Increasing productivity through smart office design in interior desigining and decoration

Increasing productivity through smart office design.

Employees are a company’s asset and the company has to make sure its employees work to the best of their abilities for optimized productivity. Along with employee incentives, and efficient management, office space design also plays a major factor in increasing productivity.
Physical work environment has a psychological impact on the employees affecting their mood, behaviour and thoughts which in turn will affect their overall performance. Management, along with architects and interior designers have realized this and are taking it into consideration while designing and constructing office spaces. Good designs boost creativity and productivity and hence a well-designed environment is as essential as a functional one.
Many factors have to be considered when designing an office. Some of them are listed below.
1. Space Layout
Overall space plan has a pronounced effect on the functioning and psychology of an employee. Office space planning is similar to urban planning in that people need public and private spaces for its proper functioning. Thus an office space layout should have public and private meeting areas, private offices and compariatively public ones, and passageways to allow easy passage through hallways.
Urban planning model aids office productivity because employees like office assistants prefer to be seated close to passageways so that they are easily accessible to their supervisors. On the other hand, the supervisors would prefer closed rooms where they can conduct private meetings or be able to work with utmost concentration. Trend among specific type of companies is the CEO sitting in open space among other employees to be more accessible.
When designing an office, there should be a balance between how well the employees can interact in open spaces as well as the provision to work in privacy. Thus one needs to consider the requirements of job of all the staff while designing an office layout. Depending on a person’s role in the company, the space allotted to him must vary. For example, a person with a creative role like an HR manager or a team leader should not be provided with a corner cubicle because he/she needs to have constant communication with his/her team. For those who need to be on confidential phone conversations from time to time, like a sales person, or conduct meetings in private, an open space is not an option. Whether the office spaces has more private offices or more cubicles, it is desirable to have specific rooms for coffee breaks and a separate space for office equipments, that are away from these main workstations. This way, the staff members will not be bothered.
2. Lighting
For increased productivity, proper access to daylight and artificial lighting should be there. Bad lighting conditions can lead to headaches, eye strain and irritation. Dark spaces can have negative psychological effects and affect the mood of employees which in turn will affect productivity. Employees should have access to control the lighting for them to so that the light can be adjusted to their needs and preferences. Though proper artificial lighting can increase functionality, natural daylight is preferred and hence designers should make sure that natural daylight is used to light up the place during day time instead of using artificial lighting for the same. For maximizing the entry of natural light into the office, open plan layouts that make use of glass panels or low cubic panels may be used. Skylights are a good alternative when windows can’t be used.
3. Noise
Noisy work environments, without doubt, adversely affect the productivity. Noise increases stress and reduces concentration level. There are design tricks that can tackle this problem. Basic key to proper sound absorption is using correct materials in correct locations. For example, in the case where the ceiling height is low, ceiling tiles should be applied. When the ceiling is high, try other methods like using fabric banners to line the walls or acoustic wall panels to prevent the sound from bouncing off of drywalls. Using super absorbent materials at the level of mouth will prevent voices from travelling far. Another technique is to create white noise, a monotone background sound. Strategic placing of fans and air conditioners, use of water fountains etc are some ways in which this can be achieved.

An attractive office space, without doubt, increases productivity, creativity and overall morale of employees. Office spaces with good designs tend to attract and keep employees for a longer period than the unattractive ones and is also a factor affecting job satisfaction. Although there are companies that consider investing money on office space designing as a waste, 9 out of 10 employees feel that their attitude towards work is affected by the quality of work environment. Hence it is hight time employers found good design solutions to increase productivity.

Basics of soundproofing dry walls in interior designing and decoration

Basics of soundproofing dry walls

Do you live close to busy roads? disturbed by external traffic noise? then you need soundproofing,

Do you not want your neighbor to hear your private conversations? then you certainly need soundproofing.

Soundproofing is the ultimate solution to your acoustical troubles.

Soundproofing includes methods with which sound or noise in a room to meet various needs. It usually includes blocking any sound from entering or leaving the room as well as reduce reverberations in the room that can cause echoes, or muffled and unclear voices. One of the ways through which this can be achieved is by soundproofing the walls.

STC rating denotes the ability of a material to resist the passing of sound through them. The more the STC rating, the better acoustical properties the material possess.

Drywall has low STC rating which means that its ability to block sound from entering or leaving a room is low. Also, sound waves hit drywall and bounce off of the wall, reverberating across the room interfering with the sound waves. Hence we can say that drywall has poor acoustical properties and we should implement ways to improve the same for soundproofing any room that needs privacy, be it a mini home theater or your bedroom, or simply to block any external noise from entering your room and disturbing you.

Let us discuss some ways with which the acoustical properties of a drywall can be improved.

1. Increase wall thickness

2. The principle behind enhanced acoustical properties of a material with more mass is that sound transmits through a medium through vibration of particles. When the mass of a material increases, it will be difficult for it to vibrate and hence, only less noise will be transmitted. Mass loading method involves adding mass-loaded vinyl. Sheets of heavy vinyl can be installed between studs and dry walls to increase the mass of the drywall. Employing ass-loaded vinyl will give good soundproofing results but installing it is labor intensive with high labor cost, and needs a combination of materials. Thus it is an unattractive option since it is highly error prone when we one tries to install it on their own.

3. Soundproof drywall panels

4. Soundproof dry walls panels have high STC rating and ensure good soundproofing. For 100% soundproofing, the space between panels should be vacuum but it is absolutely impossible for manufacturers to achieve that and hence no acoustic panel is 100% soundproof. But soundproof panels can be easily installed and are available.

5. Soundproofing materials

Materials with high STC rating can be used for soundproofing dry walls

6. Visco-elastic soundproofing

Visco-elastic soundproofing is the newest technology in the field of soundproofing. Visco-elastic materials have both viscous and elastic properties. When sound waves hit these materials, they are deformed and slowly goes back to their true form. Thus the energy of the sound waves is dissipated by the contraction and expansion process and converted into thermal energy. In constrained layer viscoelastic damping, a thin layer of visco-elastic material is sandwiched between two rigid surfaces, in this case dry walls. When sound wave hits the first drywall, the particles vibrate and the energy will be transmitted through it. But when these vibrations reach the visco-elastic material, the energy is dissipated and only very little energy is transmitted to the second layer. This is how soundproofing is achieved by the use of visco-elastic materials.

In terms of quality and cost, soundproofing dry walls is the most preferred ways of achieving soundproofing.

Interior game offers free soundproofing lessons and tips for the required people.

Basics of sound proofing your interiors

Basics of sound proofing interiors 

Does your new office seem too loud for you liking?

Is the new mini studio you set up in your home suiting your preferences?

If your answer to these question is not a firm yes, it is about time you started thinking about sound proofing.

This article will give you an insight about the basics of sound proofing your interior. The purpose of sound proofing is to block any sound from a defined space or to prevent any sound from getting out. Before embarking on any sound proofing project there are three facts that you need to familiarize with.

They are listed below.

1. Sounds needs a medium to travel. The shorter the medium the louder the sound. This point is supported by the fact that sound waves when travelling through a medium suffers attenuation.

2. Sound Transmission Class (STC) is a measure of the ability of a material to resist the transmission of sound with in the frequency range 125 – 4000 Hz, through it. STC ratings fall within the range 26-80. The higher the rating the better the material’s resistance. The STC rating of a basic insulated 2×4 wall on each side is 35-38. For steel studs it is 42-45. The STC rating for a concrete sub-floor of six inches is 52-53.

A good level of isolation for walls and ceilings is above 50. Even higher rating denotes high level of isolation. Single pane glass materials have the lowest STC rating and 8 inches wall dry walls on either side has the highest STC rating, 72. Heavier the walls, the better the ability to stop sound. That is, a 10 inches wall can stop sound better than a one inch wall.

3. Sound can be reduced by damping. Several acoustic materials are available for damping.

Considering these facts, we can conclude that sound proofing can be achieved by adding mass to the materials, adding space, and by introducing materials that can absorb within the partitions. Considering sound proofing during the construction and design stage is economical. Another option is to build a new wall with absorptive materials after tearing down the existing wall, if possible. A third option available is adding another material to the dry wall and later covering it with another dry wall. This covers both adding mass and adding materials for sound proofing.

Another factor that is as important as the sound proofing technique is finding the source or the cause of sound. In homes, windows are one of the major ways through which sound enters the room. Windows are made up of glasses or woods or a combination of both. As we have already mentioned, thin glass panes have low STC rating which means their ability to block sound is poor. Or alternatively, sound can also enter if there is a gap between the window and the wall. Without realizing this, even if you soundproof walls very efficiently, sound will enter the room and all your hard work would be for nothing. Thus along with soundproofing walls, you have to also take care of such ways through which sound can enter the room.

‘Interior game’ is one of the leading companies in the field of soundproofing with over 25 years of experience. ‘Interior game’ can help you have a better understanding of soundproofing techniques. Visit http://www.interiorgame.info for more details and queries.

3 Major Benefits of Effective Noise Control in a Manufacturing Environment

3 Major Benefits of Effective Noise Control in a Manufacturing Environment

The term noise control refers to the mitigation or elimination of undesirable sound in the space under consideration. There are several key benefits of reducing the effects of this type of noise. This is all the more important and true in the case of manufacturing industries where high noise levels can have negative impact on the quality and efficiency of operations of both humans and machines. In order to avoid this affected business units must search for effective methods to reduce the, physical, environmental, and psychological effect of this unwelcome by-product of the process of manufacture. The three methods are as follows:

1. Improve Quality Control

The first important reason for implementing noise control in a manufacturing environment is that too much of noise can affect the quality standards within the unit negatively. Excessive unwanted noise can create harmful levels of vibrations causing wrong data to be recorded and reduce the sensitivity of precision equipment. The inaccurate data recorded can interfere with the manufacturing process and can change or even damage the real outcome. Therefore, it is important that the environment must be freed from that excess noise to ensure the proper working of the machinery and operating systems.

2. Improve Health and Well-Being

Workers getting exposed to too much of high noise continuously can have serious health problems. Some of the health issues associated with exposure to high noise are tinnitus (or ringing in the ears), chronic headache, and temporary or permanent loss of hearing. Still more disturbing fact is that constant and too long exposure to high noise level has been found to be the reason for considerable increases in stress levels as well as systolic blood pressure. Research has also proved that over a period of time, those exposed to high levels of uncontrolled noise in the work place can be victims of have high negative consequences on their overall health which will also affect the quality of life. Luckily, controlling exposure to this environment and wearing ear protection gadgets can mitigate and even reverse these effects in some cases.

3. Reduce Costs to the Employer

Besides causing serious health problems for those workers who are exposed to uncontrolled noise at work places, employers also face challenges like absenteeism due to employee sick days, higher health premiums and loss of productivity. Also, increased noise levels can lead to work place accidents and injuries due to masking of warning signals and signs. This may force the employers by law to devise and implement safety measures by effective solutions for noise control. Notwithstanding the mandate by law, it will be wiser for the employer to put into place effective noise control methods. It will further boost the employees’ morale.

Noise in a manufacturing setting is unavoidable. But, employers can initiate steps to control the negative impact created by high noise levels by implementing of good noise control methods.

Industrial floor sander to sand the floor smooth

The second option is to rent an industrial floor sander from your local hire shop and sand the floor smooth. The sander will have a dust-collecting bag. Fine dust will escape, however, so you should wear a dust mask, eye protection, and old clothes or coveralls. Before sanding, it is vital to punch all nails well below the surface of the floor. The machine is capable of grinding the floor down by a considerable depth, and any protruding nail will tear the paper belt. Wherever possible, running the sanding machine in the direction of the wood grain will produce a better finish, and always progress from coarse to fine sanding belts. You may also need to hire a small belt sander to get into corners and close to the walls where the large sander won’t fit.

As an economic, if laborious, alternative, you can scrape the edge areas of the floor with a Skarsten scraper and then finish off with a sanding block. Once sanding is complete, dust off the floor and vacuum it thoroughly before applying any finish. Using a damp cloth will help to settle fine dust. If you plan to leave the floorboards exposed, you will need a good-quality laying hardboard Hardboard gives an even surface and prevents dust rising up between the boards.

Before laying the sheets, condition them by brushing water onto the mesh side. e Pin the sheets with their long sides parallel to the floorboards, staggering the joins in each row. finish. Apply the sealing coat as soon as possible, before the boards have a chance to become dirty, choosing a seal that is formulated to withstand heavy wear. Some sealing products are sold as floor seals, others as varnishes. When applying the seal, work the first coat into the wood with a pad made up from an old handkerchief or sheeting material filled with cotton wool.

This acts as a key for further coats which you can apply with a brush) and it ensures that the seal does not flake away. If you wish to stain – or paint – the floor, there are many methods involving separate stains or dyes and combined formulas that stain and seal. ft” Woodwork metal work and the care and attention you put into the preparation stages of treating wood and metal surfaces prior to decoration pay big dividends. Treating old or damaged wood or metal not only gives it a professional appearance, it also means less on-going maintenance and redecoration in the future. Preparing bare wood, The first preparatory stage is to sand the wood, working along the grain with successively finer grades of abrasive paper. e Treat sound knots with one or two coats of shellac knotting to seal in the resin and stop it oozing through the paint film.

Screening Compound to level the surface in interior designing and decoration

This will seal the surface and prevent further dust arising. If the floor has projecting nibs of concrete, remove these with a bolster and club hammer. If the floor is uneven, it is best to use screening compound to level it. You can buy this either as a powder that you mix with water, or ready-mixed in a tub. Clean the floor thoroughly, then use a little of the compound to fill any holes and cracks. Allow these repairs to set before you apply the screening compound over the whole area. Simply pour the compound out on to the floor, brush or trowel out, and leave it to find its own level. Concrete or tiled floors Bare concrete floors or securely fixed old quarry tiles can be painted with a special flooring paint designed to stand up to e Once you have removed all splinters of old tile, use a trowel to spread a layer of ceramic floor tiling adhesive in the hole you have created. Level the adhesive and make sure coverage is even. rough wear and tear.

But do make certain that the floor is clean and dust free before starting. If it is dusty, treat it in the same way you would a solid floor, sealing it wit a solution of one part PVA adhesive to for parts water. If the floor is in poor condition however, coat it with a screening com- pound to provide a new surface. If you have an old property in which flay stones have been laid directly on the heart! and these are causing damp problems, yo will need to seek professional advice. Lifting the stones to attend to the damp problem and then relaying the stones requires specialist skills and equipment. Flagstones that are dry but merely unsightly can be cleaned and their surface polished to a pleasing finish. Timber floors It is just as important for a timber floor to be smooth and sound as a solid one, so examine it carefully before laying any type of floor covering. Remove any old tacks an, unwanted nails and hammer down any floor nails that are standing proud of the boards. If the floor is uneven, then you have tw: options. The first is to lay sheets of hardboard, rough-side up, over the whole floor flay hardboard smooth-side up only i the floor covering is recommended for laying that way).

This seals any gaps and cracks between floorboards and improves the evenness overall. It also has the e Press the new tile into position and scrape off any excess adhesive with the trowel. Read the manufacturer’s directions regarding drying time, and avoid walking on the tile until the adhesive has set. • Repairing and replacing floorboards Good-condition floorboards are essential even if you intend to lay a floor covering on top of them. Uneven boards will cause any surface covering to wear out that much quicker, and loose floorboards will squeak every time they are walked on. o If you have tongue-and- groove type of floorboards, you will first have to saw through on either side of the board to free it from its neighbors and allow you to work on it.

To lift an ordinary floorboard, insert a floorboard bolster in the crack between the boards and lever upward with the help of a claw hammer. .Once the floorboard nails have come free from the joists, use a scrap of wood to hold the board while you work toward the other end with the bolster. o You will need to support a cut floorboard after it has been replaced. To do this, nail a small piece of scrap timber to the side of the floor joist. e To allow access to pipework or wiring, screw the patch in place rather than using nails. advantage of adding to the floor’s sound- proofing quality. A disadvantage is that it makes it difficult to get under the floor at any future date if you need access to pipework or wiring.

Why Soundproofing May Be The Key To Safeguarding Confidential Health Information

Consider you’re at your medical doctor’s workplace. The physician comes into the examination room and begins going over the take a look at effects you’ve currently had. You’ve got a verbal exchange with him, speak the medications you are on, and diverse other touchy–and very private–subjects regarding your fitness.
Honestly healthcare providers need to live in compliance with the health insurance Portability and responsibility Act (HIPAA), which is meant to guard affected person confidentiality. They take cautious measures to protect pc equipment, hardware, software, etc. from natural and environmental dangers, unauthorized get entry to and intrusion, etc. however that handiest covers written and electronic affected person records.
Regrettably, soundproofing is one of the last things that medical practices think about when it comes to their workplace layout. (again, they are greater concerned about the protection of electronically saved records.) But soundproofing is a vital part of growing the privacy that sufferers anticipate and deserve in the end, it is incredible that personal statistics is safely locked away of their computer gadget, however if you may hear Mrs Smith sobbing in exam room one approximately needing antidepressants due to the fact her marriage is falling apart, every other patient is yelling on the doctor in exam room two about a possible misdiagnosis, and you may listen nurses giggling in the hallway approximately Mr Jones’ haemorrhoids, then how private can patient information clearly be? Such oral privacy breeches can be embarrassing for all events involved—and show expensive to the healthcare issuer.
To be clean, HIPAA guarantees a right to privacy; however it does not mainly require the retrofitting of current homes for soundproofing to save you oral breeches of privateers.
Expertise SOUND manipulate basics:
Soundproofing current structures might be as easy as swapping out traditional ceiling tiles for sound-lowering ceiling tiles, or adding carpeting and window treatments to absorb sound. But it’s vital to understand the fundamental physics of sound for you to make the appropriate assessment for each building’s person needs.
Sound manipulate within a surroundings is measured two one-of-a-kind methods: STC and NRC.
STC, or Sound Transmission class, measures sound transmission between areas together with the partitions isolating places of work, suites, multiple tenant homes, townhouses, and condos. It additionally applies to partition walls, corridor partitions, and ground/ceiling assemblies. The higher the STC number, the more the resistance to sound transmission, and the greater sound is deadened. In terms of soundproofing healthcare facilities, STC price is important.
Techniques OF SOUNDPROOFING:
One of the easiest approaches to soundproof a structure is to switch out conventional ceiling tiles for sound-decreasing ceiling tiles. Sound-lowering ceiling tiles each absorb sound and block sound. That means rooms might be quieter, and sound transmission from room to room through the ceiling meeting can be substantially decreased.

What Is The Institute Of Acoustics

The Institute of Acoustics (IoA), built up in 1974, is the UK’s driving proficient body for individuals working in the fields of clamour, vibration and acoustics. A one stop wellspring of data, preparing, vocation counsel, proficient enrollment, authority suppliers and enlistment opportunities, the IoA gives administrations and data over the whole acoustics industry from electro acoustics to building acoustics and ecological commotion to correspondence sciences.
IoA benefits
The IoA records data on workshops and instructional exercises in the acoustics sciences, which are accessible to non individuals and also individuals from the Institute. They additionally offer productions and assets for specialists in the acoustics fields empowering benefit suppliers to stay educated and progressive with the most recent research and practice. This incorporates the bi-month to month Acoustics Bulletin and access to the European connected acoustics diary Acoustics in Practice and in addition a particular library situated in St Albans.
The IoA has more than 3,000 individuals from over the differing connected acoustics range, including those from law, natural wellbeing, building, pharmaceutical, instruction and investigative research, and as an expert body it offers enlistment for Chartered and Incorporated Engineers. The IoA likewise gives preparing and capabilities incorporating its Diploma in Acoustics and Noise Control and various Certificate of Competence courses in important regions over the UK.
Professions
Professions in acoustics are differed and far reaching and the IoA offers counsel about looking for capabilities and also facilitating an employments board publicizing various opportunities in important territories. Pertinent degree courses incorporate maths and designing and the IoA authorizes acoustics particular degrees at two colleges in the UK: Salford and Southampton. MSc and Diploma courses are likewise accessible for those with degrees that are not particularly outfitted towards connected acoustics.
Pertinent employment opening are posted on the IoA occupations board for posts accessible over the UK and worldwide in a scope of acoustics related fields including designing, sound and acoustic deals, with some of these opening including open doors for administration advancement and graduate preparing. The IoA empowers work seekers to make contacts inside of the business keeping in mind the end goal to advance their vocations and along these lines is esteemed by selection representatives and candidates alike.
Acoustic Service Providers
The IoA’s registry of administration suppliers contains points of interest of various suppliers offering benefits in an extensive variety of connected acoustics specialisms including listening to security, divider tiles, dampeners, silencers and material among numerous others, permitting simplicity of promoting and in addition employing of acousticians and related items.

10 Tips for Choosing Acoustical Flooring

10 Tips for Choosing Acoustical Flooring
The step one is to identify what your sound control requirements are. You may have a washing machine that is making too much of noise that you want to control. May be you want to set up a music room or construct a home theater. If you can decide what you expect from your flooring then it is easy to choose the right materials and process.
It is presumed that you already know in which room you want the floating acoustic flooring. If it is for your kitchen then the flooring should have more resilience than if it is for the home theater where there is no much traffic.
It will be helpful if you know the type of sound that you are aiming to control. The sound of a conversation and music are airborne sounds. A sound caused by some object hitting or impacting against another object is an impact sound. Examples of impact sound are footsteps, playing drums or the spinning of a washing machine.
It is necessary to know the flanking path taken by the sound, as it traverses through floors, walls, and ceilings so that you can devise the methods to control the effects by providing appropriate sound insulation.
Before you install any sound control methods, it is necessary for you to know whether it is for a new building or for a building being renovated because, the legal requirements differ for sound control products.
Some of the materials for acoustic flooring can be used only for new buildings. There are others for rebuilding and yet few for both applications. Therefore be careful in choosing the right products as otherwise you may end up spending more than you can afford.
The next item are the right accessories. They are very important too. Among the accessories that you will need for fixing acoustic flooring are joists, adhesive, sealants and wire mesh. They are needed not only for fixing the flooring, but also for improving the sound control
You must be familiar with the applicable building regulations for floorings and ensure that your acoustic floor is inspected and certified by the authorized inspector for buildings. This is particularly important if the flooring forms part of a new hotel or a housing development scheme.
Instead of having your project inspected by the authorized officials, you may prefer to choose only the acoustic flooring materials that satisfy the strict specifications for such products. Since such materials that meet the regulations are certified to be meeting the standards laid down for building materials, they need not be inspected.
Finally, if you are not confident enough to proceed on your own, it is better that you hire an experienced and reputed contractor for your acoustic flooring job. There are also expert sound insulation firms who can guide you to achieve your objective.

A Beginner’s Guide to Soundproofing and Building Acoustics

A Beginner’s Guide to Soundproofing & Building Acoustics

Sound is of two different types; airborne sound and impact sound. They both vary from each other in terms of the way they travel around the spaces and rooms of a building or your house.

What is impact sound?

The noise created when there is contact (impact) of one object with another is impact sound. Usually this may be the sound of hammers on walls or footsteps on floorboards for example. Sound vibrations are created due to these impacts that can pass between walls and floors from one room to another.

How can you reduce impact sound?

Even with a wall that insulates solid airborne sound, through a concrete floor impact sound can pass from one room to another. It is very invasive and once it has started is difficult to control. For controlling or reducing the sound it has to be stopped from taking place at source. This implies suitable soundproofing materials have to be applied to your walls, floors, and ceilings.

What is airborne sound?

The travel of sound waves around an internal space or room causes airborne sound. It can rebound from the surrounding walls, floors, and ceilings causing these surfaces to vibrate that will then radiate these sound waves again to other areas inside the ‘receiver space’.

How can you insulate against airborne sound?

Usually the condition of windows, doors, sockets fitted poorly, or any cracks in a wall will significantly decrease its airborne sounds insulation. For reducing the loudness or amount of this noise it needs to be insulated using soundproofing materials appropriately on your walls, floors, and ceilings.

How do you deal with nuisance noise?

Big, open plan spaces in your office or home are not usually best positioned to address the degrees of undesirable noise that we are surrounded by at times. Animal noises, people shouting, low flying aircraft, and other invasive sounds can usually disturb concentration in the workplace and quiet and peace at home.

Rooms which are subjected to echoes (or sound reverberation) are normally huge and their wall surfaces are not capable of absorbing enough of the sound, consequently bouncing it back across the space in the room. To decrease the loudness or amount of this sound it needs to be absorbed with proper soundproofing materials on your ceilings or floors.

How do you control noise?

Before soundproofing a building is considered the methods and quality of building construction is worth considering.

The two main ways of reducing and controlling noise are:

Increasing Mass – The more mass a wall or floor has it will be made to vibrate with less sound. The general thumb rule is 5 decibels will be reduced in the sound transmission when the mass is doubled.

Additional Layers – Addition of many layers to the wall or floor construction can improve the noise control greatly. Every layer will be comprised of soundproofing materials, separated slightly for reducing transfer of airborne and impact noise.