pmcd Posted July 1, 2018 Share Posted July 1, 2018 We operate in a village hall with a raised wooden floorboard stage over a seven foot storage area. The acoustics in the hall are good but this means that clumpy shoes make a hell of a racket. We use carpeting sometimes but that's not usually appropriate.Someone in the group mentioned sound deadening paint as a possible solution. There are products on the web but they all appear to be for walls. Has anyone any experience of such a paint used on a stage floor or could make other recommendations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timsabre Posted July 1, 2018 Share Posted July 1, 2018 Sound deadening paint eh? Sounds magical. Personally I'd try putting rockwool batts between the stage joists, pressed up against the underside of the stage, if you can access the underside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerry davies Posted July 1, 2018 Share Posted July 1, 2018 Never used it but their own product info says it won't work on LF sound such as you are experiencing. My only suggestion is; Go Asda, buy daps. You are effectively dancing on a drumhead so if you cannot dampen the surface with carpet/underlay them muffling the "beaters" is your only option before rebuild. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy_s Posted July 1, 2018 Share Posted July 1, 2018 you can go to a proper cobblers and have rubbers fixed to the soles of shoes which reduces the noise a bit, but a) this is not cheap and b) I'd assume your performers are often wearing their own shoes and you would meet some resistance. Go with Tim's suggestion of padding the underside, if you can get to it..personally I would use felt underlay rather than rock wool, but that would work as well, I'm sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted July 2, 2018 Share Posted July 2, 2018 In sound transmission problems, the usual cure requires mass. Could you put barrier matt on the top surface then a layer of new floor - 18mm ply or similar? I'm guessing the current top surface is some lightweight material? Trouble is, of course, a layer of ply is very heavy, so the construction of the floor supports would need to be substantial too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy_s Posted July 2, 2018 Share Posted July 2, 2018 I'm basing my suggestion on what Steeldeck do to their decks. This will not eradicate all noise of footfall, but will be reasonably effective at a reasonable cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timsabre Posted July 2, 2018 Share Posted July 2, 2018 I'm basing my suggestion on what Steeldeck do to their decks. This will not eradicate all noise of footfall, but will be reasonably effective at a reasonable cost. Steeldeck use the thick felt because rockwool would be a bit impractical... but the rockwool batts would do better, if it's possible to get them in (these are the solid blocks, not the fluffy rolled stuff). The solution requires dampening vibrations, more than preventing sound transmission. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Lewis Posted July 2, 2018 Share Posted July 2, 2018 Deadening might involve tricks such as adding a semi viscous layer (like bitumous felt/panel) but rockwool is a good starting point.From the description, it seems the room might be a little reverberant as well? It wouldn't hurt to tame that if possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niclights Posted July 2, 2018 Share Posted July 2, 2018 My immediate thought was to glue carpet tiles with bitumen backing onto the underside. I have found these to be very useful for reducing reflections and transmission. Obviously whatever you do it is important to ensure any necessary regulations are complied with, particularly fire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pmcd Posted July 2, 2018 Author Share Posted July 2, 2018 Well thanks guys. I will look at these carefully. The idea of deadening from below the stage surface hadn't occurred to me at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted July 2, 2018 Share Posted July 2, 2018 You can buy self-adhesive sound deadening panels meant for cars and vans. Comes in sheets about A3 sized and easy to cut and apply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ImagineerTom Posted July 2, 2018 Share Posted July 2, 2018 really really big emphasis here on checking the fire rating of anything you apply under the stage and checking PRECISELY what regs apply to your venue. There's lots of great acoustic dampening materials that do not have the right fire rating and because you are installing them in a hidden/unobserved place you need to make sure (rather than just guessing) that you are using the right grade for the job otherwise you risk turning minor incidents into major fires and personal prosecution. Don't let that put you off the project but do spend a few extra mins making sure that you are doing it right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunray Posted July 2, 2018 Share Posted July 2, 2018 We had this problem many years ago and the initial suggestion was to apply a soft layer then 3/4" chipboard.Unfortunately the building was listed and the idea was not approved, in the end the space between the joists (just under 12") was filled with 3 layers of 2" polystyrene sheet and a 'ceiling' of T&G floorboards compressed it. It made a huge difference. Of course these materials would be totally unacceptable now. It was further improved by the addition of a supporting wall running L/R. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim McCulloch Posted July 9, 2018 Share Posted July 9, 2018 I think there are 2 issues at play - the tympanic action of the stage floor over the storage area (excitation), and that the storage are is an enclosed acoustic resonator. Aside from the normal sound of foot falls on the stage deck, the resonant cavity will 'amplify' the frequencies related to the physical dimensions of the cavity. Consider it to be like a drum. If you change the size of the cavity, the frequencies will change... If you are able to attenuate the excitation of the resonant cavity... You will change the sound of that area of the stage. It may require both treatments. It may be prudent to hire an acoustician and/or architect to specify materials, methods and manners of work and to secure relevant permits, inspections, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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