contractor and a window supplier for their suggestions.

New Windows

Most Orange County homes have single-paned windows, especially those built during the ‘80s construction boom. All the experts agreed that replacing windows is the best way to deaden exterior noises that range from typical neighborhood sounds to mind-numbing aircraft takeoffs.

Insulated or double-paned windows help with energy-efficiency and are good at handling outdoor noises. But for heavy noise like traffic, you need sound-rated windows. These specialty windows sandwich a layer of air in between the glass and have seals around the perimeter. The airspace and glass thickness vary.

How much noise they block out is measured in “sound transfer coefficients,” and the higher the number, the better. Sound-rated windows are about triple the cost of regular windows but you don’t have to put them everywhere; just replace the windows facing the source of the noise.

Insulate and Ventilate

Insulation muffles noise; air conditioning allows you to keep those sound-rated windows closed. Installing central air conditioning and heating in a 2,000 square foot house would cost about $5,000.

You can insulate your attic and your walls, but our experts disagreed on the merits of shooting insulation into existing walls. If you have a really big sound problem, the drywall can be removed and “resilient channels”--pieces of Z-shaped metal that act like shock absorbers in cars--can be installed.

Weatherstripping and solid core doors come into play here too.

Big Trees

Landscaping was recommended as a sound buffer by everyone except acoustical engineer David Wieland, who said it works--but only psychologically.

General contractor Dennis D’Ambra says he’s recommended it to several clients who all swear by it. Interior designers Lisa Weber, Carmen Olsson and Pat Sullivan think it works too.

But Wieland says if you measured the sound levels before and after planting large trees, there would be no measurable difference unless you put in “several hundred feet of dense forest.”

If you want to know exactly how noisy your noise problem is, his firm, J.J. Van Houten and Associates, will send someone out to tell you. The Irvine-based firm charges $110 an hour to assess the noise and make recommendations on what to do about it.

Covered Walls

Hard surfaces reflect sounds; soft ones absorb them so you want to turn your interior into a cocoon, the designers said.

When it comes to walls, they recommended upholstering them with fabric, an expensive process that requires framing, padding and stapling fabric to the wall.

An alternative would be to cover the walls with sheer fabric hung from rods at the top and bottom. Fabric choice is important. Linen and flax combine to keep out noise better than moire. The fabric needs to have air pockets, Olsson said.

Sullivan used acoustical wallpaper to help soundproof a TV room in an older house in Laguna Beach. The commercial-grade product looks like flannel and has a masculine feel.

If you have mirrored walls and want to keep them, upholster the ceiling instead, Olsson suggested. The noise-conscious should avoid metal ceilings.

Covered Windows

Center-open draw drapes would be the best bet for a noise-free room. They should be lined because each layer is going to absorb some sound.

Weber recommended fabric window shades instead of vinyl, wood or metal blinds. Remember that all this doesn’t have to add up to a dark room. You’re going for a warm, lush look, not something you need fangs to feel at home in.

Dense Carpet

When it comes to noise, all carpeting is not created equal. A Berber carpet, for example, is a hard surface. You can hear footfalls on carpeting that has a tight twist and a short nap, Sullivan said.

You want a thicker carpet with a deeper pile. That will cost about $5 a square yard more, but if noise is a problem, the extra cost will be worth it, she said.

Put bathmats down in a particular area on your existing carpet and see if you notice a difference in sound, she suggested.

Carpeting isn’t always the only choice. Olsson pointed out that in a recent Coto de Caza design house project sponsored by the American Society of Interior Designers, wall-to-wall sea grass was used instead of standard carpeting to help deaden sound in a library with a 32-foot ceiling and a stone fireplace.

Add Stuff

The more air pockets, the better, designers say. Everything adds up to keep the noise down.

The more furniture, the more ornate your picture frames, the more textures in your fabric, the less sound. An upholstered chair would be a better choice than a wooden one. A sofa covered in tufty chenille would be better than a smooth leather one.

Cheap Tricks

You can replace that noisy dishwasher with a new one. Designers say new dishwashers, washing machines and dryers are quieter, but to really notice the difference you might have to spend $600 to $800 on a dishwasher, they say.

You can make your existing model quieter by plugging up your sinks when the machine is on.

Noise experts recommend chimney spark arresters to keep noise from coming down the chimney, but you can accomplish the same noise buffer by closing the damper. If you have glass fireplace doors, keep them closed.

Substitute Noise

If all else fails, make your own noise. Noise, after all, is really just sound that we don’t like. Waterfalls provide a soothing sound that blocks out other noises you find annoying, Sullivan says.

You can spend thousands and have a waterfall installed just outside your window or buy a tabletop version for less than $100. Small machines that make white noise or rainfall, surf or waterfall sounds can be found at specialty stores such as Brookstone and the Sharper Image starting at $75. Or you can just run a fan or play classical music or nature tapes as background noise.

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Soundproofing Your Home

For dealing with noise problems, experts offer these solutions--from free to somewhat costly:

1. GET NEW WINDOWS

Double-paned or, even better, sound-rated windows muffle noise.

2. PLANT TREES

Some experts believe trees around homes provide a sound buffer.

3. USE CURTAINS & CARPET

Textured and lined fabrics and dense carpet help absorb sound.

4. ADD STUFF

From furniture to picture frames, more objects mean less noise.

5. SUBSTITUTE NOISE