August 1, 2023
The dogs’ ears perked up when they heard that Needham Animal Hospital was going to add a daycare to their facility. They also heard that it was going to have a big outdoor play area with green grass — even though it wouldn’t be real grass.
However, the new facility was going to be quite close to other buildings, so the owner was on the hunt for an effective sound-mitigation solution.
He liked the lightweight PVC sound wall systems from AIL Sound Walls because of their impressive Features & Benefits. A representative from AIL Sound Walls spent time with him on zoning and permitting before construction could begin.
The AIL Sound Walls rep also presented at a city council meeting on the owner’s behalf and brought in acoustical consultants from Thorburn Associates to determine the decibel reduction performance the neighbors would receive. Thorburn also worked with the owner to confirm the requirements and got the project approved by the city.
AIL Sound Walls coordinated the manufacturing and delivery with the installation contractors, Davis Fence. The dogs also observed that they didn’t need to dig the post holes as big with this system compared to heavier concrete or wooden systems (although they would have been happy to help with that).
Absorptive sound wall configured to be more “resilient”
It seems “absorptive” is a good thing for noise control, but not quite so good for dog pee. So it was decided to use two types of AIL Sound Wall panels in the wall. The top portion is made of perforated Silent Protector (Absorptive) panels with mineral wool batts inside. Those panels have better STC (32) and NRC (.95) ratings. The lower section is made from Tuf-Barrier (Reflective) panels and are pee-proof.
The finished enclosure looks great to both the owner and the dogs and it has made them better neighbors. The owner even recommended AIL Sound Walls to another doggie daycare in Baltimore.
