Sound Blocking

Sound blocking, soundproofing, sound transmission control & noise barrier terms are synonymous. They all refer to the act of stopping noise. Essentially it's a noise barrier which combines mass, flexibility and limpness to block noise from transmitting from one area to another. Flexible mass-loaded vinyl sheeting has replaced thin lead sheets as the noise barrier of choice. Noise Barriers are rated by a "STC" number - Sound Transmission Classification. The HIGHER the STC rating**, the more EFFICIENT the product is at blocking noise.

**STC Sound Transmission Class : Single-number rating of airborne sound insulation of a partition, derived by fitting a reference rating curve to the sound transmission loss values measured for the 16 contiguous 1/3 octave frequency bands with nominal mid-band frequencies of 125 Hz to 4000 Hz inclusive, by a standard method. The standard method typically used is ASTM Standard E90. This test is valid for single homogenous layers, multiple layers, or complete assemblies. A higher STC rating typically represents a better ability to stop noise, frequency notwithstanding.