Several months ago, we pointed out a project that green home remodeling expert Matt Risinger highlighted on his blog. The owners of a 1940’s original home, as part of their high performance green remodel, wanted to address the unwanted noise between kids’ bathrooms, the master bedroom, and laundry rooms. The use of QuietRock for soundproofing walls does the trick, as Matt captures in this video.

Let’s reiterate what creating quieter rooms has to do with saving energy and “green building”. There are a few reasons quiet and sustainability go hand-in-hand:

• In this homeowner’s case, using one 5/8 inch piece of drywall is equivalent (acoustically) to using 6 sheets of regular gypsum drywall. The third largest greenhouse gas producer in building materials is the manufacturing of gypsum drywall, a process that was invented more than 100 years ago. The ability to do more with less means less materials, less waste, less energy, and less embodied energy of your home. You can also gain floorspace in your projects with QuietRock compared to older soundproofing methods.
• One of the best moves a person can make to have a major impact on the environment is to live in urban settings or denser communities - to cut down on our daily, personal carbon footprints. If everyone in the US lived in this way, we could cut carbon emissions by 1B metric tons or more. That is about what Italy and the UK generate as a whole combined. But today, the number one reason why people continue to aspire to the cul-de-sac and white picket fence suburban living is because of NOISE. We can build to take this concern off the table, and save energy, save money, and enjoy quiet, sustainable spaces.

Thanks, Matt, for sharing your experiences and green building tips! Matt’s blog is a fantastic resource for professionals and consumers who want to get an in depth look and education in building to save energy, save money, and simply, live smarter and more comfortably. Check it out.

THX is the most well-known company name when it comes to sound. Everyone recognizes that silver logo that fades onto the screen accompanying that long deep note. When it comes to building a home theater, there is no one better. They have gone through all the audio and video products out there and certified a select few to bring you those of the best quality. One thing many people don’t know about them, however, is that as of a couple years ago they started certifying something else – walls.

THX decided that it was “a natural extension of their program” to not only provide people with the best quality sound, but also to give them a quality room to keep that sound in. So, like with audio and video, they went through different soundproofing products, and we are honored that they chose QuietRock as their certified drywall. QuietRock is the soundproofing material of choice for the stringent noise damping requirements of Universal Studios - as well as healthcare, education, and government buildings, and many others.

When asked about why THX chose QuietRock, Andrew Poulain (THX Director of Sales) said:

To learn more about this great partnership or to learn more about building a home theater of your own, go here.

Architects Thompson Naylor and Hartman Baldwin are working with Allen Associates to design and build an exemplar energy efficient, sustainable community in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara, CA, built on an infill site.

They are certainly doing a lot to pull that off. All of the community’s electricity is generated through passive solar design and Photovoltaic panels, which heats hot water using solar thermal units. All lumber used in construction originated from sustainably harvested forests (FSC certified), and all concrete was mixed using a 50% fly ash mix. The development is also completely free of fossil fuels (except minor use in a backup heating system), and 100% of rainwater is retained and recycled on site.

An important design criteria for this sustainable community development was high acoustic performance. Why does sustainability require quiet? Because noise is the main reason people refuse to live in denser urban environments. No one likes hearing the neighbors and having one’s own privacy restricted. But, there’s no doubt that sustainable community living saves energy. A person’s carbon footprint can be reduced by 50% or more by moving into urban downtown centers like Victoria Gardens.

Noise reducing, “soundproofing”, building products specifically transform noisy, undesirable areas, not only in downtown areas, but also along highway and airport corridors, into comfortable, high quality living environments. Allen Associates used QuietRock soundproofing wall solutions for high noise reduction. QuietRock 525 is used throughout the development for reliable noise control.

The Victorian-styled centerpiece home of the development use fiberglass-framed, high full-frame R-value SeriousWindows 725 series throughout. The SeriousWindows fiberglass-framed systems contribute to the sustainable architecture - the inherent advantages of fiberglass (compared to aluminum or vinyl) include enhanced lifetime durability, higher thermal performance, and a lower embodied energy footprint.

The project has been registered for LEED® certification and expects to receive the level of Platinum (the highest possible). The Victorian centerpiece was completed just last year, and the three condominium residences are scheduled to be completed by early 2011.

To learn more about this project, go to www.victoriagardenmews.com.

The New York Times recently ran an article on the importance of building for acoustical comfort and featured a Serious Materials’ QuietRock customer  at 37 Bridge Street in Brooklyn, NY.  The builder is installing QuickRock in the party- and demising- wall assemblies for this historic former soap factory being transformed into multifamily housing. Often builders think about occupant comfort as they’re building, and we’ve seen in green construction that occupant ratings on green construction outweigh their “brown” counterparts in every way but acoustics.

Articles about our innovative customer base didn’t stop there.  In North Boulder, Colorado, Spring Leaf is expected to be a LEED Platnium Net Zero Energy housing development that will include both multi-family and single family homes.  According to the blog Jetson Green, the recently completed model home has installed super-insulating SeriousWindows to help them meet their energy-efficiency goals.  The high R-value of the windows means less heating and energy loss compared to typical ENERGY STAR® windows.

An ambitious Philadelphia-based Passive House project’s goal is to produce a LEED Platinum home for “$100K in hard construction costs” includes the installation of fiberglass SeriousWindows.  According to their blog detailing the project, “These are Serious

Materials triple-glazed windows. They have an R-9 rating which is pretty ridiculous for a window, and they happen to look good as well.”  To which we say, thanks for choosing us and keep up the great building design!

The Palo Alto Net Zero Energy House is a completely renovated 1936 house in Palo Alto, California that is now net zero energy and carbon-neutral.

Renowned architect and artist Pedro de Lemos built the house in 1936.  Once a month you can tour entrepreneur Marc Porat’s (board member and co-founder of Serious Materials) recent green renovation that used advanced high-performance sustainable methods and materials throughout the home while preserving the architectural style. The five goals for the renovation were Energy Efficiency, Comfort, Health, Water, and Historic Preservation.

Custom designed, high R-value fiberglass storm windows with energy-efficient acoustic glass from Serious Materials were installed on all the windows.  The new storm windows fasten to the original windows by a magnetic frame and detach to let in fresh air.  The original front door was rebuilt with glass panes to bring in natural light. QuietRock soundproof drywall was used for high acoustic performance.

The contractor/designer on the home is Timeline Design, and remodeler and energy modeling services were performed by Recurve.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Breakthrough Technology Delivers Lowest-Cost, Type X Soundproof Drywall

Sunnyvale, CA — November 11, 2009 — Serious Materials, a leading energy-saving building materials company in the U.S., today launched QuietRock® ES soundproof drywall with EZ-SNAP™ Technology which is 4X easier to score and snap than other brands. QuietRock ES is the lowest-cost, sound-reducing Type X drywall available today and the only one without any paper in the middle. The advanced, patent pending approach incorporates new gypsum core technology which offers greater strength, enhanced fire resistance, and easier and cleaner score and snap than even standard gypsum board.

Manufactured completely in the U.S., QuietRock ES delivers acoustical ratings of up to STC 55 on single stud construction and is designed to complement Serious Materials’ family of QuietRock products which are available with ratings up to STC 80. Unlike old methods such as resilient channel, it cannot be easily shorted out in the field, thus yielding superior results with less cost and supervision. And unlike other brands of soundproof drywall, it can be scored and snapped as easy as regular drywall, yielding lower labor costs and higher productivity. Serious Materials invented acoustical drywall in 2002, and now has more than 2 million panels installed in 50,000 successful projects.

“QuietRock ES is another example of how we continue to innovate and obsolete older approaches,” said Kevin Surace, CEO of Serious Materials. “Our customers asked for a product that was lower cost and far easier to use than any other product from any other manufacturer. We listened intently and delivered. Simply put: No one else has this level of advanced technology in the space at any price…let alone the lowest price.”

“With QuietRock ES being 4 times easier to score and snap, and more affordable, it is clearly way ahead of other sound-reducing drywall products on the market today, which simply sandwich two pieces of drywall together and have 2-layers of paper in the middle,” said Craig St. John, President of Westwood Building Materials. “I can’t wait to get this in the hands of my customers.”

“QuietRock ES is just as easy to score and snap as regular gypsum and handles very well,” said Paul Repetto from Eric Stark Interiors. “I can tell from the texture of the material that cutting out outlets or other openings will be easy. I absolutely will recommend using it for common walls and other sound applications instead of some of those old, antiquated sound-reducing products.”

Disruptive Manufacturing Approach Delivers QuietRock ES with EZ-SNAP Technology

Serious Materials has developed patent-pending, disruptive, automated manufacturing processes to create QuietRock ES with EZ-SNAP Technology, making obsolete the old line process of how traditional sound-reducing drywall is made. Nearly 4 years in the making, Serious Materials engineered an advanced gypsum core technology and created a breakthrough manufacturing process that splits the core down the center, dispenses proprietary polymers in a specified and proprietary pattern inside, presses the two halves back together and seals the edges.

About QuietRock ES with EZ-SNAP Technology

5/8 inch QuietRock ES is load bearing, Type X, 1-hour fire-rated, abuse-resistant panel that scores and snaps easier than standard drywall. QuietRock ES is designed to install and hang just like standard drywall. A typical QuietRock ES wall assembly, with QuietRock ES on both sides of single wood studs, has an STC rating of 52 compared with a typical gypsum wall assembly, with gypsum on both sides of single wood studs, which has an STC rating of 39. QuietRock ES delivers ratings up to STC 55 on single steel stud construction.

Benefits of QuietRock ES with EZ-SNAP Technology include:

• Ease of use: QuietRock ES has no paper in the middle, is even easier to score and snap than regular gypsum, and is 4X easier to use than other brands of sound-reducing drywall. There is no need to use a saw to cut the panel.
• Lowest cost: QuietRock ES is less expensive than any other brand of acoustical drywall (as of today) and is easier and faster to install, which leads to increased productivity and lower labor costs.
• High performance and reliability: QuietRock ES outperforms other sound-reducing methods, and can be used on ceilings and load bearing walls. Unlike resilient channel, QuietRock ES cannot be easily short circuited.

About Serious Materials

Serious Materials develops and manufactures sustainable green building materials that save energy, save money, improve comfort, and aggressively address climate change. Super-insulating high R-value SeriousWindows™ reduce heating and cooling energy costs by up to 40%. SeriousGlass™ industry-leading insulating commercial glass has been installed in thousands of projects and offers the highest energy savings in the industry. QuietRock® soundproof drywall reduces material use, enhances livability, and supports dense urban construction. EcoRock™ is the only true green alternative to gypsum drywall. Serious Materials’ products are manufactured in the company’s 5 factories across North America. For more information, visit www.SeriousMaterials.com.

© 2009 Serious Materials, Inc. All rights reserved. Serious Materials, SeriousWindows, the Serious Materials logo, Quiet Solutions, QuietRock, and Quiet QuietPutty, QuietSeal, QuietSeam, QuietWood, QuietFoam, QuietPad, QuietHome Windows, QuietHome, QuietGlue, QuietCoat, QuietTile and QuietRoom are trademarks or registered trademarks of Serious Materials, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Information subject to change without notice.

Press Contact:
Valerie Jenkins
408-636-6329
vjenkins@seriousmaterials.com

###

Mo Rocca from the CBS News’ Sunday Morning Show and Tomorrow Show recently stopped by Serious Materials’ headquarters in Sunnyvale to talk to CEO Kevin Surace about The Future of Noise.  Mo’s video segment on noise and how the technology for producing sound has, until recently, outstripped the ability for us to suppress sound, ran on Sunday.  Within the segment, Kevin’s interview with Mo happens around the 3 minute, 40 second mark.

Not to take anything away from Mo Rocca and Kevin, but the other “quiet” star in the segment is QuietRock and QuietCoat, Serious Materials’ products that provide easy, reliable and cost-effective noise reduction in commercial and residential construction.  Go here for more information on Serious Materials’ Quiet® family of products.

Commercial Building Products Magazine ran an article by Serious Materials’ CTO, Dr. Brandon Tinianov, in their most recent issue.  In this article, Brandon explains the basics of building codes, STC and acoustical design.  He also suggests best practices in acoustical design solutions and implores the building industry to design not just to code, but to code-plus:

The best buildings incorporate sound management into the overall design solution. Acoustics need to be not only considered but also incorporated at the very beginning of a design project-just as other building sciences are used during the design phase.

Acoustical designers should use STC ratings and other codes as a tool for a general indicator of “goodness,” but not as a detailed picture of owner satisfaction. The ultimate proof is in the performance of a wall, and that usually means implementing an overall acoustic design at code-plus.

You can check out some examples of how buildings of all types are designing for sound damping with QuietRock solutions.

If you are at CEDIA Expo in Atlanta this week, check out the most “soundproofed” home theater room in action. Built on the trade show floor by Performance Media Industries with the newest Triad loudspeakers, the room  demonstrates what an ideal high-end home theater, production, broadcast, or recording studio can really sound – or not sound – like. The acoustic assembly integrated THX-certified QuietHome Doors, QuietRock 530, QuietGlue, QuietSeal, QuietPutty, and QuietWood 630.

In celebration of PMI’s triumph, from now through October 31st, buy QuietHome Doors at 20% below current list price (while supplies last and excludes shipping costs). QuietHome Doors deliver superb noise reduction - 65%-80% more than solid-core doors - in an attractive, stainable wood, pre-hung door package.  The doors are available in two levels of performance and already cost up to 50% less than other acoustic doors.  The entry-level QuietHome Door features an STC rating of 44 and is only 1-3/4” thick.  The THX-Certified QuietHome Door provides an STC rating of 51, is 2-1/4” thick, and is the only acoustic door in the world to meet the demanding standards required for THX certification. For the ultimate in performance in high-end home theaters, two QuietHome Doors may be used back to back, separated by a three-foot air gap, for a total STC rating of over 80.

Matt Risinger recently posted a video on his blog about Green Building where he talks about his implementation of QuietRock in a residential home. The homeowners were concerned about potential noise coming from the wall that was shared with the master bedroom and hallway bathroom, slated for use by their children, and between the laundry room and kitchen. On his drywall contractor’s recommendation, Matt used sound-reducing 5/8 inch QuietRock on both those walls.

Check out Matt’s blog and YouTube channel. He consistently shares his green building experiences and material choices in a way that is really helpful to other custom home builders, architects, and homeowners.

You might wonder what creating quieter rooms has to do with green building, but there are a few reasons quiet and sustainability go hand-in-hand:

• In this homeowner’s case, using one 5/8 inch piece of drywall is equivalent (acoustically) to using 6 sheets of regular gypsum drywall. The third largest greenhouse gas producer in building materials is the manufacturing of gypsum drywall, a process that was invented more than 100 years ago. The ability to do more with less means less materials, less waste, less energy, less embodied energy.
• One of the best moves a person can make to have a major impact on the environment is to purchase a condo or townhome in an urban setting. If everyone in the US lived in this way, we could cut carbon emissions by 1B metric tons or more. That is about what Italy and the UK generate as a whole combined. But today, the number one complaint of occupants is noise. And it is this noise that keeps people from moving into urban environments.

There are many cost-effective ways to reduce noise on the market today that create high STC values, especially in multi-family dwellings. It’s up to us to innovate and build sustainable environments that people want to move into, without sacrifice in comfort or privacy.