SONEX BAFFLES ~ ACOUSTICAL SOLUTIONS FOR SCHOOL GYMNASIUM NOISE PROBLEMS

SONEX Valueline Baffles at Edgemont Elementary School in Belleville

Acoustical engineering can be difficult in any interior space, but school gymnasiums carry special challenges. The constant chatter of students is easily reflected by the hard surfaces necessary for athletic competitions, frequently elevating noise levels to a nearly unbearable crescendo. Manufacturers offer a wide variety of products to control or absorb this noise. SONEX Valueline® Baffles from pinta Architectural Products is one such product that has been used with great success in Michigan.

SONEX VALUELINE BAFFLES

Before applying any noise control product, testing should be performed with an audio spectrum analyzer to determine the average reverberation time for the space.

“Reverb time is a measure of how long it takes for sound to dissipate after it strikes a wall,” said Dick Conroy, materials and methods engineer for Memtech Acoustical LLC, an pinta distributor. “In gymnasiums, reverb time is usually in the neighborhood of four to six seconds. If we can get it down to one or two seconds, people will not have a hard time talking with one another. We can control the reverb time by putting an acoustical material in the space.”

SONEXvalueline Baffles are acoustical absorbers that can be hung from ceilings. The baffles are made from willtec“, an open-cell melamine-based foam, and they meet ASTM E-84 requirements for flame spread and smoke density. SONEX Baffles also resist moisture, humidity, fungus and microbial growth.

SONEX Valueline Baffles

SONEXvalueline Baffles are very easy to install. Since the baffles only weigh .5 to .7 pounds, two stainless steel corkscrew hangers provide sufficient support to hang them from a 1/16” cable or lightweight chain. The cable or chain can be secured by looping it around ceiling joists or trusses and it should be pulled taut to prevent sagging. A third corkscrew hanger can be added to provide additional stability against occasional contact from balls in gymnasium spaces. Baffles and spacers can be slid into position along a hanging wire that is already in place, allowing activities on the floor to continue uninterrupted. SONEXvalueline Baffles arrive ready to install. Each box contains six baffles along with 12 corkscrew hangers. The baffles measure 24”x48”x2”and 12-inchwide PVC spacer bars are also available. SONEXvalueline Baffles are available in natural white and standard colors, and can be custom painted to complement any design, or match existing colors. “The materials are very user friendly,” said Conroy. “With about an hour of training, just about anybody can install them.”

Ease of installation is just one factor that has made SONEXvalueline Baffles a popular choice at a variety of Michigan facilities.

MICHIGAN APPLICATIONS

SONEXvalueline Baffles were recently installed at five school gymnasiums within the Van Buren Public School District.

“When these schools – Edgemont Elementary School, Elwell Elementary School, Savage Elementary School, Tyler Elementary School [Belleville], and Rawsonville Elementary School [Ypsilanti] – were built, acoustical issues in construction typically weren’t considered,” said Pete Foster, plant manager for the Van Buren Public School District. “Our physical education teachers were concerned that the sound in the gymnasiums, reverberating off the hard floors and concrete block walls, was creating a level of noise that was harmful to their hearing.”

Although noise levels were not a consideration when the buildings were first constructed, testing confirmed noise issues at several schools.

“We tested all of the schools where they were having problems,” said Conroy. “Then we showed Pete [Foster] our SONEXvalueline products that could be installed in very little time.”

A crew from Holt-based Boyce Construction installed a total of 1,080 baffles in the five gymnasiums in only four days.

“It takes about half as much time to install these, compared to the time that it used to take for systems used years ago,” said Conroy.

Noise levels improved dramatically after the SONEXvalueline Baffles were installed.

“The reduction in noise levels after we had SONEXvalueline Baffles installed is amazing,” said Foster. “Everyone is pleased, especially the teachers who spend their days in the gymnasiums. The cable system installation went quickly, and we were able to get students back into our gyms with very little down time.”

SONEXvalueline Baffles are also well suited for use in production areas, auditoriums and swimming pools.

For more information, contact robin@memtechacoustical.com

back to Schools / Classroom Acoustics