More often than I would like, I get a pair of phone calls. The first one is to inquire on the best way to build a wall to isolate condominiums or hotel rooms from one another, and the second one, a few months later, is to inquire on the cheapest way to fix the inadequate walls that were put up. To paraphrase Jack Bergman, “There is never enough money to build a wall right the first time but there are always complaints to do it over.”
Those responsible for having made the construction decisions are quick to point out that the walls are built to “code.” This is a predictable legalistic defense of the individual but I doubt if his company’s mission statement reads, “If it’s good enough to pass code, then it’s good enough for the customer.” More likely, the mission statement of the company is based on “customer satisfaction.” Anyway, building codes deal with fire, structural, electrical and plumbing ratings, and little or nothing on sound isolation.