WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.480 --> 00:00:04.040 KFI AM six forty. You're listening to Dean Sharp The 2 00:00:04.080 --> 00:00:10.279 House Whisper on demand on the iHeartRadio app. I'm Dean 3 00:00:10.359 --> 00:00:13.359 Sharp the House Whisper. I design custom homes. 4 00:00:13.439 --> 00:00:16.719 I build a few of them too, and every weekend 5 00:00:17.199 --> 00:00:20.399 I sit here as your guide to better understanding that 6 00:00:20.600 --> 00:00:25.280 place where you live. Our goal to take your ordinary 7 00:00:25.320 --> 00:00:30.039 house and make it as much as possible and extraordinary home. 8 00:00:30.480 --> 00:00:33.640 Today on the show, we're going to encounter something that 9 00:00:34.520 --> 00:00:37.359 is not the easiest thing in the world to resolve, 10 00:00:37.399 --> 00:00:42.079 but a really really important part of putting together the 11 00:00:42.119 --> 00:00:48.240 ideal environment at home, and that is getting control of sound. 12 00:00:48.880 --> 00:00:52.520 Getting control of sound. Now you notice I didn't just 13 00:00:52.600 --> 00:00:56.479 say soundproofing, soundproofing your home, as if that was such 14 00:00:56.520 --> 00:01:00.320 an easy thing to do, which it's not. Well, here's 15 00:01:00.320 --> 00:01:03.240 the other aspect of this. The reason we are not 16 00:01:03.520 --> 00:01:10.480 entitling this episode soundproofing is that soundproofing is an aspect 17 00:01:10.920 --> 00:01:16.120 of heart of what we're trying to achieve by lowering 18 00:01:16.439 --> 00:01:20.040 sound pollution or noise pollution as it enters your home 19 00:01:20.200 --> 00:01:24.920 or your property. But it's not the goal. Soundproofing should 20 00:01:24.920 --> 00:01:28.599 not be the goal it used to be, but that 21 00:01:28.719 --> 00:01:32.799 has changed in recent years and why has it changed. Well, 22 00:01:32.840 --> 00:01:38.760 it's changed because our scientific understanding of the role of 23 00:01:38.920 --> 00:01:44.040 sound in our lives is evolving, is maturing, is changing. 24 00:01:44.680 --> 00:01:48.760 Absolute utter silence, which is, of course what the goal 25 00:01:48.920 --> 00:01:55.879 of soundproofing is, is no longer the goal of an 26 00:01:56.000 --> 00:02:01.079 ideal human habitation. It's not what we are after. It 27 00:02:01.120 --> 00:02:04.760 may be what we're after inside this studio because we 28 00:02:04.879 --> 00:02:08.919 have a very specific task at hand and we want 29 00:02:08.960 --> 00:02:12.639 complete control of the sound inside this room, but it 30 00:02:12.719 --> 00:02:17.240 is not the ideal for human habitation. So more on 31 00:02:17.280 --> 00:02:19.520 that as we roll out. We're going to take a 32 00:02:19.560 --> 00:02:23.719 deep dive into getting control of sound in your home, 33 00:02:23.960 --> 00:02:26.719 on your property, and that's going to involve a number 34 00:02:26.759 --> 00:02:32.000 of different things. Soundproofing techniques. Absolutely, we'll talk about everything 35 00:02:32.039 --> 00:02:35.840 from mineral wool to mass loaded vinyl, dual glaze windows, 36 00:02:36.360 --> 00:02:41.719 double layered dry wall, block walls, tree cover, air ceiling. 37 00:02:41.759 --> 00:02:45.159 Your home is a factor. And we're gonna also get 38 00:02:45.199 --> 00:02:48.840 into the idea of decoupling. No, not getting rid of 39 00:02:48.919 --> 00:02:52.280 your spouse or your life partner, not that kind of decoupling. 40 00:02:52.840 --> 00:02:58.159 Decouple a is a concept that I want everybody who's 41 00:02:58.199 --> 00:03:01.319 listening to me today to un understand, and it really 42 00:03:01.400 --> 00:03:06.039 kind of grasp fully before we are done today, because 43 00:03:06.039 --> 00:03:10.520 decoupling is one of the critical elements of getting control 44 00:03:10.560 --> 00:03:14.479 of sound, of stopping noise pollution from getting from point 45 00:03:14.520 --> 00:03:17.240 A to point b. We have to basically break the 46 00:03:17.280 --> 00:03:21.960 bridges that that energy travels over so that it doesn't 47 00:03:22.000 --> 00:03:25.879 get from point A to point B. Sound absorption is 48 00:03:25.960 --> 00:03:28.199 going to be part of our conversation, and now a 49 00:03:28.319 --> 00:03:32.080 huge part of our conversation will also be sound masking, 50 00:03:32.439 --> 00:03:36.000 which is when you can't get rid of sounds that 51 00:03:36.039 --> 00:03:39.000 are coming your way. But what we do is we 52 00:03:39.120 --> 00:03:42.560 join them with other sounds, mask them, or blend them 53 00:03:42.599 --> 00:03:46.240 with other sounds that change the way the human mind 54 00:03:46.400 --> 00:03:52.199 perceives the sound, changes it literally from noise to something 55 00:03:52.280 --> 00:03:58.199 that is stress reducing. Okay, so instead of stress inducing, 56 00:03:58.280 --> 00:04:03.560 which is now the scientific definition of noise, we want 57 00:04:03.560 --> 00:04:08.919 to change that sound into something that is stress reducing, 58 00:04:09.319 --> 00:04:12.479 and so that's part of our goal. Anyway, So many 59 00:04:12.520 --> 00:04:15.080 places to go today and we're going to do it all. 60 00:04:15.120 --> 00:04:18.600 And of course also we'll be taking your calls as 61 00:04:18.639 --> 00:04:21.920 we do, especially right smack dab in the center of 62 00:04:22.040 --> 00:04:25.560 the show. The phone lines are open right now. Now 63 00:04:25.680 --> 00:04:27.959 is your chance to give me a call. And of course, 64 00:04:28.000 --> 00:04:31.199 when it comes to calls, it's all about you. It's 65 00:04:31.199 --> 00:04:34.319 all about whatever's going on. I'm talking about sound control today. 66 00:04:34.439 --> 00:04:37.720 You can call me on anything going on that's got 67 00:04:37.720 --> 00:04:40.759 you scratching your head about your home. So, whether it 68 00:04:40.839 --> 00:04:45.360 is a design question, an architectural question, a decore question, 69 00:04:45.560 --> 00:04:50.920 a construction issue, a DIY concern, you name it, anything 70 00:04:50.959 --> 00:04:54.040 you want to talk about regarding your home, that's what 71 00:04:54.079 --> 00:04:56.199 your call can be about. The number to reach me 72 00:04:56.560 --> 00:05:01.040 eight three to three, to ask Dean eight three three, 73 00:05:01.199 --> 00:05:04.000 the numeral two and then you just spell out ask 74 00:05:04.240 --> 00:05:09.079 Dean eight three three two, ask Dean. It's just that simple. 75 00:05:09.120 --> 00:05:13.040 Producer Matt Toffler standing by. The phone lines are open. 76 00:05:13.319 --> 00:05:16.120 We're ready for you right now. Let me introduce you 77 00:05:16.160 --> 00:05:19.519 to our awesome team that brings you this show so 78 00:05:19.720 --> 00:05:24.439 faithfully every week. Elmer, of course, is on the board. 79 00:05:24.519 --> 00:05:27.920 Good morning, Elmer, Good morning Dean. How you doing, How 80 00:05:28.000 --> 00:05:30.839 you doing, Bud? How you doing? Are you with me? 81 00:05:32.480 --> 00:05:36.079 I'm doing good, yeah, you know, I'm up and uh yeah, 82 00:05:36.079 --> 00:05:38.639 I'm just happy. So glad to be here. All right, 83 00:05:38.920 --> 00:05:41.079 all right, that's good to hear, good to hear Elmer. 84 00:05:41.120 --> 00:05:43.360 By the way, you know just for as little as 85 00:05:43.399 --> 00:05:49.600 he comments, right, just mellow, chill. He's the guys manning everything. 86 00:05:49.959 --> 00:05:52.360 He has got the board. I mean, he's in control 87 00:05:52.439 --> 00:05:56.000 of everything. I am just the talking head here who 88 00:05:56.040 --> 00:05:58.639 gets to share time with you thanks to you, all 89 00:05:58.680 --> 00:06:04.720 of me. Maybe exactly, that's what I'm talking about, Laser guy. Uh. 90 00:06:04.959 --> 00:06:07.439 We got producer Matt Toffler. I think I already mentioned 91 00:06:07.439 --> 00:06:11.480 that Matt is awesome, and he's nowhere near Mike, but 92 00:06:12.040 --> 00:06:15.120 he is on the phones. He's ready. That's who you're 93 00:06:15.120 --> 00:06:17.000 gonna hear when you call in. And I know you're 94 00:06:17.000 --> 00:06:20.480 going to call in. Uh eight three three two ask 95 00:06:20.680 --> 00:06:24.319 Dean A three three the numeral two ask Dean. Matt 96 00:06:24.360 --> 00:06:26.480 will tell you everything you need to know, and you 97 00:06:26.519 --> 00:06:28.920 can listen to the show while you're sitting in the queue. 98 00:06:29.040 --> 00:06:32.120 And of course, my buddy Eileen Gonzalez at the news desk, 99 00:06:32.120 --> 00:06:35.120 Good morning, Eileen, Good morning Dean. How's it going today. 100 00:06:36.399 --> 00:06:37.439 It's going pretty good. 101 00:06:37.519 --> 00:06:37.720 You know. 102 00:06:37.879 --> 00:06:42.360 It's the first weekend of summer, it's the first Sunday 103 00:06:42.480 --> 00:06:47.199 of summer. It's beautiful Southern California weather. It's a great 104 00:06:47.279 --> 00:06:50.399 day to bomb a foreign country. That is from what 105 00:06:50.480 --> 00:06:51.199 I heard. 106 00:06:52.680 --> 00:06:57.160 Right yeah, we're going on summer. Can we just can 107 00:06:57.199 --> 00:06:59.240 we just enjoy a weekend? 108 00:07:00.360 --> 00:07:00.680 Yeah? 109 00:07:00.720 --> 00:07:04.360 Every week. I'm not making any comments. I know it's something. 110 00:07:04.480 --> 00:07:06.240 It's something. I'll tell you what. I'll tell you what. 111 00:07:06.279 --> 00:07:08.600 I tell you what we're at today. I got up 112 00:07:08.639 --> 00:07:13.800 this morning, coffee, made my oat meal, dropped some blueberries 113 00:07:13.839 --> 00:07:17.839 and bombed my oat meal with some blueberries. Lovely yum. 114 00:07:20.319 --> 00:07:24.680 And uh, just sat down and spent a little time 115 00:07:24.720 --> 00:07:29.439 with Tina and then sat down and and it was 116 00:07:29.560 --> 00:07:33.000 just great. We've got a backpacking trip coming up, which 117 00:07:33.040 --> 00:07:34.600 you know I should talk about on the other side 118 00:07:34.600 --> 00:07:36.800 of the break, not to not to drag it out. 119 00:07:37.000 --> 00:07:39.319 We're going up to a place where I have spent 120 00:07:39.480 --> 00:07:42.160 so much time in my life, and I will. I mean, 121 00:07:42.199 --> 00:07:45.160 it is my second home, the Eastern Sierra's. We're going up. 122 00:07:45.480 --> 00:07:49.759 We're actually taking our granddaughter Olivia, who was eight, on 123 00:07:49.839 --> 00:07:53.600 her very first she's been gone camping before, carneal car camping, 124 00:07:53.639 --> 00:07:57.319 but no, this is her very first overnight too, overnight 125 00:07:58.279 --> 00:08:00.879 full on backpacking. I mean, we're going to a place 126 00:08:01.040 --> 00:08:03.439 you cannot get to with a car. You've got to 127 00:08:03.480 --> 00:08:07.199 backpack it in and uh, and it's gonna be glory. 128 00:08:07.480 --> 00:08:08.879 I'll tell you a little bit more about it on 129 00:08:08.920 --> 00:08:09.759 the other side of the break. 130 00:08:09.959 --> 00:08:10.120 Yep. 131 00:08:11.000 --> 00:08:15.319 It's just no bathrooms, right, just tent camping, you know 132 00:08:15.360 --> 00:08:20.160 what I mean. Anyway, I live lots of memories that'll 133 00:08:20.199 --> 00:08:22.560 be great. Oh my gosh. And this is a gorgeous 134 00:08:22.600 --> 00:08:27.120 first hike for her. It is stunning, stunning. Anyway, I'll 135 00:08:27.120 --> 00:08:29.160 tell everybody about it a little on the other side 136 00:08:29.160 --> 00:08:31.399 of the break. Sitting across the table from me, my 137 00:08:31.519 --> 00:08:36.240 better half, my backpacking companion, my design partner, my best 138 00:08:36.279 --> 00:08:38.799 buddy in all the world, Tina is here. What's the 139 00:08:38.840 --> 00:08:42.799 plan today? You're smoking from chicken. There's your elephant. We 140 00:08:42.840 --> 00:08:46.120 saw a great elephant video this morning, baby elephant who 141 00:08:46.279 --> 00:08:49.559 was tried to charge a Safari van and slipped and 142 00:08:49.879 --> 00:08:54.720 rolled over onage. It's very cute. Today is Dodger Day. 143 00:08:54.919 --> 00:08:59.480 Today's Dodger Day. After the show is pitching one o'clock game. Yes, 144 00:08:59.720 --> 00:09:03.919 very show. Hey, starting again, yep, right, it's great. So 145 00:09:03.960 --> 00:09:07.039 we're gonna watch the game. You're smoking some chicken, some chicken. 146 00:09:07.080 --> 00:09:11.120 We're gonna go through our backpacking checklist. Yep. We might 147 00:09:11.159 --> 00:09:13.120 have to make a trip to Arii later, or we 148 00:09:13.159 --> 00:09:14.840 are gonna have to make a trip at some point 149 00:09:14.879 --> 00:09:18.240 to get to pick out our food, our freeze dried 150 00:09:18.480 --> 00:09:22.159 ad water food. It's gonna be great anyway. We're kind 151 00:09:22.159 --> 00:09:24.879 of in that groove, all right, everybody. Here's the thing, 152 00:09:25.159 --> 00:09:29.080 getting control of sound on your home other than telling 153 00:09:29.120 --> 00:09:32.320 you where I'm going backpacking. That's what we're talking about 154 00:09:32.360 --> 00:09:34.200 on the show today, and we will do it. 155 00:09:35.440 --> 00:09:38.720 You're listening to Home with Dean Sharp on demand from 156 00:09:38.840 --> 00:09:40.360 KFI AM six forty. 157 00:09:42.000 --> 00:09:44.720 Hey follow us on social media. It's just a suggestion. 158 00:09:44.840 --> 00:09:47.000 I'm not telling you you have to, but it's a suggestion. 159 00:09:47.159 --> 00:09:50.480 We're fun. We don't annoy you on social media, but 160 00:09:50.559 --> 00:09:52.279 that way you can keep up with little things that 161 00:09:52.360 --> 00:09:54.080 happen here and there. We haven't been doing a lot 162 00:09:54.120 --> 00:09:58.320 of it lately, I'm being honest with you. Life has 163 00:09:58.360 --> 00:10:01.679 been very busy, very busy, a lot of stuff going on, 164 00:10:01.879 --> 00:10:04.519 but it does happen, and when it happens, you don't 165 00:10:04.519 --> 00:10:08.600 want to miss it. We're on all the usual suspects, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, X, 166 00:10:08.919 --> 00:10:13.320 Home with Dean, same handle for them all. And also 167 00:10:13.879 --> 00:10:15.759 I say this from time to time if your home 168 00:10:15.840 --> 00:10:19.519 is in need of some personal house Whisperer Designed. Attention. 169 00:10:19.720 --> 00:10:23.399 Why because design matters most? Yes it does. You can 170 00:10:23.440 --> 00:10:26.519 book an in home design console, not with the not 171 00:10:26.639 --> 00:10:30.399 with some person from our firm. I'm talking about me 172 00:10:30.720 --> 00:10:33.759 and the tea showing up at your house staring at 173 00:10:33.759 --> 00:10:36.279 the problem with you. All you have to do is 174 00:10:36.519 --> 00:10:40.600 go to house Whisperer dot Design for more information on 175 00:10:40.639 --> 00:10:46.159 that house Whisperer dot Design. Okay, one more time. We've 176 00:10:46.200 --> 00:10:48.159 got the phone lines open. We're going to be going 177 00:10:48.200 --> 00:10:51.559 to the calls in a little while. Uh, eight three 178 00:10:51.799 --> 00:10:54.919 three two, ask Dean. Is the number to reach me? 179 00:10:55.039 --> 00:10:59.399 Eight three to three the numeral two, ask dean. Uh. 180 00:10:59.480 --> 00:11:03.679 And yes, we are going backpacking. We're very excited. We're 181 00:11:03.679 --> 00:11:06.039 going to a little a place, a little trail called 182 00:11:06.080 --> 00:11:10.159 Little Lakes Valley. It's in the eastern Sierra. The trailhead 183 00:11:10.519 --> 00:11:14.960 is about it's about halfway in between Bishop and Mammoth. 184 00:11:15.639 --> 00:11:20.480 And the trailhead starts at ten thousand feet. Oh yeah, yeah, No. 185 00:11:20.759 --> 00:11:24.039 When I go backpacking, I want to get some serious elevation. 186 00:11:24.159 --> 00:11:26.919 And we start at ten thousand feet we will end 187 00:11:27.000 --> 00:11:30.159 up a little over eleven thousand square feet and the 188 00:11:30.399 --> 00:11:34.240 entire path, the entire trail getting to where we're going 189 00:11:35.159 --> 00:11:39.360 square I said, square feet. Oh my gosh, I am adorable. 190 00:11:39.559 --> 00:11:42.759 I cannot even I can't even get get houses out 191 00:11:42.799 --> 00:11:46.559 of the brain. I can't square feet. No, eleven thousand 192 00:11:46.559 --> 00:11:51.879 feet in elevation above Zea level. Nothing. But I think 193 00:11:51.919 --> 00:11:54.600 there are seven if I counted right, there are seven 194 00:11:54.840 --> 00:11:59.240 pristine alpine lakes and meadows, just all of it. I mean, 195 00:11:59.279 --> 00:12:02.320 it is, Tina. You should post maybe we'll post a 196 00:12:02.360 --> 00:12:05.480 pick of just one of the shots so people can 197 00:12:05.519 --> 00:12:09.240 see the hellscape that we will have to endure to get. 198 00:12:09.759 --> 00:12:12.600 It is just it is literally my version of Evan, 199 00:12:13.120 --> 00:12:16.519 That's what it is. So yes, that was darcasm. Anyway, 200 00:12:17.120 --> 00:12:20.360 we're doing that, and we're very excited about that. It's 201 00:12:20.399 --> 00:12:22.200 going to be great. A little bit of fishing catch 202 00:12:22.200 --> 00:12:26.120 and release only. But those trout in those lakes have 203 00:12:26.279 --> 00:12:29.440 been under ice. It's just now thought out, so they've 204 00:12:29.480 --> 00:12:33.919 been under ice for months. So even an idiotic, unskilled 205 00:12:33.960 --> 00:12:37.919 fisherman like myself, you know, you have to work hard 206 00:12:38.039 --> 00:12:40.120 not to get a bite. They are so hungry to 207 00:12:40.240 --> 00:12:43.000 munch on anything. And Livy is going to have a blast. 208 00:12:43.240 --> 00:12:46.399 So anyway, yeah, that's what's coming up. And so I'm 209 00:12:46.399 --> 00:12:51.240 pretty jazzed about it. Okay, let's get control of sound 210 00:12:51.679 --> 00:12:57.679 in your home noise. Noise used to be a word 211 00:12:58.679 --> 00:13:03.879 like weed, weeds. And here I'll explain what I mean 212 00:13:03.919 --> 00:13:08.879 by that. Exactly what a weed is is entirely subjective. 213 00:13:08.919 --> 00:13:11.240 Did you know that people are always surprised Some people 214 00:13:11.279 --> 00:13:15.559 are surprised to hear this. Weed is not a scientific classification. 215 00:13:15.720 --> 00:13:18.679 There is no such thing in the world of botany 216 00:13:18.840 --> 00:13:23.159 as a weed. Okay. It is not a classification of plant. 217 00:13:23.679 --> 00:13:27.759 Any plant growing where a human doesn't want it to 218 00:13:27.879 --> 00:13:33.320 be is a weed. Okay. So weed is a subjective term. Right, 219 00:13:33.399 --> 00:13:36.159 So we talk about weeds in our yards, But when 220 00:13:36.159 --> 00:13:39.399 we look on the hillsides around us, in the open spaces, 221 00:13:39.799 --> 00:13:45.759 they're open grasslands, they're natural grasses. But in our yards, 222 00:13:46.480 --> 00:13:49.039 that's a weed coming right out of the middle of 223 00:13:49.039 --> 00:13:51.799 my lawn. So you understand what I'm saying. It's a 224 00:13:51.840 --> 00:13:57.759 subjective term. Weed is entirely a term, a subjective to 225 00:13:58.519 --> 00:14:02.960 human perspective of plants not showing up where we are, 226 00:14:03.159 --> 00:14:05.080 showing up where we don't want them to be. So 227 00:14:05.799 --> 00:14:09.279 that's weeds. And I said, noise used to be used 228 00:14:09.279 --> 00:14:13.639 to be a word like weeds. So until recently, fairly 229 00:14:13.679 --> 00:14:16.879 recently a couple you know, about a fifteen years or so, 230 00:14:17.639 --> 00:14:23.240 noise was also considered to be something solely defined by 231 00:14:23.279 --> 00:14:25.879 the ear of the beholder, right. And I've heard this 232 00:14:26.000 --> 00:14:28.919 my whole life. I've heard folks say, you know, I 233 00:14:29.159 --> 00:14:31.799 grew up in New York City and urban environment. I 234 00:14:31.840 --> 00:14:34.559 can't sleep without the sound of traffic in the background. 235 00:14:34.639 --> 00:14:36.879 I get that. I get some people just love it. 236 00:14:36.919 --> 00:14:38.840 And when Tina and I go to a place like 237 00:14:38.919 --> 00:14:43.559 Manhattan or Brooklyn, we love the sounds of the city. 238 00:14:45.000 --> 00:14:47.799 It's just energizing to be there, to be in it, 239 00:14:48.399 --> 00:14:50.679 and to be a part of it for a while, 240 00:14:51.200 --> 00:14:54.639 for a while. And so I understand that, but I 241 00:14:55.240 --> 00:14:59.480 want everybody to understand this too. The research continues, and 242 00:14:59.600 --> 00:15:04.919 now noise is no longer considered a subjective thing. It's 243 00:15:04.960 --> 00:15:08.720 not a it's not simply like weed, a sound that 244 00:15:08.799 --> 00:15:11.720 you don't want to hear at a certain time. Okay, 245 00:15:12.639 --> 00:15:16.399 Noise used to be considered you know, what's noise to 246 00:15:16.440 --> 00:15:18.960 one person may be music to another. But that is 247 00:15:19.080 --> 00:15:22.639 no longer the case. A growing body of research on 248 00:15:22.720 --> 00:15:26.320 the harmful effects of noise pollution on human health has 249 00:15:26.360 --> 00:15:30.320 actually led the American Public Health Association in twenty twenty one, 250 00:15:30.399 --> 00:15:34.799 i'd said these were recent changes to change the definition 251 00:15:34.919 --> 00:15:40.320 of noise from used to be unwanted sound that's entirely subjective. 252 00:15:40.799 --> 00:15:44.639 Now we haven't eliminated that part. It's unwanted and or 253 00:15:45.360 --> 00:15:50.039 harmful sound. And that's because our new understanding of noise 254 00:15:50.200 --> 00:15:56.000 also reaches far beyond loud sounds causing hearing damage. Chronic noise, 255 00:15:56.320 --> 00:16:01.799 even at very low levels, can cause psychological stress, sleep disruption. 256 00:16:02.519 --> 00:16:10.159 It contributes this is now proven to cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, 257 00:16:10.320 --> 00:16:20.480 metabolic disturbances, exacerbation of psychological disorders, and premature mortality. Premature death. 258 00:16:20.879 --> 00:16:25.120 Noise interferes with cognition and learning, and it contributes to 259 00:16:25.240 --> 00:16:32.480 behavior problems and reduces achievement and productivity in adults and children. Right, 260 00:16:33.399 --> 00:16:36.519 and so now we have a different perspective on noise. 261 00:16:36.879 --> 00:16:40.799 There is such a thing as noise, and noise is 262 00:16:41.600 --> 00:16:48.159 stress period physical psychological stress. And now the question is 263 00:16:49.000 --> 00:16:54.240 how do we fill our lives with sound but not noise. 264 00:16:54.840 --> 00:16:58.919 The idea of a noiseless place, it's been embedded in 265 00:16:58.960 --> 00:17:02.399 our vernacular. We know this. It's like we say Oh, 266 00:17:02.440 --> 00:17:03.919 I just want to live on a house on a 267 00:17:04.079 --> 00:17:07.720 quiet tree line street. There's only so much we can 268 00:17:07.759 --> 00:17:10.799 do to protect ourselves from noise pollution in public, but 269 00:17:10.880 --> 00:17:14.079 that need not be the case when we're at home. 270 00:17:14.200 --> 00:17:17.160 And so that is the basis of where we go 271 00:17:17.240 --> 00:17:19.240 from here, and we will continue. 272 00:17:19.759 --> 00:17:23.079 You're listening to Home with Dean Sharp on demand from 273 00:17:23.160 --> 00:17:24.680 KFI AM six forty. 274 00:17:26.519 --> 00:17:31.039 Dean Sharp, the house whisper here for you at your service. 275 00:17:31.359 --> 00:17:33.400 We're going to be going to the phones in just 276 00:17:33.440 --> 00:17:36.400 a couple of bits. So here's the number to reach me, 277 00:17:36.559 --> 00:17:40.599 eight three three two Ask Dean eight three three the 278 00:17:40.680 --> 00:17:45.279 numeral to ask Dean. Producer Matt Toffler standing by to 279 00:17:45.359 --> 00:17:47.319 take your call, tell you everything you need to do, 280 00:17:48.319 --> 00:17:51.359 and you can listen to the show while you are 281 00:17:51.440 --> 00:17:54.960 in the queue. All right, let's return to our conversation 282 00:17:55.000 --> 00:17:58.960 about getting control of sound now. I said, today's episode 283 00:17:59.000 --> 00:18:03.799 is not entitled sound proofing because getting control of sound 284 00:18:04.000 --> 00:18:10.200 is more than that, and it's also not ultimately soundproofing, 285 00:18:10.400 --> 00:18:15.240 but just changing the way that sound comes in and 286 00:18:15.319 --> 00:18:19.400 through our homes and our property. But nevertheless, we are 287 00:18:19.440 --> 00:18:23.799 going to start with techniques of soundproofing because if we 288 00:18:23.880 --> 00:18:27.079 want to lower noise pollution and the way that it 289 00:18:27.240 --> 00:18:29.720 enters our home. Then we've got to talk about techniques 290 00:18:29.759 --> 00:18:32.400 of soundproofing. First thing you need to know, the biggest, 291 00:18:32.440 --> 00:18:36.200 most important thing you need to know. Don't call me 292 00:18:36.400 --> 00:18:38.519 or email me and say, hey, Dean, what's the one 293 00:18:38.599 --> 00:18:40.519 thing I need to do to sound prove my house, 294 00:18:40.640 --> 00:18:44.400 because there is not one single thing that we can do. 295 00:18:44.519 --> 00:18:47.839 Maybe in the future, maybe maybe in the future, somebody 296 00:18:47.880 --> 00:18:50.599 will figure out the one thing that you can do, 297 00:18:51.319 --> 00:18:54.839 some new technology that doesn't currently exist. But the fact 298 00:18:54.880 --> 00:18:58.799 of the matter is right here in this early part 299 00:18:58.839 --> 00:19:03.119 of the twenty first century. Soundproofing is a layering game. 300 00:19:03.440 --> 00:19:07.799 It is a piece of layer after layer after layer, 301 00:19:07.960 --> 00:19:10.359 like you know, like peeling an onion. We've got to 302 00:19:10.400 --> 00:19:13.039 add this, that and the other thing in order to 303 00:19:13.119 --> 00:19:16.920 achieve soundproofing. I'll give you an example of the studio 304 00:19:17.000 --> 00:19:20.160 that I'm sitting in right now. The studio is first 305 00:19:20.200 --> 00:19:25.359 built out of double wall construction, two walls fully insulated 306 00:19:25.400 --> 00:19:28.640 with an air gap in between them, and then on 307 00:19:28.759 --> 00:19:31.599 top of that, there's a layer of one or two 308 00:19:31.680 --> 00:19:36.880 layers of sound sound reducing dry wall set on resilient 309 00:19:37.039 --> 00:19:41.640 channels to isolate the vibration as they come through. Even 310 00:19:41.680 --> 00:19:45.160 the glass itself as we look out from one area 311 00:19:45.160 --> 00:19:48.519 of the studio to the next, is double paned, double 312 00:19:48.759 --> 00:19:51.920 layered glass, and so on and so forth, and so 313 00:19:51.960 --> 00:19:55.640 you see, it's a layering effect in order to achieve soundproofing. 314 00:19:55.880 --> 00:20:00.880 And again sound proofing not exactly what we're after. Sound reduction, 315 00:20:01.119 --> 00:20:06.759 noise reduction more specifically, so first step insulation. Of course, 316 00:20:07.200 --> 00:20:10.640 there's no better way to take the first hit out 317 00:20:10.680 --> 00:20:13.559 of sound that's entering your home than to look at 318 00:20:13.559 --> 00:20:16.079 the envelope of your home. And by envelope I mean 319 00:20:16.279 --> 00:20:20.640 the roofline and the exterior walls, and that includes windows 320 00:20:20.640 --> 00:20:27.839 and doors. We want insulating to be our first I 321 00:20:27.839 --> 00:20:32.680 guess layer of attack, okay, or first layer of defense. Insulation. 322 00:20:33.400 --> 00:20:38.200 Insulation is essentially, in terms of sound, about putting levels 323 00:20:38.200 --> 00:20:46.000 of mass, mass, just stuff, thickness of stuff that inhibit 324 00:20:46.960 --> 00:20:51.000 an energy wave passing through them. And let's be real clear, 325 00:20:51.680 --> 00:20:57.319 this is an energy game. Sound is energy. It's energy 326 00:20:57.359 --> 00:21:00.559 that's moving through a medium. It moves through through air, 327 00:21:00.720 --> 00:21:03.160 it moves through the air around us. It is an 328 00:21:03.359 --> 00:21:06.920 energy wave. And the best way to imagine it when 329 00:21:06.960 --> 00:21:09.839 I say wave, is like waves that you see on 330 00:21:09.920 --> 00:21:12.880 the ocean, or better yet, maybe waves that you see 331 00:21:13.039 --> 00:21:16.119 on a you know, on a lake. When you throw 332 00:21:16.240 --> 00:21:19.319 a rock into a lake and you see those rings 333 00:21:19.599 --> 00:21:24.119 of waveform around the rock, that is very, very much 334 00:21:24.319 --> 00:21:28.039 indicative of how sound travels through the air. Of course, 335 00:21:28.079 --> 00:21:30.440 it's invisible when it travels through the air. We don't 336 00:21:30.480 --> 00:21:35.119 see the air rippling around us, but it is nevertheless 337 00:21:35.160 --> 00:21:40.279 what's happening. That's energy traveling through a medium. Okay, So 338 00:21:41.039 --> 00:21:46.200 insulation is about taking mass and forcing that energy to 339 00:21:46.359 --> 00:21:50.920 pass through mass, and as it does, it's weakened. Some 340 00:21:51.000 --> 00:21:54.319 of it is dampened, some of it is absorbed, some 341 00:21:54.359 --> 00:21:59.440 of it is deflected and diffused. And so the more 342 00:21:59.480 --> 00:22:03.039 insulation the better. When it comes to insulation in the 343 00:22:03.039 --> 00:22:05.759 outside walls of your house, if you are doing a 344 00:22:05.799 --> 00:22:08.759 major remodel or you're deciding to upgrade or change, I'll 345 00:22:08.799 --> 00:22:12.640 tell you right now, old fiberglass insulation is not the 346 00:22:12.680 --> 00:22:16.680 best or sound proofing a house. Now. Having it there 347 00:22:16.880 --> 00:22:20.759 as opposed to hollow walls way way better than nothing. 348 00:22:21.200 --> 00:22:25.160 But if we are talking about optimal, we want more mass. 349 00:22:25.240 --> 00:22:28.160 We want thicker insulation, and I don't mean thicker in 350 00:22:28.240 --> 00:22:31.839 terms of depth. I just mean more dense, more density 351 00:22:31.880 --> 00:22:36.240 of insulation. So optimal right now would be either open 352 00:22:36.359 --> 00:22:39.799 cell foam that gets sprayed on. That's something that a 353 00:22:39.839 --> 00:22:43.000 lot of people don't have in their budget to pay for, 354 00:22:43.400 --> 00:22:47.960 or as far as putting bats in outside exterior walls. 355 00:22:48.000 --> 00:22:52.079 In between the studs bat insulation, we recommend it always 356 00:22:52.160 --> 00:22:55.880 go for either mineral wool or some form of denim. 357 00:22:55.960 --> 00:22:59.400 But on exterior walls, I usually do mineral wool. And yes, 358 00:22:59.759 --> 00:23:03.519 by fiberglass insulation can have the same r value as 359 00:23:03.599 --> 00:23:08.880 far as heat and cold energy thermal energy, but mineral 360 00:23:08.920 --> 00:23:11.839 wool is so much more dense in its structure it 361 00:23:12.000 --> 00:23:17.519 always has a better sound energy insulating value. So mineral 362 00:23:17.720 --> 00:23:20.160 wool what used to be called rock wool, I think 363 00:23:20.160 --> 00:23:23.240 it's still I don't know if they've changed their name 364 00:23:23.319 --> 00:23:28.119 from rozel to rock wool or from rock wool to roxel. Anyway, 365 00:23:28.240 --> 00:23:31.480 we're looking for mineral wool insulation. The other nice thing 366 00:23:31.480 --> 00:23:35.759 about mineral wool insulation is that it's better in terms 367 00:23:36.119 --> 00:23:39.359 than fiberglass in terms of pests, it's better in terms 368 00:23:39.400 --> 00:23:44.279 of moisture. It's just better insulation in my opinion, So 369 00:23:44.720 --> 00:23:48.160 mineral wool in the walls or denim shredded denim insulation 370 00:23:48.440 --> 00:23:52.960 excellent for sound control, and definitely denim is an option 371 00:23:53.240 --> 00:23:56.160 inside the house internal walls. And that's the other thing 372 00:23:56.160 --> 00:23:58.160 that I want to say and stress to you when 373 00:23:58.200 --> 00:24:02.480 it comes to insulating a house. There's only so much, 374 00:24:02.559 --> 00:24:05.480 like I said, that you can do to insulate from 375 00:24:05.599 --> 00:24:09.039 sound the exterior walls, right, And of course there are 376 00:24:09.119 --> 00:24:13.039 rooms in your home, important rooms that have a an 377 00:24:13.079 --> 00:24:16.440 exposure to an exterior wall, but the rest of the 378 00:24:16.599 --> 00:24:19.960 sound that's happening inside your house has to travel through 379 00:24:20.119 --> 00:24:23.759 interior walls to get to that room. And so I 380 00:24:24.039 --> 00:24:28.480 always recommend it's just a few dollars more, honestly, just 381 00:24:28.680 --> 00:24:31.160 and I'm not exaggerating, it's just a few dollars more 382 00:24:31.279 --> 00:24:34.400 in your remodeling budget. Any new wall that you build 383 00:24:34.440 --> 00:24:39.079 inside your house, interior wall, any new wall insulated with 384 00:24:39.720 --> 00:24:44.119 don't worry about thermal insulation, insulated with sound rated insulation. 385 00:24:44.359 --> 00:24:48.200 And the makers of mineral wool insulation not only make 386 00:24:48.240 --> 00:24:51.279 the thermal insulation for the exterior envelope, but they make 387 00:24:51.799 --> 00:24:54.519 well I'm thinking of like safe and sound that's literally 388 00:24:54.559 --> 00:24:57.880 a brand name of mineral wool insulation. It doesn't have 389 00:24:58.119 --> 00:25:01.400 a They don't worry about it being highest rated thermal 390 00:25:01.480 --> 00:25:05.799 insulation because it's for interior walls, but it has fantastic 391 00:25:06.640 --> 00:25:12.079 sound insulation qualities for interior walls, because if sound had 392 00:25:12.119 --> 00:25:14.839 in the smaller the home, the more important this is. 393 00:25:14.880 --> 00:25:16.880 And I'll tell you I live in a small home. 394 00:25:17.160 --> 00:25:19.200 So the fact that when I'm back in my bedroom 395 00:25:19.279 --> 00:25:22.440 and the reality is my living room, my family room, 396 00:25:22.480 --> 00:25:26.079 where the party could be happening, is is literally, as 397 00:25:26.119 --> 00:25:29.279 the crow flies, you know, less than fifty feet away 398 00:25:29.680 --> 00:25:35.119 from from you know, the primary suite. The fact of 399 00:25:35.160 --> 00:25:40.559 the matter is that every wall in between my bedroom 400 00:25:40.759 --> 00:25:46.079 and the family room has interior insulation in it. And 401 00:25:46.319 --> 00:25:48.200