TAMPA, Fla. - A large athletic club in New York contacted Thomas Stone of MS Platinum Construction about a noise problem at their paddleball courts in late fall 2015. Nearby homes were concerned about the noise and the athletic club wanted to be a good a neighbor and take care of the issue quickly. Tom contacted Acoustiblok Inc., a NASA Spinoff listed company, about the problem and working with a consultant came up with a practical solution using Acoustifence that reduced noise and fit into the look of the courts. 

Initially, Tom consulted with an acoustic engineer about the project who recommended he contact Acoustiblok about the problem. Jay Boland, an experienced Acoustiblok consultant helped Tom with the right materials and correct installation of the product to ensure success. Tom was then able to fabricate court panels for maximum sound absorption. 

Acoustifence was incorporated into the 11 ft. tall x 5 ft. wide frames and the same heavy gauge wire fencing was used to provide the same surface as the untreated areas to keep with the court’s look. Only the sides of the enclosure facing the neighboring houses were treated. 

Acoustifence was placed inside the frames as well as between the frames. The paddle court doors facing the residential homes were also treated with Acoustifence (See photos). The final plans required three paddle courts to be treated with Acoustifence. A total of twelve panels were constructed and installed.

The project took about three weeks for Tom and a small crew of workers to complete. “The client is very happy with the results and they haven’t received any complaints since the installation. I would recommend Acoustifence and Acoustiblok’s staff to any club or organization with a noise problem,” Tom said.

About Acoustifence

Unlike a concrete block wall, Acoustifence actually flexes with certain frequencies especially very low frequencies. In the process of sound waves physically moving it, the product transforms sound wave energy into inaudible internal friction energy. 

Acoustifence is only 1/8 of an inch thick making it is easy to position, to work with and place close to the noise source. This is important because the closer a sound barrier is to the noise source the more restricting it becomes to the initial sound waves. Acoustifence is also reasonably priced making it a natural first choice when confronting outdoor noise. 

Considered green and environmentally friendly, the barium-free Acoustifence is 100% recyclable, does not contain lead, fiberglass or asbestos, and is UV-resistant, impervious to water and mold. Dirt, grime, and graffiti, can also easily be removed compared to other surfaces (i.e., sound blankets). Used extensively by the US Army Corps of Engineers, Acoustifence has proven success in many demanding applications.

“Acoustifence is a very versatile product. Not only can it be used in many types of applications, but it’s flexible, and can easily be cut and attached to many types of fencing. In this case, it was incorporated into aluminum frames, as well as between frames and installed in doors for a continuous sound barrier that blends nicely into the club’s design. 

“Acoustifence has the qualities many athletic clubs, outdoor recreational areas and sports facilities are looking for in a modern outdoor acoustical sound barrier fence. They want an attractive economical solution that can be installed quickly and easily. Acoustifence has those qualities and the sound transmission loss (STL) performance needed to do the job. It’s also made and sourced in the USA,” said Lahnie Johnson, president and founder of Acoustiblok, Inc.

Other Applications for Acoustifence 

Acoustifence has proven performance in diverse outdoor noise applications from highway environments, high speed rail environments, construction sites, ecological/environmental sites, offshore oil rigs, residential homes to waste-to-energy plants. It can accommodate any height fence or structure by simply overlapping the sections. 

Acoustiblok, Inc. also has available high quality landscape attachments which fit directly over the Acoustifence to provide a realistic landscape appearance. These are actual UV resistant HD photos printed on 30’ x 6’ PVC sections. A variety of landscape attachments are available to choose from, including floral gardens, green meadows, English garden walls, and other scenic illustrations to blend into any natural backdrop or enhance an unfinished yard or property.