Introducing Acoustifence®
Acoustifence® was originally developed by the Acoustiblok corporation for offshore oil rig noise isolation, the Acoustifence has had proven success in many demanding applications. defines Acoustifence as a "new defense against outdoor noise pollution". Commonly used in industrial usage, highways, construction sites, mass transit rail lines and even dog kennels, it is now available for residential use. It is a simple and economical first step in noise reduction which can truly make an improvement in your life and increase your privacy.
The Acoustifence is a unique 1/8th inch, 6' x 30' (3mm x 1.83m x 9.14m) heavy mineral filled visco elastic acoustical material. Longer lengths are available. It is made in the U. S. A. (from all USA materials) and, unlike fences or shrubs, this material does extraordinarily well in not only blocking direct sound, but also has a tendency to reduce sound from reflecting off it. This occurs as the flexible heavy mass Acoustiblok material actually vibrates from sound, transforming some of it into inaudible trace amounts of heat (sheet lead works in the same manner). Considering that the ideal sound reducing construction is heavy, limp and air tight, the 1 lb. per sq. ft. flexible Acoustifence can be an excellent first step in reducing your noise level. It has acoustical properties that provide a lab-certified STC (sound transmission classification) of 28. While a 28 dB reduction represents a decrease of 85% to the human ear, this will probably not be obtainable in real life conditions due to surrounding objects from which sound will reflect over or around your fence.
While the indoor Acoustiblok material is used and recognized throughout the world, even winning awards in the British House of Commons, the new Acoustifence material is extremely strong and engineered to withstand outdoor construction sites, highway environments, and even offshore oil rigs. Full exposure to dirt, grease, oil, mold or even being driven over is not a problem for the Acoustifence.
Having black anodized brass eyelets every 6 inches on the top edge and some on the bottom, allows easy hanging or attaching of the fence to just about anything. Heavy duty nylon wire ties are supplied with the fence and stainless wire ties are available at additional cost. Multi-level construction projects can easily overlap multiple Acoustifences attached to scaffolding to achieve many floors of vertical height sound blockage.
Staggered wood shadow box privacy fences (which of course provide no acoustical privacy) can easily incorporate Acoustifence without changing the visual appearance. Simply remove the vertical wood slats on your side of the fence, install the Acoustifence and reinstall the wood vertical slats. This is very easily done and leaves the appearance intact while adding acoustical privacy. A hammer, small crowbar, screw gun and some non rusting screws should be all the tools required.
Shadow box fences are easy to convert to an acoustical sound barrier with Acoustifence. For added aesthetics, the Acoustifence can be painted with an outdoor latex based paint.
To help you with your expectations, consider your noise source as a light bulb in a totally black night. The fence will block direct light (the majority) from reaching you, but any surrounding higher structures or trees will allow some lesser reflections to reach you. Sound acts in virtually the same way, therefore, the more barriers between you and the source the better.
"Sound Abatement" is a reduction in noise as nothing is "sound proof." As such, we encourage you to consult with us for maximum sound reduction applications. Should you need advanced acoustical mapping we do provide such using the finest calibrated Norsonic test eq in conjunction with the state of the art CadnaA acoustical prediction software. This is, of course, rather expensive, but provides very accurate estimates. A big step up from the Acoustifence is our which block more and absorb (non-reflecting) virtually all sound striking them. Feel free to call or email us with your noise problem.
Performance is relative to your installation and the following:
- Sealing of any gaps or joints in the fence including any gaps at the bottom
- Your particular position relevant to the position of all other objects which may reflect some non-direct sound over or around your fence. (termed flanking)
- The specific frequencies of the noise, as some are reduced more than others
- The wind will have some effect also.
For almost 2 years the city of Seattle attempted to reduce the screeching noise of a light rail transportation line traveling through a residential area. Several other methods had been tried without success. The problem was recently resolved by simply . No additional structural changes or skilled labor was required. Officials and residents are thankful the problem has finally been resolved. "Sometimes the simplest method is the best method, I highly recommend AcoustiFence".
∗Made in U.S.A. from all U.S. materials (Like All Our Products)
"Residential neighbors next to our restaurant had complained about the noise coming from our outdoor patio, and we purchased three Acoustifences to block out the music and the noise in general. The neighbors seem much happier now, and we can keep our customers happy with music outdoors. Acoustifence® is definitely something we would recommend to Residential customers as well as Commercial customers." Celine G. Chick "We love this product. First, I was amazed at how thin it is, my 14-year-old son and I installed it ourselves with no problem. Our neighbors complained that the noise from our yard was quite loud before we installed the Acoustifence, and now you can't hear a thing. People think the birds are gone." Paula Carroll, owner of roosters, chickens and wild turkeys that were bothering the neighbors
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Number of people: 2 - 3
Time required: 20/30 min.
Items: Utility Knife, Pliers, Wire Cutter, 70 lb. nylon ties (included with purchase)
- Remove roll from pallet. Cut and remove the plastic wrap around the roll. (*see Note 1)
- It is advisable to unroll the fence on the ground and let it relax in the sun for at least 3 hours.
- Roll the fence back up. Lean the roll against the fence as vertical as possible with the grommet edge to the top. Line up the top of the roll to the top of the fence or at the desired height.
- Begin unrolling the Acoustifence along the fence. While one person slowly unrolls the material, the second person inserts the ties in each grommets and attaches to the fence or support structure. Leave ties very loose at this time. Insure that the material is kept taut (lengthwise) as you install the ties to prevent it from bunching up between ties. A third person is useful to help support the weight and keeping the fence pulled tight. Do not tighten the ties yet. Install all ties first keeping them loose.
- Pull each tie so that the Acoustifence is properly lined up at the desired height. DO NOT make the nylon tie tight! It must be loose enough to allow the eyelet to pivot freely on the tie (*see Note 2). Try to distribute weight equally using every grommet. (FIGURE A)
- Increase the tension on each tie (do not fully tighten) such that the weight of the fence is evenly distributed. Do not trim off end of nylon tie until you are sure weight is evenly distributed. (You may even wait on this until the next day to insure equal tension after material fully relaxes in place.
- The end and bottom grommets should also be attached (again, loosely).
- If questions arise, please call 813-980-1400 or e-mail us at sales@acoustiblok.com.
The ties must be loose enough to allow the fence to pivot
NOTES
- In high wind environments, especially if the Acoustifence is likely to be constantly flapping, it is highly recommended that the Acoustifence installation be reinforced. There are a variety of solutions depending on your application. Our acoustical consultants will discuss options with you that will fit your specific installation.
- Cold temperatures will reduce flexibility during install. Attempting to unroll if material is at a very low temperature is not recommended. Find a way to warm up the roll, i.e., leave indoor until fence roll becomes room temperature.
- Leave ties loose enough to allow the grommet to pivot on the ties. (FIGURE A)
- Do not use "elastomeric" paint. An exterior vinyl acrylic latex paint is recommended.
- Using nails or screws alone instead of the grommets to support the fence will possibly cause tears in the material. Sandwiching the material between two surfaces can help to overcome such tearing.
Other features of Acoustifence:
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Acoustifence vs. Padded Sound BlanketsUnlike padded “blanket sound barriers,” the Acoustifence:
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Reducing Road Noise
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Trees and vegetation are not effective noise control barriers. Foliage or trees on earth berms can actually increase noise as sound is like light, reflecting off the foliage in all directions and of course, the higher the berm, the better. It is however far cheaper and more practical to increase the berm height by adding the Acoustifence than it is to add fill to the berm. Adding the 6 foot high Acoustifence to the berm can make a tremendous difference as it obviously increases the blocking protection while it also eliminates the sound reflecting off the foliage. The all weather Acoustifence can be hung from any substantial structure, i.e., chain link, pipe frame structure, or wood fence. Trees over the height of a barrier are a definite hinderance of a barriers performance. |
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Acoustifence Specifications | ||||||||||||
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(-10dB to the human ear represents approximately 50% reduction in sound/noise) | ||||||||||||