Reducing Background Noise on a Balcony

How to reduce traffic noise on a balcony
Sound problems on a balcony mainly consists of traffic noise and background noise that reflects from the balcony ceiling, and getting amplified and becomes audible indoors. The subsequent nuisance is makes it virtually impossible to open your balcony door or to sit outside.

Not everyone suffers from noise on the balcony. These sounds, coming from passing traffic or a school close by, are more frequent and louder on certain floors than on others. Solving the problem by using this step-by-step plan will accordingly have different results in different situations. But the solution to the problem is relatively simple: installing absorption material against the balcony ceiling. In cooperation with a client we arrived at the solution mentioned below. The picture and the reaction arise from practice.

Which products or most suitable?
In order to reduce traffic noise on the balcony – another term would be ‘to absorb’ – you should equip the surface of the balcony ceiling with Akotherm SF. This product is made from skin-friendly polyester wool and contains fire- and moisture-proof properties. This product is very durable and of course it has good absorption values. With the use of Stauf Extreme Tack you can easily glue the Akotherm panels to virtually any substrate. By placing a protective profile along the long side of the balcony ceiling, you can protect the material against rain, dirt, and wind. In principle, Akotherm SF resists moisture, but it shouldn’t get soaked, since it would absorb both moisture and dirt.

Step-by-step plan for installing Akotherm SF to reduce noise on the balcony
In order to carry out this job you will need the following products:

• Akotherm SF
  Sound absorption panels for the balcony ceiling
• Stauf Extreme Tack
  With one little bucket Stauf glue you can install approximately 3 m² of Akotherm.

To be purchased elsewhere: a plastic U-profile 2-4-2 in order to protect the outer edge(s) of the Akotherm SF plates. Some string in order to install the Akotherm panels in a straight line. Sealant to install the protective U-shaped plastic profiles. Glue spreader to apply the Stauf glue.

• Step 1: Cleaning
  Make sure that the balcony ceiling is clean in order for the adhesive to adhere well. The substrate has to be dry and dust free.
  
  
• Step 2: Preparatory work
  Install a U-profile (see pictures) or a wooden lath at the outer edges of the balcony ceiling. This protects the edges of the Akotherm against the weather conditions.
  
  
• Step 3: Mounting the Akotherm plates
  In order to mount Akotherm you should use Stauf adhesive. You can apply this using our glue spreader to the plates or the substrate, whatever works best for you. Apply a layer of about 2 mm and press the plate against the substrate. If you used enough adhesive the plate will keep hanging and render timbering unnecessary. The first plate should be installed at the outside of the ceiling in such a way that it joins the U-profile or connects with the lath that is supposed to protect the edges.

Reaction from a customer
We love to hear from our customers. In the case we also received photographs and an email from our valued customer:

“The result isn’t spectacular, but when I sit on the balcony I clearly notice a difference, which met my expectation. Interestingly enough, the amount of noise that enters the room when my outside door is opened was greatly reduced.
The outer edge is being protected against weather conditions because of the U-profile. I attached this profile asymmetrically to the Akotherm plate prior to installing the whole thing, and gave it 24 hours to harden. Since our flat has an overhang of 30cm per floor I didn’t dare to install the material up until the edge of the ceiling. Thank you very much for the qualitative advice” .

Questions?
Do you have questions concerning this topic? Please feel free to contact us, we will be happy to answer your question as soon as possible. Via our contact form you can also request a product sample of Akotherm SF.