Performance Statement: Compared to a typical wood-framed wall, at least 50% less sound is perceptible through a Pinkform Xtra^TM wall. For a typical wood-framed wall, loud speech on the exterior would be heard by a listener on the interior of the house. Whereas, loud speech on the exterior of a Pinkform Xtra^TM wall, would be virtually inaudible to a listener on the interior, excluding the effect of windows (see the Hearing Condition Chart below).

What Does This Mean For You? You'll enjoy greater peace and quiet in your home because you'll be much better shielded from outside noises such as those from traffic, severe weather, planes, lawnmowers, and more.

Explanation: Acoustic performance is measured by three primary criteria: STC (Sound Transmission Class) which measures sound pass through, AC (Absorption Coefficient) which measures sound absorption/reflection, and IIC (Impact Isolation Class) which measures sound dampening performance of floor-ceiling assemblies. The primary measure for sound reduction performance of an exterior wall is STC. A 2X4 wood-framed wall with interior gypsum, insulation, and vinyl siding has an STC of 37; whereas a 4" Pinkform Xtra^TM wall with interior gypsum and vinyl siding has an approximate STC of at least 47 (up to 53 for a 8" wall). An increase of 10 STC is equivalent to a 50% reduction in perceived sound volume.

   Wall Assembly STC                     Hearing Condition*
            25                Normal speech understood
            30                Loud speech fairly understandable, normal
                                    speech heard but not understandable
            35                Loud speech heard but not understandable,
                                    normal speech faintly heard if at all
          42-45               Loud speech faintly heard, normal speech
                                    inaudible
          46-50               Very loud sound heard faintly if at all
  * assuming a background NC-25

Source: Mechanical and Electrical Equipment for Buildings; 8th Edition,
John Wiley & Sons Inc.; Benjamin Stein and John S. Reynolds

The composite sound performance of an overall wall, however, depends on the number and placement of windows, with a typical STC of 25 to 30.

VanderWerf, Feige, Chammas, and Lemay, Insulating Concrete Forms for Residential Design and Construction. McGraw Hill. 1997

PCA, Acoustics of Concrete in Buildings, Concrete Information, IS159.02T

Owens Corning, Noise Control Design Guide, Pub# 5-BL-21971, September 1997.

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