It’s not a question that many of us know the answer to. But it’s an important one, and for us, it’s an absolutely essential one – especially when we’re doing our first calculations at a property during an initial visit.
‘Zero’ decibel is the so-called hearing threshold for the human ear. (That doesn’t mean there’s no sound at that level.)
At 120 decibels the ear registers pain, but hearing damage actually begins at a much lower level, at about 85 decibels – which is typically the SPL (sound pressure level) of heavy traffic, a noisy restaurant or a power lawn mower.
Subjected to 45 decibels of noise, the average person cannot sleep. And in an age where noise pollution is increasingly an issue, this is critical. A succession of sleepless nights can be seriously detrimental to your health. Noise pollution can also lead to increased stress and cardiovascular disease.
By contrast, with noise reduction windows fitted, people often experience a new tranquility that has a positive and powerful bearing on their health. It remains one of the highlights of our work. Hearing from a hotelier how much their guests love the hotel’s quiet rooms… and from homeowners how they ‘got their lives back’, is why we do what we do.