The problem with loud kennels and animal shelters
Most kennels are large, empty cement buildings made of up of a series of smaller cinderblock cells filled with excitable and stressed out dogs. Until you stop in for a visit, folks have no idea how much noise a highly reflective space like this can generate unless you work in one. The sound pressure levels in kennel environments can be anywhere between 100dB and 118dB and it is well documented that sustained exposure to excessive sound pressure has a profound physiological and psychological effect on all dogs. The problem, in addition to the incessant barking, is the fact that this environment is also adverse to spoken-word intelligibility: Noise ping-pongs back and forth between the parallel hard surfaces in the space, making coherent speech nearly impossible. There is no denying that this type of environment is certainly not conducive to the dogs’ well-being or the comfort of the dog handlers in the building. Add the cacophony of the barking dogs escaping into the nearby residential neighborhood, the laws governing exposure to loud noise levels in the workplace and the business owner has a very real problem to deal with. Not good for the employees and not good for the dogs.
How can Primacoustic help you?
In a very animated space such as a dog kennel the hard, reflective, parallel walls create a very loud unpleasant environment with excessive reverb and echo which in turn, makes communication difficult if not impossible. The solution is abating the excessive noise in the room using Broadway™ absorptive acoustic panels. Primacoustic wall-mounted Broadway panels are made from high density 6lb per cubic foot glass wool for exceptional sound absorption and each panel is covered in a rugged polyester tweed that can easily be vacuumed for cleaning. In these environments, acoustical coverage should be between 15% to 20% with 2″ thick Broadway panels being dispersed evenly around the room at eye level – out of harms way. Mounting is done using Impalers™ is as easy to put up as hanging a picture on a wall. Once in place, you will immediately notice a significant reduction in the noise level and a general calming. This not only has a positive effect on the dogs, but will also improve the work environment for the staff. Broadway panels are an inexpensive and easy solution to tame the acoustics in any room.
Executive Summary
- Greatly reduces noise levels and lowers stress
- The dogs are calmer and therefore bark less
- Eliminates the need for the employees to shout
- Reduces staff fatigue and improves communication
- Brings sound pressure levels under legal requirements