What Are Polyurea Noise Barriers?
Polyurea noise barriers do what they say on the tin. They’re used to create a soundproofing and sound dampening (more on their differences later) barrier on the surface of roofs, decks, foundations, and other structures that are prone to transmitting low or high frequency vibrations. They’ve recently become a popular option for the sound treatment of both homes and businesses, and offer more effective and comprehensive noise reduction compared to more modular solutions like acoustic paneling. Their rise in prominence is likely attributed to polyurea becoming a more mature market within the paints and coatings industry, now established as a premier material technology with high-performance and versatility engineered into every formulation. Moreover, for increasingly dense urban environments, noise reduction is on everyone’s mind, and is only expected to become a bigger problem with time. Thus, polyurea noise barriers, or the application of polyurea to building elements for sound treating rooms or entire buildings, are now among the most popular types of noise reduction methods for busy offices, work-from-homers, or anyone simply looking for some peace and quiet.
How Do Polyurea Noise Barriers Work?
What we typically refer to simply as noise, is actually composed of sound waves propagating through space. This means that vibrations travel through the air with a specific energy, similar to electromagnetic radiation, or light, of course with some key differences. The energy of a sound wave can be expressed in terms of its frequency, which is a measurement of how close each wave is to one another. Waves that are closer together are considered to have a higher energy and a lower frequency, while when waves are farther apart, they’re said to have lower energy and a greater frequency. Higher frequency sounds like the human voice are easier to account for, while lower frequency sounds are harder to stop because of their longer wavelengths. These longer wavelengths, or increased distance between two successive waves, cause low frequency vibrations to travel further through materials and vibrate structures more easily, all while losing less energy when passing through solid objects. Polyurea noise barriers fundamentally work the same way as other noise barriers; they prevent the transmission of sound waves, both of low and high frequency, through structural materials by absorbing sound before they can even enter underlying materials. The efficacy depends on the source of the noise, the type of polyurea, the quality of the application, and the thickness of the installation, but with proper pre-treatment preparation and an expert coatings team, polyurea noise barriers can offer a robust solution for sound treatment paired with structural reinforcement and other benefits to the rest of your space.
Soundproofing or Sound Dampening?
There’s a lot of confusion around these two terms, so now seems like the best way to shed some light on their differences! Soundproofing and sound dampening are often used interchangeably, but they actually serve two different purposes. Soundproofing refers to the prevention of sound from entering or exiting a space, whereas sound dampening is aimed at reducing the amount of noise permeating within a space. Polyurea offers both soundproofing as well as sound dampening capabilities, with an emphasis on the former. Sound dampening can be readily achieved with solutions like the aforementioned acoustic panels, but soundproofing typically requires structural modifications rather than a simple plug and play solution. While maybe a seemingly unimportant distinction, for audiophiles or working professionals in need of control over their sound and an overall reduction in unwanted noise, the combined capabilities of polyurea noise barriers make it one of the highest performing options for powerful sound treatment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the cons of polyurea?
All in all polyurea is a powerful coating technology with many advantages and few drawbacks. However, some of these advantages can serve as major disadvantages for some applications. Namely, polyurea’s rapid curing time means a smaller window of workability, leaving little room for error and lower quality adhesion compared to longer curing coatings like polyaspartic.
Is polyurea harmful to humans?
Polyurea is known as both a safer and more sustainable coating technology, but this is true only after its finished curing. Precursor materials used to produce polyurea on-site are themselves very hazardous, making their application dangerous and requiring the use of personal protective equipment like respirators, gloves, and coveralls.
Can you apply polyurea noise barriers yourself?
In principle, yes, polyurea noise barriers can be applied by private persons. However, the process involves procurement and exposure to harmful substances like isocyanates, and requires professional training with technical instrumentation like high-pressure spray equipment. Installing polyurea coatings systems of any kind should thus only be performed by certified applicators.
In Summary
Polyurea noise barriers and a safe and effective means of sound treating your home or business. They can absorb both low and high frequency vibrations, and serve as a powerful soundproofing solution with sound dampening capabilities to boot. Noise barriers are just one of the many useful and interesting ways polyurea can be applied to protect our world, and if you want to learn more, consider checking out some of our other posts!
