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> Carpet the ceiling and the walls. Super cheap, super effective. Super dangerous and illegal, too. The reason that professionals don't do this is because no

by duped 2y ago

> Carpet the ceiling and the walls. Super cheap, super effective. Super dangerous and illegal, too. The reason that professionals don't do this is because no one will permit it, not because there's some scam on acoustic foam and diffusers... well there is but it's not the acousticians' fault. It's a massive fire hazard.

brulard 2y ago
source? Seems like with this logic, wood, wallpapers etc. would be illegal as well. Doesn't make sense to me
- duped 2y ago
  My source is the IBC section 803 (1), which I only know about because I've had the misfortune of needing to know about getting building permits for acoustically treating an office space in my career (which itself is a long and boring story about a failed startup). The way the building code is written doesn't explicitly ban any material from walls/ceilings, but rather sets the constraints on the performance of the material when exposed to heat. There are higher limits for walls/ceilings than for floors because flames climb. Wall coverings (including wall paper and its glue) have to be flame retardant to meet code. There have been some infamous fires in the past, which is why this code exists (building codes are written in blood, as they say). Most carpet doesn't go on walls, so it doesn't meet code, unlike wallpaper. And building inspectors are conservative people that are unlikely to permit you to do anything weird, even if you can prove by the letter of the IBC that some material is up to snuff. (1) https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/IBC2021P2/chapter-8-interior-finishes https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/IBC2021P2/chapter-8-interi... Scroll down to see the details on wall textiles, specifically.
- buildsjets 2y ago
  Does one hundred dead bodies count as a source? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Station_nightclub_fire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Station_nightclub_fire
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
itsoktocry 2y ago
>It's a massive fire hazard. You mean we haven't figured out a material that both dampens sound and is fire resistant? Being as how the former quality is pretty easy, I find this hard to believe.
- duped 2y ago
  No we have this, it just isn't as cheap as floor carpeting. In fact, if you ever DIY some acoustic gobos or panels, rockwool insulation is about the best material you can find at the hardware store. But like another comment mentioned there are other concerns in commercial spaces, like cleaning/dusting.
chefandy 2y ago
> illegal, too. This is jurisdiction-dependent. Not all jurisdictions in the US, for example, have adopted the IBC, and it's not uncommon to find carpeted walls in movie theaters.

by duped 2y ago

brulard 2y ago

source? Seems like with this logic, wood, wallpapers etc. would be illegal as well. Doesn't make sense to me

duped 2y ago
My source is the IBC section 803 (1), which I only know about because I've had the misfortune of needing to know about getting building permits for acoustically treating an office space in my career (which itself is a long and boring story about a failed startup). The way the building code is written doesn't explicitly ban any material from walls/ceilings, but rather sets the constraints on the performance of the material when exposed to heat. There are higher limits for walls/ceilings than for floors because flames climb. Wall coverings (including wall paper and its glue) have to be flame retardant to meet code. There have been some infamous fires in the past, which is why this code exists (building codes are written in blood, as they say). Most carpet doesn't go on walls, so it doesn't meet code, unlike wallpaper. And building inspectors are conservative people that are unlikely to permit you to do anything weird, even if you can prove by the letter of the IBC that some material is up to snuff. (1) https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/IBC2021P2/chapter-8-interior-finishes https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/IBC2021P2/chapter-8-interi... Scroll down to see the details on wall textiles, specifically.
buildsjets 2y ago
Does one hundred dead bodies count as a source? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Station_nightclub_fire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Station_nightclub_fire
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]

itsoktocry 2y ago

>It's a massive fire hazard. You mean we haven't figured out a material that both dampens sound and is fire resistant? Being as how the former quality is pretty easy, I find this hard to believe.

duped 2y ago
No we have this, it just isn't as cheap as floor carpeting. In fact, if you ever DIY some acoustic gobos or panels, rockwool insulation is about the best material you can find at the hardware store. But like another comment mentioned there are other concerns in commercial spaces, like cleaning/dusting.

chefandy 2y ago

> illegal, too. This is jurisdiction-dependent. Not all jurisdictions in the US, for example, have adopted the IBC, and it's not uncommon to find carpeted walls in movie theaters.