Keene Building Products manufactures 3-dimensional products for noise control. These products work in construction projects such as multi-family apartments and condominiums to dramatically reduce impact and airborne noise.
Quiet Qurl® products have been installed in every part of North America. This innovative PRODUCT LINE offers solutions in different thicknesses for code-driven performance needs. Quiet Qurl® systems are available from 0.25” to 0.75” with options, including:
- moisture control fabric top (MC)
- a new reinforced fiberglass separation layer for thin pours (RF)
- a new muffling technology enhancement, MT option for high performance in a quarter inch
All are designed for use with underlayments such as gypsum concrete and lightweight concrete.
The latest trend in sound control and underlayment is in two directions – thin and code-compliant, and high performance in the thinnest application. That has always meant products a quarter inch thick in wood frame applications where the typical installation includes a thick gypsum concrete underlayment for fire purposes. In this case, the economics are driving systems to the thinnest possible configuration. Today, for code compliance, underlayment and sound mat systems, are typically 1.25”. The new systems move the total thickness to below an inch. With today’s products, the system is a 3 mm sound mat made from entangled net to limit touching and air pressure, and a 0.75” underlayment. Thin and still a win.
Once again, thin is important in a high-performance system, so the new systems in sound control and underlayment incorporate a 0.25” composite mat and a 1.0” gypsum underlayment. The high-performance system in this case performs at the same level as the “luxury” systems that were 2.25” in total – high performance in the standard 1.25” overall dimension.
Since the national specification for multi-family adopted an impact
noise control standard, many differing products have been
introduced. An economical system with code performance in
all finishes has not been available in an overall one-inch system.
KEENE developed the
RF product line to reinforce the gypsum concrete in
less-than-one-inch applications. This fiberglass fabric and scrim
combination separation layer increases the tensile strength of the
gypsum concrete by up to 20%, allowing for a thinner pour. KEENE
provides tested systems with a 0.75” gypsum thickness for use with the
same Quiet Qurl® 55/025 that has been installed since 2002.
Additionally, KEENE has created a new sound mat, Quiet Qurl® 52/013, that
achieves code with a 0.125” mat and is designed to be used with 0.75”
gypsum concrete pour.
Since mats have become popular, thicker materials were specified in order to improve performance. Finally, KEENE introduced a breakthrough
product that performs at “LUXURY” levels in a 0.25” thickness. The key
to the product performance is the creation of a diffusion layer in the
proprietary MT fabric.
Vibration transfers through a floor assembly in a similar manner to
insulation through conduction and convection. Consequently, the
quantity of touching or amount of void between the subfloor and the
finish is one indicator of how a product will perform. Secondarily, when
there is void space the air pressure buildup efficiently transfers the
vibration wave, especially at the low frequencies. Through diffusion
of air, the path is circuitous or muffled. KEENE calls this
MT for
Muffling Technology Enhancement.
Ceiling isolation is as important to noise control as the floor isolation system. Unfortunately, the bottom side remains a weak link. Acousticians and architects design ceiling systems properly, but many problems occur during installation.
The ACOUSTICAL ASSURANCE™ product line addresses all of the common installation problems above. RC Assurance™ and Space Assurance™ are cost-effective products that take the difficulty out of ceiling isolation.
RC Assurance™ positions the resilient channel properly and prevents short-circuiting.
Space Assurance™ proactively creates the space required around the perimeter of the ceiling/wall interface while eliminating the need for caulk.
To Try out Keene's floor / ceiling performance calculator CLICK HERE!