Wednesday, Apr. 13, 2005

 

Sound deadening brings quiet luxury

Home luxuries can include spa bathrooms and commercial grade kitchens but a hidden luxury — sound deadening — is an essential home feature that can be mistakenly omitted during the construction phase.

Buyers nationally said unwanted noise in their residences is of significant importance, according to the annual Realtor Home Features Survey results. They also believe sound deadening in the home will add resale value.

Sixty-five percent of those surveyed cited sound deadening as an important or extremely important home feature if they were buying a new house today.

The survey of 25,000 recent home buyers represents a broad range of age, income, cost of home, geographic locations and race. Respondents ranged in age from 18 to 75 and home purchase prices spread from less than $75,000 to more than $400,000.

“The National Association of Realtors research underscores the increasing awareness that noise pollution in homes must be prevented,” said Jeffery S. Hughart, Chief Operating Officer of Knight-Celotex, manufacturer of SoundStop an earth-friendly, sound-deadening building product. “The good news is that solutions to the noise problem are readily available and affordable for new homes and retrofitting existing houses.”

He said products such as SoundStop can reduce level of neighbor to neighbor and room to room noise for minimal cost.

“The cost of materials to sound deaden the average American home is approximately $600, a mere fraction of the overall construction expense,” Hughart said. “Sound deadening is an excellent investment for the homeowner who can enjoy the peace and quiet of not hearing neighbors, barking dogs or traffic.”

Thirty-eight percent of the respondents said they desired sound deadening throughout their entire home. Forty-eight percent of respondents said sound deadening bedrooms was most important. Bathrooms and media rooms ranked second in importance.

“Quiet homes are great selling features for home owners and builders,” Hughart added. “Adding the minimal cost to the overall new construction or retrofit budget will create a sales advantage in a very competitive housing market.”

SoundStop is used in single and multifamily residences and office buildings, new and retrofit construction. Nationally available, SoundStop is manufactured in the United States of 97% organic material including recovered wood or sugarcane fibers.

Knight-Celotex is a leading building products company headquartered in the Chicago suburb of Northfield, IL. The company is the world’s leading manufacturer of fiberboard products for residential and commercial construction. Knight-Celotex brands include SoundStop Sound Deadening Wall Systems, SturdyBrace structural sheathing, Premium Wall Sheathing, Structodek commercial roofing products, and Flexcell Expansion Joint Filler. Knight-Celotex manufacturing facilities are located in Danville, Va.; Lisbon Falls, Me.; Marrero, La.; and Sunbury, Penn.

Sound deadening and installation information is available by calling the Knight-Celotex Answer Man at 847.716.8030 extension 1022 or visit www.knightcelotex.com.